Just in case you aren’t aware, I’ve been busy lately. Really busy. And on top of that? I got wicked sick last week and I was in bed for about 6 days with something way worse than your average cold but just short of bronchitis. It was gross. Jay had a milder version of it the week before, and try as I might to avoid getting it, I was walloped. And boy was it a fucking doozy! Even when I could finally get out of bed after 6 days, I was still a mess & a half. And it really set me back; blog wise, too. There just wasn’t enough time this year between St. Patrick’s Day & Easter for me to plan anything unique, not to mention then I got hit with this stupid germ-fest. Really- I had no energy at all, I was still coughing & my nose was running like a faucet (and still is as I type this) and I just couldn’t come up with anything original or fun. I was at a loss. I was like a zombie.
I had just enough inspiration when dying my Easter eggs to come up with this: HTML hex code eggs! (for those of you uninitiated into the world of HTML, here’s an explanation as to what the hell that means).
I know, I know. I’m a geek. And it was very easy; just dye half your eggs. You can use any type of dye you want: natural dyes, food coloring dyes, Kool-Aid dyes, Paas or Dudley… there’s an HTML hex code to match any shade & any color. When they’re dry, find the HTML code that matches from this very comprehensive chart and write it with a thin black Sharpie, or if you’re more anal-retentive, print out decals on decal paper to stick on. Ta da! It’s a spin off of those Pantone Easter eggs that are everywhere right now. So anyway- that was my lone inspiration this year. The only spark that came to me.
But as far as baking goes? I had no idea. Even the almighty Pinterest wasn’t helping.
Then I saw a little bag of chocolate bunnies I had bought and never opened, and I figured, hey- those are always a good thing to fall back on! Who doesn’t love itty bitty chocolate bunnies? Especially when on top of cupcakes?
No, it isn’t very “different” and it probably isn’t going to go viral on Pinterest. But you know what? I DON’T CARE. Maybe it’ll give you an idea, or at the very least reassure you that a regular ol’ cupcake is just fine for Easter. Or maybe not. Maybe you can commiserate. Or maybe you’ll click the x in the corner & travel on over to a blog with better, cuter, more “original” ideas this year. Lord knows there are plenty.
Whatever you do, I hope you see that that’s pretty much the entire point of this blog. That you don’t have to be perfect or come up with “the next big thing” in order to have fun in the kitchen.
Who cares if you make 16 pints of plain ol’ strawberry jam just because it’s your favorite? No, it isn’t glamorous nor will it garner collective oohs & aahs from the blog world. But it’s your thing. Who cares if you like pound cake, and you make it 6 billion times a year? It’s nothing new but does that mean it isn’t delicious? Hell no! So what if I can’t come up with anything better than cupcakes with tiny chocolate bunnies on top. Who’s going to bitch about it? Nobody, really. Except me.
But see, this is my dilemma. I want to encourage you to cook, bake, experiment, eat homemade when you can, and to put effort into your meals. I want you to not be afraid of the kitchen. I want you to feel good about what you put on your plates, both visually and taste-wise, and create something NEW. Because you deserve to not be ashamed that it’s shriveled up overcooked chicken & instant microwave rice for the fourth night in a row. I want to empower you to bake from scratch & not feel that you can’t do a fancy frosting technique because it’s too hard. I want you to know that you can make a cake from scratch and not have it take ALL DAY. I want you to try making cake pops or canning and not feel like it’s beyond you. But on the other hand, like I said above I feel as though I’m part of a culture (food blogging) that’s pushing people towards perfection… and perfection that can never be achieved, at that. Which is why I will never have fake backdrops, or photographers backgrounds, or light boxes or professional lights just to take photos of cake. Never. You can count on that. Yes, I have a “fancy shmancy” brand-spankin’ new DSLR. And yes, I love it & I love the photos it takes. But trust me: you’ll always see my real house in the background. My real stove. My real counters, etc. Maybe a pet running around (if my photo editing skills are particularly lousy that week). The pots are mine, purchased by me. It will always be real. I will never phony it up just for a good photo op. All of those plates, napkins, tea towels, cake stands, etc? They’re really mine. Not just a one-off bought for a photograph. This is my real life. I buy plates because I use them. I buy tea towels because they’re pretty & I always loved them, even in my pre-blogging days. I like pretty napkins & cake stands & that hasn’t changed. My fresh flowers? I buy those because I like having them in the house, not just for pictures. And as far as plates or cutlery? Most of my things are vintage, anyway, and from my family… so they’ve always been here. I didn’t go out & buy them to impress anyone on the internet when posting a photo of food. But most importantly- it’s real in that it’s what I do because I love it. Not because I’m rolling in dough from it. I genuinely LOVE doing this blog.
So, see, I want to empower you with all of that knowledge, but at the same time deliver you content that you deserve, and show you that you do not have to be perfect or have the perfect kitchen. So when I fall behind or when I don’t meet those standards, I feel bad. When I shouldn’t. Because I know you’re all grown-ups and you understand that blogging does not equal my job or my entire life. I know you understand that I’m a human being, I get sick & I have other obligations & other things going on… that maybe this blog would have to take a backseat to. I’m not a blogging machine or a baking machine. I know you understand all that. It does make it sting a little less when I get “stuck” to know that you all get it.
And that also you understand that sometimes, a simple dark chocolate cupcake with a store-bought chocolate bunny on top will just have to do. Recipe for the cupcakes can be found here, recipe for the frosting can be found here (I colored it violet).
Happy Easter, Happy Eostre, Happy Passover, Happy Spring or happy whatever it is you celebrate.
I'm Marilla. A 30-something artist, hobby baker, home canning enthusiast, gardener, DIY-er, wife, mommy of a baby boy and dog mom (to another baby boy) from New York. 
Thank you for posting this. I have a culinary background and want to post more about food on my blog but I keep getting a brain freeze about the photos because they aren’t good enough or I’m not putting enough effort because the pictures aren’t perfect or the ideas aren’t crazy innovative and unique. Like you say, it doesn’t matter. I don’t want to be like those bloggers (and there is nothing wrong with them, I love different people’s ideas)… I just want to be me. And like you, I just want to encourage people to cook and bake and make food that’s their own. Anyway, I’m babbling. I just wanted to say thanks for putting into words what I have been trying to say for a while and pushing me over the edge.
I think it sucks that people feel that way. I really do. This has been on my mind for a long time now… and I’ve wanted to say it many times but I avoided doing so until now.
I get that if you want to “monetize” your blog, or make it a vehicle for making money, you have to do certain things and one of those is take better pictures. I get that. And I think everyone likes pretty pictures- especially of food. I do. But I think “better pictures” is kind of a loose term, you know? I mean… iPhones take pretty good shots, add to that all the photo apps and you could probably take some great photos. I see pictures on Instagram all the time that are beautiful. And they DON’T have fake backdrops or fake tables or whatever. I just hate the fakeness.
And as far as unique recipes, I have to keep telling myself nothing in the world is new. Everything has been done before… for the most part. We’re all just reinventing the wheel to suit our needs & our times. Cupcakes ain’t new, canning sure as hell ain’t new, and neither is pizza. Yet those are some of the most popular searches people use to get to my blog. Along with “microwave 5 minute mug cake” which speaks volumes, haha.
So I have to just keep reminding myself- and others- that in order to enjoy life (& this blog) I don’t have to think of something groundbreaking that will cause a Pinterest riot. I just have to love what I do & have a desire to create. And if I really love it, I trust it’ll come through and in turn, other people will love it too.
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