A Year Of Blogging

Well, since this is my 365th post, as of today, I have officially been blogging for a year now! I have successfully posted something, mostly recipes, pictures, and descriptions of items I have baked, every day for the past year. This means I am either extremely dedicated and committed, or I use the internet way too much (maybe a bit of both). I must admit that some of the posts are not exactly the best, while others are exceptionally good. It all depends on how much time I have to bake, write, and post. In some cases, I will go a few days without baking, and I will need to write culinary-related articles for my blog. I try to choose from a wide variety of different topics and areas, while making the articles as interesting and informative as possible. I also give my opinion on the subject area whenever possible.  When I am really short on time, I will write a short, fun little post. I often do what I call my alphabet posts, where I choose a letter of the alphabet and lists as many foods as I can think of off the top of my head that begin with that letter. I am only on the letter H, so I have not become that desperate for posts yet. Sometimes I will do other fun things, such as list as many different flavors  of ice cream, cookies, pasta shapes, etc. Other posts I do are feature master recipes, baked goods I have made a while ago, before I began blogging, and tips and tricks. Some of my posts are long, step-by-step explanations, some merely pictures with captions, some constructive feedback, and some informative. I try to give my blog a lot of variety, and try to bake and cook as many different types of things as possible, from cakes, to lasagnas, to cereal, to soups; you name it, I'll feature it. In case it wasn't obvious, I absolutely love to cook, bake, cake decorate, develop recipes, test recipes, taste recipes, photograph my creations, give feedback, and reflect on the finished product. Whatever I choose to post about ultimately depends on what I have made lately, how busy I am that day, what I have posted about yesterday, what kind of mood I am in, and what is going on in the world today. I must admit, sometimes (okay, often), I do "cheat" a little bit. By this, I mean I will do a lot of preparation work for my blog posts. I have a small collection of pre-written blog articles, all ready to go, many with pictures and all, for those days when I really don't have any time to even think about my blog. When I make things, I often type up the recipe beforehand, and add the picture and commentary/suggestions later, and then post it. I also occasionally take advantage of the schedule option on this blog website, which allows me to choose a date and time for a post I want to publish automatically if I do not have internet access. I remember beginning my blogging last summer, finally deciding to take the plunge of commitment to a daily post, after having been baking for years. I began the day before my brother's birthday, so my first food post could be his "Death By Chocolate" birthday cake (see July 24th, 2011). I will be featuring another very chocolatey birthday cake for him again very soon! This cake, along with my Halloween Graveyard Cake, my Minecraft Cake, and my Easter Cake, are all some of my proud accomplishments this past year. I have listed cakes because they are impressive, and meant as much for viewing as eating; they also take a considerable amount of time and effort. I am also extremely proud of all of my other baked goods, including my meals, cookies, breads, cupcakes; everything! All are tasty, though some are better and more impressive looking than others. Some baked goods were loved by some, and not enjoyed by others; that's just how it goes! I must say, I am not usually one to pick favorites, but my all-time favorite post and baked item of the year would have to be my My Jungle Birthday Cake. It was just so incredibly cute, fun to make, and tasty. In fact, I could not bear to eat the adorable little animals, and I had them shellacked and placed on my shelf. No matter what, I know I will not run out of ideas for blog posts as long as people continue eating and I continue baking. Here's to another great year!

PHOTO CREDIT:"birthday cake (1)"   http://www.fabglancenashville.com/2009_06_01_archive.html.Fab Glance Nashville, n.d. Friday, July 20, 2012.