In the last few weeks, I saw several incidents and articles that led me to think about why I blog. First there was the whole Food52 Piglet controversy between two popular bloggers, Mimi Thorrison and Adam Roberts. From that hot mess came several wonderful nuanced and articulate articles from Eater, Lottie + Doof, and Design Sponge that offered differing perspectives on the incident, and each said a lot about the world of blogging and food media.
This post kind of came from me thinking about and digesting all of that. And let me be up front: It’s long and a tad controversial. For a while, I even struggled whether to publish it in the first place. But below are some thoughts about my blog, blogging in general, and the direction I worry it’s headed in the long run (and if you want to skip my rambling and head straight to the recipe, I promise I won’t be offended at all!):
So, first some background: I started this blog back in 2011 as a way to keep up with friends and family, as well as distract myself from a job I hated. Back in 2011, even though it wasn’t all that long ago, Blog Land was an entirely different landscape. Pinterest was just getting started and only accepting new users via email. People still used Instagram in the way they use their personal Facebook profiles today; that is, folks only followed people they knew in real life as Instagram’s content was primarily blurry photos with overwrought filters.
Back in the day, the only way to get your food blog noticed immediately was submitting to content aggregation sites like Foodgawker and Tastespotting. Unlike Pinterest and Instagram, there was actually some sort of quality control — you submitted your picture, and you waited with baited breath to see if your recipe would be published on the site. In the beginning, especially when I was just starting to figure out my DSLR camera, I got a lot of rejections. Rejections often came back with blunt feedback: bad composition, harsh lighting, white balance issues, etc. That feedback, while harsh, was really helpful in helping me figure out how to take good photos! I still remember the butterflies in my stomach when Foodgawker finally accepted and published one of my pictures, a not-that-great, slightly overexposed and underfocused picture of this hazelnut crepe cake (whose pictures are… well…eek!). But still. If I had to point to one thing that put my blog on the map and bring in, you know, readers who weren’t my immediate friends and family, I’d probably have to credit Foodgawker and that picture, which eventually got republished by The Huffington Post.
And this is where my memory starts to get hazy. Because it was around here, sometime between my multiple, frustrated attempts to get published on these sites, that I got bit by The Bug. You know, the feeling of awe that people you don’t know are reading your work and interested in what you are saying; the feeling that your blog could be something MORE… a fully fledged cookbook, a full time job with a steady paycheck, and a stream of sponsorship opportunities with cool companies. You name it, the sky was the limit. Blogging was a new, uncharted world full of financial opportunity and internet fame that I — or anyone, really — could easily tap into. That was The Bug.
I’m not going to lie. I definitely got suckered into all that, especially after Saveur Magazine shortlisted me as one of the Best Baking & Desserts Blogs and the press mentions, sponsorships, and free SWAG came rolling in. I did sponsored posts for the money and wrote nice things about products I was just “meh” on but felt guilty because I’d gotten it for free. These days, I’m extremely picky about the people, companies, and products that I work with. Because after a while of saying “yes” to everything, I started to realize that it just wasn’t my jam. The extra money was nice, sure, but every sponsored post took me further away from why I was blogging in the first place: learning how to cook new baked goods and play with different ingredients. And of course, there was less talking about my life and the things I ate with friends who were far away — instead, I was talking about products and events I attended in a weird overly-smiley, way-too-shilly way. It wasn’t sincere or authentic.
And then there was a whole other gross thing I caught myself doing: pandering. What does that mean, exactly? One of my blogger friends, Kathryn, wrote a thoughtful, articulate post about baking for the sake of blogging that’s worth checking out. As for myself, as recently as a few weeks ago, I noticed that my Instagram follower count would decline as I posted lots of photos of my trip to Singapore and the Philippines. I realized that the majority of my followers only followed me for my dessert pics, and my dessert pics alone. Why else would a picture of a pie recipe of mine have twice as many likes as a picture of some cool architecture in Singapore or dropdead gorgeous ocean views in the Philippines? My initial reaction to the fluctuation was, Oh, shoot! Gotta keep my Instagram followers high; I’ll scale back on my trip pictures and just keep posting pictures of sweets. And I actually freaking restrained myself, holding back photos of mountains and oceans in order not to annoy anybody!
