One Year Anniversary

Wow. A whole year.

I have learned so much in this past year. I actually haven't had the time to sit back and reflect upon my blog. I've been doing more behind-the-scenes research than anything and still have so much to share with my readers. I respect accurate research and benefit the most from thorough explanations of why certain foods are healthy, and why specific combinations are better for digestive health. I attempt to not be overwhelming or convolute a great recipe with science, but sometimes I just can't help myself from being fascinated and wanting to share what I've learned.

The purpose of my blog is to get people trying new things. If you at least try something new, even if only once, at least you'll know why something isn't for you and find a new direction to go in. I think too many people have a "safe zone" and are too scared to move away from their magical little box. However, when it comes to food and health, we have whole generations that have been brainwashed into dangerous corners. It's not their fault. The entire system is polluted with lies and it's difficult to find your way to healthy nutrition, which is branded as falsely dangerous to unnecessarily expensive. I'm attempting to share why it's necessary to eat healthy foods, even if they cannot always be organic for my readers. Education is the first step.

From a week of cheap, organic meals to unique recipes like the Potato Chip Cookie to fun experiments like the Cromufini, I've shared my take on good food and have so much more to go. I'm still most proud of my first post, Panini de Chocolat et Brie. I had ample time to let my writing shine and got to experience one of the world's top cheeses on my first go.

I've met a multitude of fellow food bloggers who have guided me on my journey. All my friends from Foodbuzz have been amazing and provided a lot of support. The bloggers that inspired me and gave me courage that I could sustain a blog were Robin from Caviar & Codfish and Susan from Food Blogga. I do not know them personally, although they have made my day before by responding to my posts and comments during their busy lives, but their amazing recipes and posts gave me confidence to try food blogging myself. The organic food blogger that keeps me well educated on a variety of issues is Kristen from Food Renegade. Silvia from Citron et Vanille is one of the sweetest food bloggers and has incredible culinary knowledge. Trix from Tasty Trix also has unique recipes and shares food history, as well as helped me with my New Orleans visit. And Kathy from The Colors of Indian Cooking gave me my first "blog award" which inspired me to keep going since it confirmed people were, in fact, reading the blog (::scary::).

Although my broad focus has been organic foods, I would like to find my own niche. I'm still new to many blogger activities and am practicing my photography skills, but thankfully with this being a hobby, I have no deadline and can keep perfecting what I share over time. I would like to start posting more, so be on the lookout for more this coming year.

I hope you've enjoyed watching the blog grow, and I enjoy getting to know my readers more, so feel free to leave comments to chat about food with me.

In celebration, I made a cake. A lazy cake. I had run out of standard cake ingredients, but this vegan cake tastes better than most cakes I've tried, so I'm quite happy with it. The frosting, however, is not vegan because I just cannot stay away from cream cheese, or butter, for long.

Thanks for celebrating with me!

Vegan Chocolate Cake
Printable Recipe

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cupturbinado
2 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, with The Mother
1/2 cup olive oil
3/4 cup water
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350*F and butter a cake pan. Add all ingredients together in a mixer and blend for 1 min, scrapping down the sides if necessary. Pour batter into the buttered cake pan and bake for 30 min. Allow to cool before frosting.

~Original by Brie.

Cream Cheese Frosting
Printable Recipe

4 oz butter, softened
4 oz cream cheese, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Add all ingredients to a mixer and blend on medium-high until smooth and creamy. Using a frosting spatula or wide knife, spread the frosting onto the top of the cake, and the sides if desired. Keep the cake refrigerated if not eaten immediately.