Bread & The “Better” Series

Since it’s coming up on the one year anniversary of this blog, I’ve found myself doing a lot of reflecting on how far this project has come. I think if you would have asked me a year ago if I had a goal it would have been so singular and obvious–start writing the blog. What ended up happening is that I got better at a lot of different things. I became a better writer (because I write more often). I became a better photographer (which wasn’t hard because I essentially started from zero). I became a better millennial (I basically had to learn how to Instagram). And, probably most important of all, I became a better baker. I’m not a professional at any of these things, far from it. But I’ve learned not to strive for automatic success at anything, I’ve learned to strive for better.

At the beginning of this project I pledged that I would do one post a week, for a year, and then I would reassess. So this is me reassessing. I have pretty much hit my one-post-a-week goal, barring a two-week break I took around Christmas after I finished my Gingerbread House. It has been A LOT OF WORK. I’ve always been a multi-hobby person; I enjoy flitting from project to project. Sometimes I like to do a quick embroidery or paint a door just for fun. Other times I’m into crafting and the subsequent third-degree hot glue burns. The thing I’ve learned about having a blog, however, is that it allows me much less time for those kinds of things. I’ve become a single hobby person. It is intensely gratifying, don’t get me wrong, but if I’m not at work, cooking dinner, cleaning, or at the odd social occasion, I’m working on this blog.

You know how they say a picture says a thousand words? This sourdough loaf pretty much sums it up. I have been working on a sourdough starter since last summer and for the first time, just this past week, I baked my first loaf. Every week prior I had put it off because I needed to use the little free time I did have to try and create interesting and exciting visual content for the blog. But I decided this past week to focus on my sourdough at a price, which is no new recipe. But at 50 weeks this feels right. I need to allow myself a little more leeway with my posting schedule.

Since I’m feeling a little burn out with the recipe making process at the moment, and in a reflective (honestly weepy) mood, things on the blog will be a little bit more writerly in March. I’m working on a two-part post about becoming better, both at baking and at blogging, and then we’ll send off March with a 1st birthday party (and cake…naturally).