The Return of Spring...and Lil Ms Sueshine

 
No one told me food blogging was going to be hard.

 

It's time consuming. Most of the time it's expensive. It's frustrating when the sun goes down before the perfect picture can be taken. Sometimes the cake doesn't look as pretty as it did in your imagination or taste as good as it sounded even though you've tested that new recipe for the 4th time. What food blogging most certainly does is make you doubt your abilities. If a food blogger tells you otherwise, they're probably lying.

 

I hit my blogging terrible twos in 2013 and by summer, my blog suffered even more when I started a new position at my daytime job. Longer hours kept me away from my oven and by the time I got home, I was too tired to even think about starting a baking project, let alone take pictures in my dark kitchen and write about it. Precious weekend time was spent with my husband who works two jobs and has even less free time than I do. Before I knew it, the holidays were fast approaching and although I was baking A LOT, I just didn't have time to blog. Don't get me wrong, my blog was always on my mind but I also started to doubt myself as more and more time passed from my last post. Was anyone even reading my blog? There are so many food bloggers out there! How does my tiny little blog even compare? Do I even want to continue blogging?

 

 

I think we all get lost sometimes and we need to step away for a bit to realize what we really want to do with ourselves. After a lot of time to gather my thoughts, the answer to that last question is YES, I want to continue blogging. I enjoy blogging and sharing my adventures, frustrations, and successes in baking with my readers. I get excited to share a recipe when it finally works out or when my cake picture turns out just the way I wanted it. (You don't even know half the struggles I had with my blogaversary cake above. I was a little more than frustrated with that cake.) I'm lucky to have had the unique opportunity to be invited to food events and to go behind the scenes with other local food bloggers. I especially love participating in charity events and making a small difference with my little section of the web. Why would I want to give all that up?

 

 

So here I am again, celebrating my 3rd blogaversary with all of you. I have a lot of tasty recipes coming up, some visits to a few local bakeries that I'm a fan of, and great (personal) news regarding my favorite event, the annual Food Blogger Bake Sale. With the return of Spring comes the return of some Sunshine :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm Gunna Let It Shine - Top 5 Highlights of 2012

I'm not going to lie to you. I had a lot going on in 2012 that prevented me from writing as much as I wanted to. Although that was the case, a lot of great things were happening behind the scenes and made me glad I had my little corner of the web. Here are my top 5 Sueshine items for 2012.

5. Top "Geek Out" Moment
Pumpkin Nutella Rolls gets Retweeted

For a fairly new blogger, it was a big deal for me when Pillsbury retweeted a link to my Pumpkin Nutella Rolls post. I think I literally did a happy dance in my living room.




4. Top Local Find
PubCakes

I missed out on "Taste of the College Area" but luckily, I found out about PubCakes through a flyer for this event. I'm usually not a fan of cupcakes but the unique concept intrigued me. What a great way to introduce excellent local beers to people who normally don't enjoy a cold one. Also, it's a great gift for that guy in your life. My stepdad enjoyed every bite of his birthday cupcakes. Thanks to PubCakes for adding my post to their press page on their website.





3. Readers' Favorite Post
Lemon Snow Cake

I love sharing my childhood memories with my readers and it seems like you guys enjoy it too. Who knew so many of you shared memories of George's Wonderful World of Cakes! Several people emailed me throughout the year about this post....sad about the bakery closing, sharing how when they visited San Diego, they would always make a stop for lemon snow cake, and even requesting that I make one for them.




2. Food for Thought
Food Blogger Bake Sale 
Cookies for Cody 
CCSSD - Chef Showdown 

I had the opportunity to be part of or invited to attend some great charity events in 2012. Sure there was great food involved but one of the newest things I was able to do as a food blogger was to give back a little. Although I do not have children of my own, kids have always have a way of sneaking onto my path. In 2012, I was involved in the San Diego Food Blogger Bake Sale which hopefully helped lots of kids fight hunger and Cookies for Cody which helped one brave little boy and his family in a time of need. Although not actively part of the Chef Showdown which helps the CCSSD battle domestic violence, I was invited to this annual event and had a chance to hear inspirational stories of strenght. I was so blessed to be part of these events and it made me realize that if and when the opportunity arises in which I can help a cause, all they need is ask and I'm there.




And #1 is.....
Lil Ms Sueshine Turns One

I hit a major milestone in 2012.....my first blogaversary. I had made it through my first year of blogging and learned a lot in that time period. I don't always follow the rules of food blogging but a fellow blogger of mine once told me to just do what I feel is comfortable and follow my gut. I've taken that advice with me for each story I tell, every picture I snap, and every yummy item I pop into my oven in the little red kitchen.




I'd like to thank YOU, my loyal readers, who have been so patient with me in 2012. Hopefully *knock on wood* I won't break my other leg and be out of commission for 2 1/2 months again or my day job will settle down enough so I can start sharing and making memories more often this year. Cheers to 2013!!

Year One - Giving Thanks

I thought about writing a long post about everything I have learned in my first year of blogging, the bumps I've come across, and what I plan on achieving in the upcoming year. I know I have so much more to learn, the bumps will only help me become a better and more creative blogger, and my goals are endless at this point. Instead, I just want to use this little sunny corner of the web I call my own to thank all the people that have supported me this year:

My family - For inspiring creativity and passing on a lot of their knowledge of cooking and baking. Also for helping the Lil Ms. Sueshine fund to get my laptop when I first started blogging!

My friends - For being my guinea pigs when I have to test out a new recipe or I need someone to eat my treats before I eat them and go into a sugar coma.

Ms. Ashley Barnett - For creating my awesome logo and being a partner in foodie crime during local food events.

The San Diego Food Bloggers - For inviting me into this wonderful group and sharing their experiences as bloggers. I'm proud to be part of this community and I can only hope to be half as good as many of them.

My puppy, Eponine - For being so ever dutifully by keeping watch over the kitchen as I bake. No crumb will go uneaten :)

My Husband, Scott - For being my biggest supporter and being patient while I raged at failed recipes in the kitchen. He always knows when to give me space by walking away and when to come back so he can steal a cakepop. When I've hit those bumps this past year, he always said it best by quoting the oh so wise Yoda: "Do or do not....there is no try." He pushed me to just keep on turning on my oven and tapping away at my keyboard.  

And....

My Readers - For being so supportive and coming back time and time again just to see what this lil SoCal girl is up to in her lil red kitchen. Endless thanks to you!

Sueshine Note: Read my first post here! The cakepop pictured above is a representation of my original logo when I started blogging which was a little piece of clipart.