Dear Blog (6) - {reflections over the last year}

Dear Blog,

You're 6 years old today. How do you feel?

I haven't been blogging like I used to. In the past I was at home with my children. Now I work part-time, volunteer, and keep busy with other hobbies. Reading being one of them, which is why I have been trying to fit it into the blog as of late. Check out my instagram as I am currently doing a daily book challenge and I'm loving it! I recently took a refresher life drawing workshop, which just taught me I already know stuff, I just have to be more confident in my abilities!

I am sorry if you've been feeling neglected.

So, that's the update on life stuff.... nothing as dramatic going on as the last couple years have been. It's a bit of a lull and I'm taking full advantage of that, because you never know what life will throw at you next!

Having a look back at last year here is a baker's dozen of bakes and events that have appeared here on the blog and are worth having another look at!

1. Having just moved into my flat this time last year I experimented with my new oven and made these gorgeous Orangey Orange Cupcakes with Raspberries. My flat is located above an office and I shared with them, on my way out I heard a guy in the back say "These are the best cupcakes I've ever had!" To say the least it made my day! 
2. There is literally only one brownie recipe I use these days and I am continually adding all sorts of stuff to them. The hottest day last August my friend and I went to London to check out some of the museums and to keep the cost down we packed ourselves lunch. I brought brownies made with double chocolate oreos and since they came with us I titled them "Traveling Oreo Brownies!"
3. The post that I wrote with all the things I had been baking lately! 
4. My visit to the Panasonic Idea's Kitchen! Saw a few familiar blogger faces and had a great time learning about their beauty products as well as having a play in their kitchen! 
5. Making cocktails and learning how to salsa at Revolución De Cuba with my friend Jacob! 
6. I gave my blog a new look and made MnM Cookies. 
7. Lemon Cake and review of the Lunar Chronicle series is the start of my second attempt to incorporate my love of baking and books... I'm still working at it! 
8. Publicly announcing my happily single status by post a list of 7 movies I think single people should watch on Valentine's Day! 
9. Blueberry scones inspired by my rewatching all 7 series of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, proving that inspiration can come from anywhere! 
10. The treats we had as kids are even better as adults because of the nostalgia and these Oreo Cheesecake Cupcakes are just that for me! Minus the Oreo Creme Easter eggs of course. 
11. My second attempt at mixing my love of books and baking was with these Blackberry Custard Tarts inspired by a young adult novel that goes by My Lady Jane! 
12. Finally wanting to get use out of my juicer I asked fellow bloggers to share with me their juice and smoothie recipes. 
13. Learning that if you make anything by Mary Berry and give her the proper credit you get more views. 

There used to be more posts to choose from, but it's not always about quantity and I feel like the quality of my posts have changed as I have found my voice and have worked on my photography. Not to toot my own horn .... actually I am tooting my own horn. I am proud of the work and time and how far I have come as a blogger. Why do we live in a world where we aren't allowed to show any pride in ourselves and what we have achieved? So, I am ending this post with this: Be proud of what you achieve in any aspect of your life! 

Let Today Be the Start of Something New

Hello! How are you?

I didn’t know how else to start this post. It’s been a while since I blogged and I have several things to share with you all my lovely readers. That is if any of you still exist?

United Cakedom’s blogversary was last week. It falls on a day that is in a series of days that have some importance.

June 9th - the day I moved to the UK (2005)
June 10th - the day I moved into my very own flat (2016)
June 11th - the day I started United Cakedom (2011)
June 12th - the day my friend Lauren was born (we will leave the year out)

This time of month just seems to be a turning point where things happen to me and things get muddled and I miss important things like my blogversary. I mean how could I forget my blog! It’s the one place where I can express myself and feel like life isn’t just about the daily grind.

When I went to Food Bloggers Connect last September at one of the courses/lessons given by the amazing Urshavi Roe she asked us why do we blog? There are many reasons why I love blogging, but the first answer I wrote down was because it was a place for me to have a voice.

Now I haven’t been baking as much as I used too or should I say I am experimenting less. I tend to stick to my favorite recipes and make them over and over again. Since I haven’t been baking I’ve been catching up on a lot of books I have been meaning to read. Reading a book is a lot easier to fit in and around all the normal day stuff then baking is.

I have noticed that the new trend in blogs isn’t to have a niche, but to be a little bit of everything. I think eventually blogs evolve like that because blogs are personal and no one is just one thing. We’ve all seen High School Musical - we don’t all fit into one mold.

I started blogging as a mommy blogger and then a book blogger before settling into being a baking blogger or more broad of a term a food blogger! I won’t be changing my blog name, but I will be adding more and more lifestyle things into my blog. With events and book reviews and days out with my girls.

I hope you stick around to see it.

Part of the reason I've been a bit absent is that I've moved into a new flat! It's all been a bit crazy! I also just hooked up the internet! Look at me being all independent!! In the next few weeks I have a recent event I went to to share with you as well as a few new books I want to show you! Along with my summer reading list, maybe a movie, a giveaway, and my new baking adventures with the little freestanding thing I now call my oven.

