One of the highlights of the week around here is the Pennywise Platter Carnival. This is a place where other bloggers link to posts on their own blog discussing health, frugality and cooking. It’s been so much fun! I thought it was time not only to lay down a few guidelines for it, but also to explain it’s purpose for new readers here.
The Purpose of Pennywise Platter
The “theme” of Pennywise Platter is sharing and discussing how to eat a healthy diet on a budget. Shopping tips, recipes, meal planning, kitchen organization, kitchen tools, all of these topics are appropriate. Please feel free to cover a wide variety of topics under this theme, as long as it’s related to eating a good diet and not spending a huge amount of money doing so. I want this carnival to be an aid for all of us who are on a budget, but desire to a eat as well as we can. It’s something that many of us want to do, but don’t know how.
I want this blog to not only highlight my own recipes, but also to give a platform for others to share as well. By having a carnival with a “Mr.Linky”, my blog will link to many other posts from other bloggers. It’s quite the feast of information and recipes each week! In turn, when the different bloggers link to the carnival they are sending their own readers to everyone else’s posts. (This is why it’s important to link to the carnival, bloggers!) This creates community among us bloggers.
What Constitutes “Healthy” Food?
Of course, there is some debate over what healthy food is. I want Pennywise Platter to be an open place for vegans, vegetarians, raw foodists, high carb, low carb, primal, Body Ecology people, GAPS diet bloggers, no grain dieters, etc. Our food philosophies may differ, but this is where I want us to unite- in eating natural, unprocessed foods. Examples of unprocessed foods include, whole grains, grass fed meat, vegetables and fruits, unrefined sugars and flours, wholesome dairy, and nuts. Examples of processed foods include, white flour and white sugar, boxed foods, canned foods, and MSG laden spice jars. I have absolutely no problem with those who choose to eat a different diet than me being part of Pennywise Platter as long as their posts reflect a focus on whole, natural foods. I think it’s great! I feel I can learn from all of you.
Guidelines (AKA, Rules)
If you are a blogger who would like to participate in Pennywise Platter Thursday, please follow these guidelines.
1) No linking to giveaways or promotions for affiliates or sponsors. One thing that I’ve noticed increasingly on Pennywise Platter is that I am getting more and more promotional pieces for affiliates or sponsors and a lot of giveaways. I’ve decided to keep Pennywise less “commercial” and more in tune with the spirit of the carnival by not allowing these links anymore. There was nothing wrong with those of you who linked to them, I just think that it will protect the integrity of our carnival better without them. Plus, it makes our links valuable in the future as well. A link to a giveaway three months old isn’t going to be worth browsing in three months time, but a link to a recipe for a frugal soup would be. I will be deleting any giveaway links or promotional links.
2) Keep the ingredients “nourishing”, such as whole grains, meats, vegetables, legumes, unrefined salt and sugars, chicken, etc. I am not going to be an ingredient police every week, but if there is a link to a post that is obviously not filling any of the criteria for healthy (for example, a white flour, white sugar birthday cake), I will delete that link.However, feel free to post vegetarian, vegan, raw, low-carb, etc.
3) Link back to the carnival This is common carnival courtesy. And more then that, it helps build the community of the carnival as you are sending your readers to others participating. And please, as a blogger, check out other’s posts and leave a comment! I know that we would all love to hear from each other.
So that’s about it! Please feel free to ask any questions you have about the Pennywise Platter or make any observations you have. I would be glad to hear any concerns or thoughts from you.
Latest posts by KimiHarris (see all)
- 2 Ingredient Peppermint Bark - December 21, 2022
- Herbal Hibiscus Lemonade (Keto, THM) - March 16, 2022
- Creamy Curry Red Lentil Soup - December 8, 2021
Can folks without a blog post too? I have no desire to start a blog, but appreciate and try to support the blogs I subscribe to. Thanks! 🙂
Hey Cory, I always love it when non-bloggers share their tips in the comment section of Pennywise Platter. 🙂
I think this is great. I actually get more referrals from this carnival than from any other I participate in! So certainly I’m sharing the link love!
About the ingredients — I’ve clicked on a few things through your carnival in the past and noted a “low fat” theme. I find that to be inappropriate. That is, the dishes weren’t naturally low in fat, the person had used boxed low-fat substitutes. I’m all for variety and would consider vegetarian or vegan or whatever as long as they were whole foods, but someone who believes that low-fat is healthy is really not in the spirit of real food, and I’d never use that recipe (1% pasteurized, homogenized milk? are you kidding?). Just saying.
That’s great! I am glad that you get so many people referred over to you.
About the situation with the ingredients. If a recipe used some type of low-fat, boxed ingredient, it would no longer be in the “real food” category, so I would remove that post (now that I have more clear guidelines). As far as someone listing 1% milk, I wouldn’t ban them from the carnival. 🙂 First of all, it’s an easy thing to substitute real milk. Secondly, I think in that case, a little gentle encouragement to use a better ingredient would have more effect than simply refusing to allow them to participate.
I agree with Kate! I have see the same things. Glad you posted this Kimi!
I echo both Cory and Kate. Many people believe that low-fat foods are a mistake. Moderation is the key.
I’m so excited! I recently launched a blog so this will be my 1st carnival! yeah!!!!
oh one more thing… can I ask how we send them to you?
Hi Kimberle,
You actually don’t have to send anything to me. Just use the Mr. Linky on the day of the carnival. There will be basic instructions on the Pennywise post. 🙂