But later, as I was standing watching my old boss dance around in the best Darth Vader costume I have ever seen (complete with a glowing light saber), I realized that there was no way I could NOT take a photo of this for my Instagram feed. There were a handful of old friends and coworkers who I know would just DIE with laughter seeing the photo. It seemed ridiculous to text them all individually, especially since they all followed me on Instagram. Why was I censoring myself, restraining myself from posting and sharing pictures of experiences that I was enjoying? Because a bunch of anonymous followers who I didn’t know personally were unfollowing me?!! Like… really???
Ugh.
I guess what I’m trying to say is, that in the last three and a half years of blogging, I’ve found myself too easily caught up in the “fame and fortune” side of things. And whenever I am in that funk, I always get really depressed and down on my blog — beating myself up for not making more money, not having as many followers, not being re-nominated for that award, etc. And I hate that. Because it’s not why I started blogging in the first place, and perhaps more importantly, it’s not why I continue to blog, and certainly not what I love about it at ALL. But it’s incredibly easy to forget, and I have to take a step back and remind myself of that every so often.
My big concern, however, is that blogging appears to be moving in the opposite direction, especially with the turn of Instagram and Pinterest as legitimate growth tools. It’s a lot easier to share the pretty pictures of your recipes on either medium, and watch the likes, hearts, and ultimately, pageviews to your blog roll in as algorithms serve it to people around the world. It’s much easier to amass a big following fast, as long as you have a decent eye for what’s hot right now and use the right hashtags. The Bug is easier to catch more than ever, as folks become famous practically overnight with one Pin or regram.
Ultimately, there’s nothing wrong with blogging to become rich and famous, the chance to break into a new industry, whatever. Blogging deserves to be recognized as a perfectly legitimate career (we all certainly work hard enough on our blogs for that to continue being unrecognized), and it’s well on its way to becoming one. But I just hope that we also don’t lose sincere, authentic, and heartfelt content in the process. Because if everybody’s trying to get big all the time, everybody’s cooking and presenting recipes that they know are popular, taking and styling photos that are on-trend and everybody else will like… right? Which is… fine. But also, not really.
Because it’s like what Tim was saying in his post: we need less pandering, especially the kind that I’ve been guilty of in the past. That is, a little less blogging for the sake of blogging, press mentions, likes, hearts, and much less of that self-censorship that prevents us from posting the content that we actually want to. We need bloggers who are unafraid to bring new criticisms, ideas, and perspectives to the table. And certainly, we need more bloggers who are unafraid to lose followers while doing so.
So post that picture that has nothing to do with food, or publish that recipe that you know is a little bit off-the-rails.
I promise that I won’t unfollow you.
On that note, after emotionally sorting all my feels, I just wanted to bake something that was pretty, tasty, and time consuming enough to be therapeutic… like this pomegranate citrus meringue cake. Why pomegranate? I’ve been drooling over the pink buttercream cakes on Pinterest lately, but since I’m a hater of artificial food coloring, decided to try and find an ingredient that would provide natural color instead. Pomegranate won the fight (though beet, hibiscus, and red wine (!!!) came close), giving the buttercream a wonderful pale pink tint. From there, lemon curd and crunchy meringue crumbles seemed to pair naturally with the subtle fruit flavor. Enjoy!
Some baker’s notes:
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- This recipe has a lot of individual components to it: meringues, lemon curd, cake and frosting. I ended up using store bought meringues because I ran out of time, but my Christmas e-book from a few years ago contains my go-to recipe for vanilla meringues. If you’re making everything from scratch, I suggest making the meringues first, then the lemon curd (which can be refrigerated up to 1 month), then the cakes and finally the frosting.
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- This recipe actually makes a three-layer cake; I baked mine in three 6-inch pans, divided two of the cakes in half to create four layers and froze one layer for a later recipe that I’m working on. I’ve included the instructions for three 8-inch pans, so don’t be confused if your cake doesn’t look exactly like mine.
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- For this recipe, I tried out a neat trick learned from a new cookbook I recently bought: Decorated: Sublimely Crafted Cakes for Every Occasion by April Carter, the extremely talented blogger behind Rhubarb and Rose. In the book, April instructs you to fill cakes with jam by first piping a buttercream border around the edge of the cake to create a “well” for the jam. I used this method (seen in the gif above) to trap in my lemon curd and meringue crumbles.
- The cake is best the day it’s made — the meringue crumbles will loose their crunch fast, especially when sandwiched between cake and lemon curd.
