Who Do I Follow On Steem and Why? {Virtual Steem Dinner Challenge #1}

As usual, there are a ton of fun things going on here in Steem-Land, and not enough time in the day to join in on them all. However, I am a perpetual fan of making the most out of the time I have by hitting a few of the initiatives I am interested in on one post. I consider it a fun challenge to weave together topics into one cohesive blog post if I can. Well, let's just see if I can't work some magic here in this one!

There are some pretty cool folks I've "met" in the course of my time on here, so of course I was interested in jumping in on @theycallmedan's current initiative to write about some of those people and why I enjoy following them. To make it even more interesting, I thought it would be a great way to also join in on @erikah's Virtual Steem Dinner Challenge. What bettter way to show some folks you appreciate them than by inviting them over for a deliciously healthy meal (albeit a virtual one)? Of course it is also Monday, so why not make this a #fruitsandveggiesmonday post to share for @lenasveganliving's continual challenge, as well? Yep, not just double bang for your buck, I'm giving you a full on triple threat post today! 😜

Trying to narrow down my list of people to share about today was of course the most challenging part of writing this post. I have all kinds of different people I follow in a number of communities. Making it even tougher is the fact that I continually joke around with about half of them how awesome it would be to sit down and break bread together. Due to that, I am sticking with a short list today as I just may come back to this topic and invite plenty more people for dinner in the weeks to come. I'm also a bit of an introvert, so small dinner parties suit me much better than a big event.

I am a fan of a theme within a theme, so my guest list features gents from a similar part of the world. Come on across the pond guys, dinner is served!

Guest #1 @nickyhavey

Though I would love to have the whole @yourtop3 crew over, today I'm focusing on my pal Nicky as he is one I would enjoy following even if we weren't already good pals from running the Top 3 contest for almost a year now. Epic travel blogs? Check. Killer music? Check. Bluffer's Guide to Steem? Check. Besides always putting together quality blogs to share within his fields of expertise and passion, he tends to stay right on top of a lot of the things going on here with the Steem blockchain. I know if I'm not sure about something, he's usually there to help me out. Oh, he's also quite the spreadsheet wizard, so I'm set if I need help organizing my menu. Of course besides all this, he's got a great sense of humo(u)r, so I think he would definitely help keep the fun dinner conversation going!

Course #1 Cruciferous Salad

Before I get to my next Steemian to follow and join in on our meal, I will whet everyone's appetite with a delicious salad. My top seasonal veggie right now is the stunning Romanesco broccoli, so of course I would love to serve up some to my guests as a special treat. I recently shared a variation here for anyone interested in the components. However, I hardly make the same exact recipe twice, so of course I'd tweak it slightly depending upon what I could get from my farmers fresh that week. Nothing but the best for these guys!

Guest #2 @steevc

My next guest is also a music lover, though I believe I initially came across Steve through the running community headed up by @toofasteddie, @runningproject. I enjoy following his running endeavors, as the time difference has motivated me on more than one occasion to get out and log some kilometers myself after he's posted his running update for the day. In a broader perspective, I know he is passionate about supporting people on Steem and has been involved in a number of such projects supporting minnows and newbies on the platform (pretty sure he offers up to start new accounts regularly on Twitter), fights abuse through @steemflagrewards, and I often see him post for #followfriday to share about some of the folks he regularly enjoys following to give them a little extra exposure. He's also passionate about making sustainable and ethical choices, which is something I strive to do in my own life. I know he wouldn't mind my mostly locally sourced, veggie-packed meal!

Course #2 Vegan Lasagna

Back to the menu with the main attraction! A vegan lasagna that I actually initially first posted as a virtual treat to share with another of my Steem pals @delishtreats. Looking this one up made me realize it's time to whip up this dish of goodness again as it is been quite a while since I've made a lasagna. Always a crowd-pleaser, pasta never disappoints.

Guest #3 @pennsif

I have had the pleasure of being a guest on a few of @pennsif's radio shows during my time as a Steemian, so it is only fair that I return the favor to invite him to my virtual dinner! However, I think many people also very much enjoy following his blog as the man is always sharing some excellent information. Steem News is a big one that he is currently involved in rounding up the top stories about what is going on with Steem. I also very much enjoy his Sustainability curation with all kinds of posts about homesteading, environmental issues and many vegan-related posts. He's hosted a number of different shows promoting all kinds of different Steem endeavors. I'm sure I'm not quite doing justice to all the initiatives he's taken part in, so if you aren't following him yet make sure you do so now!

Course #3 Three Layer Nice Cream Pie

It wouldn't be a dinner party without some dessert! I don't often make dessert items, but this Nice Cream Pie that I made a while back is just the thing to finish off the meal. Who cares that it is winter, the tropical flavors in this treat are worth the chill of the nice cream. I could easily make this ahead of time, so as to make sure to spend plenty of time chatting with my guests!

All these gents are fantastic to follow and bring great energy to Steem, but I think they would make for some great in-person company, as well! Thanks for all you do on Steem guys. I know many appreciate your efforts.

I am well behind on my food sharing posts, so I'm hoping to catch up a bit on some of my more recent meals soon. We had a really memorable farmers market visit on Saturday which coincided with the first snowflakes of the season! It was really fun to be out with all my farmers laughing and taking pictures of what is often a rare weather occurrence here in Atlanta. Makes me appreciate them that much more for coming out in the freezing weather to bring us our produce.

I am looking forward to reading more of the "Who Do I Follow..." posts for more great people to add to my list, and I hope some more folks join in on the "Virtual Steem Dinner Challenge", as well. I'd love to see who @fionasfavourites, @birdsinparadise or @lizelle would invite to their cozy kitchens! (Me, me, me...😂)

Have a great week my friends!

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