It's An Epidemic

I know many of you are read this blog every day also follow me on Facebook, and while I try not to blog to a specific audience, today's post is mostly directed to you Facebook users. For those of you who aren't on Facebook, I still encourage you to read and enjoy the recipe!

About 8 months ago, recipe sharing on Facebook really went wild. Not only were there food blogger fans pages, like mine, but there were every day people starting pages as a place to share food, recipes and tips. Great. I love sharing. If I didn't I wouldn't do this. I adore taking something from my kitchen and putting it out there for the world to enjoy. But when this trend became so popular, somewhere along the way, something went wrong. Let me explain.

It is a common rule among us food bloggers, if you use my recipe, please simply give me credit. A link back to my blog is sufficient and so easy to do. We all understand it, respect and live by it. (If you ever look at the recipes I share that aren't my own, I always give credit.) However, many of these pages on Facebook have dismissed this common courtesy and they have made a bad habit into an epidemic. Take a look at some of the recipes being shared, and I'm guessing 80-90% of them are a photo, with the entire recipe and directions typed out in the description, with no mention of the original source.

This is wrong. There is no wiggle room. It violates copyright law, and we food bloggers aren't sitting back and taking it anymore. We realize many on Facebook don't realize it's wrong, and that's why we are trying to educate our fans on what to look for, recognize and avoid. Every time one of these violations is shared, with NO reference to the blogger that put so much work into it, it's literally taking money out of that blogger's hands. See, most of us who have made a career by doing this, make the money we do by advertising, which is directly related to the number of visitors we get each day. Hence, when a recipe we have posted is now shared thousands of times without nobody having to visit our blog to see it, we lose visitors and money.

Once you see a post shared the incorrect way, they are so easy to spot; and actually very simple to track down the original post. This recipe is actually an example of one I've seen stolen and shared too many times to count. I simply downloaded the photo to my computer, then went to Google images and uploaded it, to do a search. With 2 clicks I was able to find where the photo was originally posted, along with the recipe, and now I can give credit where credit is due.

These are a great, easy, but beautiful side dish for any weeknight meal. The kids will love them! They are like a little rice muffin or cupcake! Cheesy and delicious, they are fun and delicious.

I know so many of you probably never realized some of the recipes you are seeing, sharing and loving on Facebook were stolen in the eyes of food bloggers. Please know, we don't blame you. We just want to inform you, so you can notice it, and still continue to support your favorite bloggers in every possible way, like you already do. We appreciate you, and everything you do for us every single day!

Broccoli and Cheese Rice Cups Adapted from The Fountain Avenue Kitchen

1 (12 oz.) frozen broccoli cuts, thawed

1 c. water

1 c. instant brown rice

1 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 c. ranch dressing

Salt and Pepper to taste

 Preheat oven to 350. In a microwave safe dish, combine water and rice. Cover and cook for 7 minutes. (Check your box for directions. These were mine.) Transfer rice to large bowl and allow to cool slightly. Add broccoli, 3/4 c. cheese, eggs, ranch dressing, salt and pepper. Stir well to combine. Spray an 8 cup muffin tin with cooking spray. Fill each with rice mixture, pressing slightly to pack. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 c. cheese over each cup. Bake for 20-25 minutes until slightly brown around edges. Allow to cool 2-3 minutes before removing and serving.

Shared on The Country Cook Oct. 4, 2013