Get the Recipe: Pomegranate Citrus Meringue Cake
Ingredients
For the Lemon Curd
(makes around 1 cup, enough for one cake)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- zest from 1 lemon
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
For the Vanilla Cake
- 4 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups buttermilk, divided into 1/4 cup and 1 cup portions
- 3 cups cake flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
For the Pomegranate Buttercream Frosting & Meringue Filling
(makes enough to frost one cake)
- 4 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- a pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 2 tablespoons 100% pure pomegranate juice (no sugar or other sweeteners added)
Assembly
- 1 cup crushed meringues
- 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
Equipment
- a candy thermometer
Instructions
For the Lemon Curd
- In a heatproof glass bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, zest from 1 lemon, and 4 large egg yolks. Set the bowl over a pot of simmering water over medium heat to make a double boiler, making sure that the bottom of the bowl isn’t touching the water. Whisk occasionally, cooking the mixture until it thickens considerably and a candy thermometer placed in the middle of the mixture reads 172 degrees (F).
- Remove the bowl containing the curd from the pan. Place on a wire rack and allow to cool until a candy thermometer placed in the middle of the mixture reads 140 degrees (F).
- When the mixture has cooled to 140 degrees, whisk in a couple of unsalted butter cubes from your 1/4 cup portion. Continue whisking until the butter cubes are completely incorporated, and then add another couple cubes until you finish your 1/4 cup portion. Place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate until well chilled before using to assemble and fill the cake.
For the Vanilla Cake
- Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 350 (F). Prepare three 8-inch round cake pans by spraying generously with cooking spray and lining the bottoms of each with parchment paper circles. Spray the parchment paper circles with cooking spray as well.
- In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together 4 large eggs, 2 egg yolks, 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract and 1/4 cup buttermilk. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a freestanding electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine 3 cups cake flour, 2 cups granulated sugar, 4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Beat on low speed for 1 minute or until well combined. With the mixer on its lowest setting, add 1 cup unsalted butter and the remaining 1 cup buttermilk. Raise the mixer speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- After 2 minutes, reduce the mixer speed back down to its lowest setting. Add the egg mixture (from the 2nd step) in 3 additions, adding the next addition only when the previous has been fully incorporated into the mixture. Once all the egg mixture has been added, scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat on low speed for 1 more minute and no more — be careful not to overmix or you’ll end up with a dense, tough cake and I’ll cry for you!
- Divide the batter evenly between the three prepared cake pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean and the top of each cake bounces back when gently poked. Allow the layers to cool in the pans on wire racks for 20 minutes, before turning out onto the wire racks to cool completely before assembling and frosting.
For the Pomegranate Buttercream Frosting
- In the bowl of a freestanding electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine 4 cups confectioner's sugar, 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, and a pinch of salt. Beat on medium-low speed until the mixture comes together and the butter is fully incorporated throughout the sugar.
- Reduce the mixer to its lowest speed. Combine 2 tablespoons whole milk and 2 tablespoons pomegranate juice in a separate, small bowl and add to the butter mixture a couple teaspoons at a time. Once all the liquid has been incorporated, turn the mixer up to high speed. Continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy, at least 5 minutes. The longer the frosting is beaten, the fluffier and lighter it becomes. If it is too pale for your liking, add another 1/2 teaspoon of pomegranate juice. But be careful not to add too much, or your frosting will be too liquidy! Add up to 1 1/2 teaspoons more of pomegranate juice max.
Assembly
- Transfer about 1 cup of pomegranate buttercream frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large plain icing tip (or a Ziploc bag with a corner cut off). Pipe a ring around the outer edges of your bottom cake layer, creating a “border”. Learn from my mistakes and be generous with your frosting — you should use around 1/2 cup of frosting for one border. The more you use, the prettier it will look when you slice the cake.
- Use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to spread 1/2 cup lemon curd in the interior of the buttercream border (see gif above for clarification), meeting the piped line of the border.
- Use your fingers to evenly sprinkle 1/3 cup crushed meringues over the lemon curd.
- Place the next layer on top and press down gently to make sure that the filling is sealed in all the way around. Repeat steps 2 and 3, and nestle the final cake layer on top.
- At this point, use your remaining buttercream to frost the cake in its entirety. Sprinkle the frosted cake with the remaining 1/3 cup of crushed meringues and 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds. Serve immediately.
Beautiful… Both words and recipe 😉
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on blogging.