Until then!!

photos: Top - Arthur Newbury Park, Reading, England. Second - Plenty of counter space in my new flat for my pretty mixer. I've been told that KitchenAid now do a matching pink kettle and toaster. Maybe if I am really good this year Santa will be nice to me? Third - Bought at Dunelm Mills a few years back and it now sits on my kitchen counter! Fourth - My bookcase that houses all my cookbooks. I had asked fellow bloggers and foodies how they keep their cookbook collection from going mad! A few said they just let it go mad and collect and keep all cookbooks they come across. Another few said they have a set number that is set and will switch books out every so many months or so. Others just told me to keep the ones I love and can't live without! So about half of these are ones I can't live without and the other half are ones I am waiting to see if I can't live without them. Time will tell. Last photo - my new cooker! I was weary at first, it's the one white good that came with the flat, but it's actually proven to be okay. It heats up relatively fast and so far as cooked everything I put in it. Now hopefully in the up coming weeks I will see how it does with cakes, cookies, and brownies!

Dear Blog, (4)

I completely forgot our anniversary - your birthday. It was on June 11th, we have been doing this thing for four years now. It’s funny to look back at the beginning to see how far we’ve come together. But for this post we’ll be looking at the last year. 

And man what a year it’s been; big things have happened. First I went home for the summer, it was a much needed trip and one that will mean a lot more then any other trip. It was a much needed break and I am forever grateful for having spent those five weeks with my parents and sisters. Then earlier this year (2015) I took an unexpected trip home again. My mom was diagnosed with a rare form of lung cancer at the end of January. She unfortunately did not survive her diagnoses. I don’t actually know what else to say. I am still processing it and going through the stages. I normally wouldn’t have flown home twice in the span of a year, but I am so glad I did. Never hesitate when it comes to these sorts of things.

Other things that are little compared to that are that my Baby Baker started full-time school. It also meant I went in search of a job and some how ended up with two! Two that still only equal part time hours as I am still a mom! It’s tiring though…either that or I’m getting old! 

But as always here are my baker’s dozen of links and things that stood out last year…in my opinion anyway! 

1. Last summer the World Cup was in full swing and for one Clandestine Cake Club the theme was said World Cup. I didn’t end up making that one as I didn’t have a babysitter and my husband was stuck in traffic on his way home. However I still made an awesome cake! 
2. Then there was the Coconut Lover's Coconut Cake. I don’t know that I have ever tasted a cake as good as that one … well a coconut cake anyway. If you or someone you know loves coconut then I would definitely get this made for you or them. 
3. I started writing Five on Fridays as a way to bring different things that weren’t always baking to my blog. It started out strong, but now it’s a bit random when one gets posted. 
4. From Food Blogger Connect 2014 I met a milk alternative brand called Oatly and they sent me home with a bunch of their product and I made these cupcakes and these donuts with said products. If you know anyone who has a milk intolerance check these babies out. 
5. Change up your tea time with these Apple Pie Scones! 
6. Remember that time I made Sticky Toffee Pudding... for the first time and it was good. 
7. We started off the new year with an Oreo Poke Cake, it’s always good to start something right. I had brought some Jello Pudding back to the UK with me from my summer trip home. 
8. Lucky Charms bark is all you need to feel lucky. 
9. Jen from Jen’s Food and I started up a monthly pastry challenge! PS. This month is breakfast pastries if you want to link up here! 
10. Once again this year I was a World Book Night giver and I wrote all about it here! 
11. Eurovision has been on for ages, but the only time I heard about it was from Father Ted. So, for a blogging challenge I made this delicious no bake treat! 
12. I also took part in a Bookies to Foodies week with my friend Missie who writes over on A Flurry of Ponderings. Which was fun to see some good food inspired by books! 
13. I think this Ginormous Jaffa Cake is worthy of a look back...man was it good! 

Last year was great let’s make it another great year. There are a few things I am looking forward too and some I am hoping to accomplish. I can’t wait to attend Food Blogger Connect again this September. Also I think another bakery tour of London is long over due! I am hoping to bake more with friends and looking to extend the hashtag storybookbakes. I love reading and I think it will be a great way to combine my love for said reading and baking! There is an idea I have had for quite some time now and I hope to finally make it a reality this year! We will see! 

So, blog it’s been a crazy year, but we have gotten through it … perhaps not unscathed but mostly okay. I will try not to forget next year! 

with all my love, Lisa 

Pancakes at Midnight

9 years ago today I married my husband.

We had been dating for about 5 month's.

The shock of some of our family and friends cannot be expressed in words.

We were married by an old retired Justice of the Peace, he looked a bit like Yoda, on a very windy day on the side of a lake. 

Afterwards we went to lunch with the few people who were there and then we packed his bags to fly back to England the next day. 

With all excitement and then driving to the airport we didn't have dinner. Right next to our hotel was an IHOP and it was there, at midnight on our wedding day, we shared a stack of Chocolate Chip Pancakes. 

Chocolate Chip Pancakes: 

1 large egg

1 cup plain flour/all-purpose

3/4 cups milk

1 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp vegetable oil 

3 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Beat the egg with hand beater until fluffy, then add the remaining ingredients, minus the chocolate chips, until just combined and smooth. Grease with vegetable oil or spray with cooking spray before heating up the griddle or skillet over a medium heat (sprinkle a few drops of water, if bubbles jump around, heat is just right). Cook pancakes until bubbly on top, puffed and dry around the edges; turn and sprinkle on a small handful of chocolate chips and cook until the other side is golden brown. 

Top with whatever you like and enjoy! 

notes: recipe slightly adapted from Betty Crocker's Red Cookbook. IHOP: International House of Pancakes.