To Review or Not to Review…

One thing I have noticed about food bloggers is that we tend to be an opinionated bunch. And nothing can get an argument happening faster in a meeting of food bloggers (online or IRL) than whether or not you should accept products for review.

If you have been reading my blog for very long you probably know where I stand on that issue. I do it. If a manufacturer wants me to try something that I think might  be something you are interested in I will usually try it. I don’t accept everything. There was a first aide kit that was offered that I was like..thanks but no thanks. There have been some other things. Point is, not everything I get offered lands on these pages. I have to think that it is something that will be helpful or interesting.If I try something and I don’t like it I don’t feel compelled to be nice. If I think it is really awful I will say so. If I dislike it but think that other people would probably like it then I will say that, too. Accepting samples and review items from manufacturers allows me to try things and recommend them. I could not afford to do as much of that if I was having to buy everything I recommended. I would be reviewing boxed mac and cheese and hot dogs.

I love cooking and baking, and I love bl0gging but make no mistakes, this is a business for me not a hobby. When Marc became disabled blogging was the thing that the Lord used to provide for our needs. So while I am totally all about  trying to provide awesome recipes, awesome, images, and cool new trends…I am also about paying the electric bill and buying groceries.

I am writing this because I have read numerous statements of late knocking bloggers that accept review items. The funny thing is, I was an artist eons ago and you had the same mentality in “art-land”. Artists that make money are somehow not as pure as those who don’t. Maybe not but artists (and bloggers) that make money at it aren’t starving either. I know a number of bloggers that review…and I can’ t imagine any of them writing anything but the truth. For us, while food blogging may be our first love, the craft of writing is what keeps the food in the pantry ready to be blogged.

If you are a brand new food blogger and you are trying to decide whether or not to do reviews you should f0llow your heart on that. Of course you are always going to be honest. If you want to do reviews and try products that manufacturers offer you …well you should do so! Just always let people know.

And on that note..if there is any manufacturer reading this that is jonesing to do a complete kitchen restoration with their products..hey..I have just the kitchen for you. I am headed down to it right now to bake something to blog a little later…and MAYBE I will use a product that I was given to review…who knows.

I figure if Paula Deen can put her stamp of approval on something so can I….

What are your thoughts? Should bloggers review manufacturer’s products or not? Are you offended by it? If you are a blogger do you accept items for review? Why or why not?

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