I'm still a relatively small blogger myself but have dreams and aspirations of "making it big" because I really want to be able to make money doing what I love. Sure, I try to get some things right with the trends and keep an eye on catchy hashtags but I try to keep myself in check and still post stuff about me and what I like, even if it isn't just related to my blog. It's caused me to make a lot of changes over the last year and while it's probably taking me a lot longer than it would if I I streamlined and kept my blog more "business-like", it's my blog and I want it to grow and change with me and hopefully I'll slowly amass followers that care about the same things I do (even if it isn't just cooking and baking!).
Anyway, keep doing what you're doing 'cause we love it!
Thank you for writing this! (And the cake is beautiful, as usual.) I appreciate hearing bloggers like yourself talk about these issues. I think the whole Piglet controversy maybe got a little out of hand, and while I don't necessarily agree with ALL that's been said, I've definitely enjoyed watching it unfold. It's food for thought, at least. But this blogging world is crazy, and it's so easy to get caught up in all of it, hoping that something will go viral or whatever. I think you've inspired me to share my own thoughts on this topic, so maybe stay tuned for that later in the week. 😉
Wow stunning photos xx
Thank you for writing this post and sharing your thoughts. I've intentionally avoided following the Piglet controversy partly because I just don't care to take on any unnecessary drama and partly because I think it would honestly deter me from blogging. That being said, always good to stay informed and I love that you're taking that controversy and using it as a tool to take a step back and reevaluate what you're doing. P.s. Yay for turning those feelings into a gorgeous cake!
i come to your blog to drool at your photos (could you tell im not a baker but have a huge sweet tooth) and most importantly read your content. i have always enjoyed your authentic voice and really respect that. like most bloggers, i would like to be famous and make money on the blog but at the same time, i have realized that giveaways and product reviews are really not my things until and unless i have actually used those products for a while. lately with the influx of pinterest, i feel like everyones more worried about taking pretty pictures rather than the taste of recipes..and dont even get me started on annoying pop ups and advertisements all over the page. making money is fine but common, let readers have some alone time reading the content. sorry for venting even further…but you are just wonderful.
Wow, this post really hit home. Thank you for writing this out there – it's something that's been on my mind for awhile, and when I read through your post, I thought – did she read my mind? I totally know what you mean by the instagram thing. My account was a personal account – and still is. It doesn't even reflect my blog name! But it's become ALL about baking/cooking. I dont' even post wedding photos (I created a business account for my wedding photography), or any personal posts. I used to post about my trip to Napa, seeing friends who visit Boston, etc… but same thing – I saw my follower count go down. And that's ridiculous! Thanks for putting it out there – I'm inspired to post non-food things now!
Thanks, this is an awesome post. I feel like this struggle – blog because you love blogging, or blog to turn it into a career – is something we all have constantly deal with. Keep up the great work. I'll keep reading even if you post pictures of Singapore (oh man, those pictures!)
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and perspective on blogging. I've been blogging for years, first with a personal site and now on a more food-focused one that also serves as my business website. Anyway, I've never made it big. I've never had many more people reading than my loved ones and friends and there's many times why I've questioned why I spend so much time putting effort into it.
Your post is such a good reminder of why. For the love of creating, to work on my writing and photography because those are things that I enjoy, and to spend time on something that is life giving for me. If somebody happens to notice someday, great. But in the end, it's not about that.
Thank you for reminding me.
Way to put it all out there! It is great to hear about what your experience has been like – props for staying true to your vision.
Oh Michelle, I love this! I have so many thoughts, reactions, and shared feelings, mostly about posting content that's important, meaningful, and sincere as opposed to attention grabbing. I've found myself at times veering away from that and have to kind of mentally recalibrate. Remind myself of why I began blogging in the first place, which was ultimately just for me…to share the food and thoughts that were meaningful to me. Let's chat more about this this weekend! So excited to get together 🙂
I for one LOVED your Philippines photos. So there.
I just adore this post. Michelle. I totally agree with & can relate to everything you wrote… I blog for myself, but it's hard to not be disappointed when you're un-followed because you posted something you like, but that your followers didn't expect. I've been posting less recipes lately, and experimenting with other types of photography, but my most popular posts are invariably food. Even though this is upsetting, I try to write about things that interest me, and avoid falling into the 'posting for others' trap.
Oh, and this cake is gorgeous! Your photos are perfection.
Thanks for this post — I absolutely share you sentiments on blogging! It's hard to find that balance… I know I struggle with it and am currently in a re-haul to see how I want to proceed. Glad to hear I'm not the only one 🙂
First, this cake is gorgeous.
Second, I really appreciate this post. I have struggled with what I call blog-slog…the pressure, feelings of inadequacy, loss of followers (which incidentally has happened since the birth of my son), and just general anxiety. Most of these things are self imposed and it's come and gone in cycles since I started my blog in 2008. One of my goals is to be more authentic as a blogger–even if it means I'm boring or uninteresting or off-putting or being catagorized as a "mommy-blogger"–but I'm finding it even more difficult than I imagined to shed this armor that I've created of upbeat sillyness. Not to say that I am not a silly person (I really am), but that I am also pretty wry, my language is often NSFW, plus I AM a mom and a blogger, so why do I feel like that's a bad thing? And at the end of the day I struggle with being vulnerable.
That said, to note on your mention of Foodgawker and Tastespotting and the constructive criticism that they offer, I've been thinking I need some of that kind of thing in my life. Maybe some sort of virtual workshop situation–like a meaningful exchange on most recent posts and how we can improve on the content as a whole, from photos to writing. Not that every post needs to be profound, but I think I need it it be better and more authentic–both for real talk and reassurance. Anyway, sorry to just unload! You really got me thinking, so thanks!
Thank you, Valerie!
Absolutely. Like I said — there's nothing wrong with blogging for money and getting paid to do what you love. I mean, I monetize my blog with ads and do the occasional sponsored post every now and then, and have the same dreams of getting big enough to be able to quit my job. This is really more a reaction to all the "Get Rich by Running A Blog" guides I've been seeing more and more of, etc. It sounds like you have a good head on your shoulders and are sincere about what you want to write and post about. Can't wait to check out your blog!
I agree with you — it's so easy to get caught up in everything, that we rarely stop and think about what we're actually doing, lol. At least that's sometimes the case with me! I think the Piglet thing was interesting because it brought up a lot of issues about food blogging and food media that everybody thinks about and discusses privately, but doesn't explicitly and publicly talk about. And yep, even though I didn't necessarily agree with all the viewpoints expressed, I appreciate that they were said out loud and I loved all the resulting articles that came out of it in the end.
Thanks Aimee!!!
Thanks Alana! Also, hahah, I tend to turn all my stressful feels into desserts of some sort.
Thank you for SUCH kind words, Dixya. Your comment really made me smile!
I have such mixed feelings about Pinterest. I spend an embarrassing amount of time on the site, for sure, and it's where I go to get a lot of inspiration and keep track of styles and recipes that I like. But yeah, over the last few months, I've definitely noticed that it's rare that I'm finding content there that I like, unless it's been pinned explicitly from other friends and bloggers I've followed. But as for the general Pinterest feed? Yikes. It really does seem like some recipes are just explicitly designed for Pinterest!
I've also definitely been guilty of not sharing recipes I really like and think are tasty on my blog, just because they're not necessarily photogenic. What gives???! There will definitely be less of that from me in the future.
Thank you Betty! Your wedding photos are gorgeous; you shouldn't have to restrain yourself from posting them. At the very least, I promise that I won't unfollow you if you do 😉
Also, I saw your email in my inbox but I haven't had the time to read it yet. Watch out for a reply soon though!
Thanks Deanne! So many bloggers have left similar comments, saying they can really empathize and relate. I didn't realize that it was such a universal struggle amongst us!
Hah, I find that just about every perspective can find a like-minded community online. But I do think the struggle between authenticity and increased financial opportunities is a big problem in blogging right now.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts too, Kali. I think what you've said is incredibly important — your words about blogging for the sake of creating and enjoying it? I couldn't have put it better myself. That's what I really love about blogging too.
And even if you don't have the audience you want now, I'm ***sure*** that it'll build over the years; the blogs that last are the ones with sincere and heartfelt content (after all, that's what makes them unique, right???), and it sounds like that's what your blog is about. Can't wait to check it out.
Thank you Kaitlin!
Yes, for sure! I'm excited about our HH date this Friday 🙂 And be warned… I have so many more thoughts about this in real life, I might overwhelm you!
Hahha, thanks Mariko. I liked them too. I'm pretty sure i lost something like 500 people or something posting them though!!! Which is crazy! But oh well? Like I said, I'm working on trying not to care so much, as much of an uphill battle it can be :-/
Thank you Abby!
It's so sad for me to hear you say that about your blog. Because in addition to your food pictures, I love all the portrait pictures and nature shots that you've been posting. I wish I'd had as much talent as you do when I was your age! You have a really good eye.
I know it's hard and incredibly disappointing to lose followers, but I think you're doing the right thing. You're so talented that it seems like such a shame not to share any of the non food-related work that you've been doing! Like I said in my post — I promise I won't ever unfollow you for doing that.
Thanks for stopping by, Mary! I've definitely had to rehaul my blog a few times because I find myself losing direction and inspiration. Often times, it's a result of the stuff I've said above. Let me know if you want to chat some more about it!
Oh man, I have so many thoughts on a lot of what you posted above. So glad we're getting coffee soon, I'd love to talk about this more in real life! See you on Sunday 🙂 and seriously, be prepared — like I said, I have so many thoughts on this, not all of them necessarily safe for work lol lol lol.
I love your words more than you could possibly know. And girl, I'll never unfollow you for posting about real-life. I followed you to begin with because of (1) your inspiring photos and (2) your "realness". I want to know all about Portland and cakes and photos…keep being awesome! xx
Thanks 🙂
Absolutely lovely cake, and beautiful styling! So jealous you have spring in your neighborhood. Still dirty snowpiles here in the Northeast!
In the words of us Korean folk: "omoh omoh omoh", Michelle!!!! can I just really truly tell you that I love your sincere soul and grit?! There's nothing I appreciate more than truth and integrity in a person, well, love is always first of course. But these are exactly the things that have been plaaaaaguing my mind and I always reassess myself because the last thing I want to do is live a life of vanity and pride. I just want to do the things I love, live for God and serve others, and make people smile. Now is that so hard? Why yes it is, at least in this Instagrammified world. (I still love IG haha) But I definitely do notice that whenever I talk about God's love or quote a few amazing things from His Word, people get turned off and immediately unfollow me. I do it knowingly anyway so I'm not discouraged so that's good. But I'm reminded that my life isn't about me or how greatly I succeed, and who I really am is just a lover of Jesus who happens to bake+cook+exercise for fun+mommies a baby, loves her husband, and loves to help others. So case in point–we are who we are and not what we do. Anyway, thank you for being one of the "great bloggers" (you always have been imo since I started to read here) who stand up for reality without fear of judgment. <3333 Ps: I agree that the financial perks and fame wouldn't be a bad thing at all, but if we do anything at the cost of our identity then it is NOT worth it.
Excited to make these scones but I noticed the ingredients list says one TBSP baking powder and the recipe directions say 1 tsp baking powder. Can you clarify? I am in the middle of making them and already put a TBSP but tried to fish some out so I guess I will find out :). Thank you!
I love and appreciate this so much. So so much. Kelsey and I made a conscious decision at one point not to say yes to every opportunity or to pander in our blogging, and I sometimes wonder if it has put us at a disadvantage. (It certainly impedes us on that quest to blogging stardom! Come on, we all want it). Bottom line – I have enjoyed and am so proud of everything we've put out there, both on the blog and on Instagram, since making that decision. So maybe we're not the most popular bloggers around. It's fun. It's rewarding. And those jealous feelings about follower count and pinterest shares? Far better than feeling ashamed or unauthentic. As they say, you could be the juiciest peach on the tree, and someone is still not going to like peaches.
oh no! the ingredients list is right, the measurement is 1 tablespoon. so sorry about this mistake — i'll edit the recipe instructions now. thank you for pointing it out, and i hope my typo didn't ruin your final product too badly.
I loved this post and can so relate, I often get too caught up in the whole blogging aspiration of fame & fortune and in the process lose sight of what really is important and what makes me happy. As for instagram, I like having glimpses into different areas of your life – so please don't change! As for the cake – IT IS SO BEAUTIFUL.
I think it speaks volumes that you're wise enough to think about why you're doing something. I applaud you for recognizing where you've been, where you are, and where you're going. Thanks so much for sharing.
These scones were amazing! A little flat due to the decreased amount of baking powder I put in, but the flavor is so good! I will definitely be making them again! Thank you for sharing the recipe and replying so quickly.
Wow, that post hit so many things and I agree on so many level. I started my blog as our first son passed away and it was a way to get back on track and like on your case a way to stay in contact with family and friends in our home country. As a plus of challenge, as a German living in Portland writing not in my own language, was tough in the first time. Sure, I look up to many other bloggers and think sometimes, wow how do they get so man followers and how can they write such beautiful post. It changed a lot as I got pregnant again ( I am almost at my due date). It would be great to have some additional income, for sure but this was not my approach in the first place and it will never be. Blogging is a small world and you have thousand of followers and still being self- conflicted, life is full of changes and I always love to see the people behind the blogs as human beings. There is no false or right, there is only your way how you want to blog. There is a lot of pressure in the social media world which can be overwhelming, still it our choice how fast we want to push our sites an what is our approach. I love it, to read post like yours- this is a reason why I love the blowing world. Not to mention the recipe <3
Thank you for this beautiful post and your honesty.We do things to please people and to be liked and accepted,nothing wrong with that as long as we don't loose ourselves and love for what we do.Happiness and a great success is to stay who we are in the world that is constantly trying to change us :* I like you the way you are, so don't change 🙂
First off, Michelle, you should know that one of the reasons I come to your blog is because of the way you write- I hate to use the word authenticity (it's too overused in the blogging world!) but that's what I've come to expect from you. You write truthful and inspiring posts that are never pretentious, only engaging.
I have to admit that I got bit by "The Bug" as well. I started my blog at 14 (I'm 17 now) and in the beginning, it was about various things I enjoy: food, fashion, and a little diy, too. Now, it's mostly about baking, my biggest passion, with a little writing/decor thrown into the mix. But after a recent feature on Food & Wine's Instagram, and then Huffpost Taste, I got a lot of followers that were only there for the food, which led me to be hesitant about posting anything else. I've had to remind myself, time and time again, that it's my blog! For my enjoyment! Yes, I love getting more traffic, more repins and regrams, but if isn't what I want, then why am I doing it all? So far, I'm staying true to myself. And it seems like you are, too! Keep it up! You're one of my favorite blogs.
Also: I loved your travel pictures! Please post more! I'd love to hear a little more about your trip!
hip hip hooray for doing it for yourself. beautiful words and a beautiful cake 🙂
I'm ready!
I LOVE YOUR WORK LADY! NEVER STAHP! (and that goes for both of you two)
Is there something going on in the collective unconscious of bloggers at the moment? Because I've been feeling the SAME THANG. For me, that means that I want to be more aggressively different, more myself, more insane, more creative, more strange. And I want to do that to take the pressure off, not to put more on. Does that make sense?
Anyway, I loved this. You're the bees knees and I wish I was in Portland so we could hang out. And I loved your travel photos, and I especially loved your Darth Vader photo, which I only just saw.
BIG LOVE FROM ME. xx Sarah
Ahh, you took the words right out of my mouth and wrote this beautifully! The whole Piglet controversy has definitely made me rethink my perspective on blogging. It's so easy to get caught up in your own little microcosm with fame and fortune and the competitiveness of blogging. It also so easy to be hard on yourself when you don't get all of those things which is why I think I'm glad this happened. It brings up a lot of issues within the blogging world which were definitely not discussed until now.
On a different note, this cake is all sorts of gorgeousness! Pom meringue cake with that buttercream, yum. I recently started using the large stand mixers at the bakery and started using a torch to make my meringue bases, I now want to get my own torch but I think my husband will freak out 😉
Michelle! Hi. We're new blogging buds but I'm so happy today was the day we connected. I stumbled into blogging the way many of us do—urged by friends, reluctant to start measuring my freewheeling drizzles of olive oil and shakes of sea salt, in love with the beauty of food. Even as K&C has grown, it's largely remained that for me (though I actually learned to measure my ingredients ; )). I don't read many blogs (which will explain why I'm just coming to you now!), and I am drawn to others' work primarily by aesthetic and authenticity. I wasn't aware of the Piglet controversy until I started reading your post today and clicked through to the link. That post was so hard for me to stomach—Mimi was one of K&C's first followers, and though I can't personally relate to her travails in the French countryside, her kindness and beauty has inspired me deeply.
Which is to say: I, like you, take this blogosphere with numerous grains of salt. Like you, I am also making a career out of it, but I'm also aware of its pretense and its ego and its challenges. I want, always, to share my heart through my food and writing and the pictures I take. For me, to tear anyone down is not only needless, but also a tremendous waste of energy. That Food52 post saddened me so much that I almost didn't keep reading yours here! But I'm so glad that I clicked back through. Thank you for sharing the shadows of your experience and shedding light on a way forward that is kind and beautiful. Together we can!