It's Birthday Week!
Warm winter wishes from Wisconsin! It's -10 degrees as I write this post. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping away at the feeders and it's cold, really cold! But enough about the weather. It's been awhile since I've written a post. It was late November to be exact. I'm not sure why it's taken me so long, but I'm back and feeling really energized and ready for the new year. I know it's almost February but it's a new year for me.
You see, this is my birthday week. I don't know about you, but I like to look back on the year's events and changes, then look ahead to the new year with goals, aspirations and plans.
What a year it was. Here's the quick recap. In February, I lost my mom to complications of MS. It's a loss no one can prepare you for. Then in April, my dad moved in with us. Another change, and one I won't trade for anything. He's a wonderful additional to our household. An avid gardener and golfer, he's got a contagious joy for life. Later in April, Skyhouse Publishing offered me the book contract and I spent the rest of the year writing, testing, and photography the recipes for my book. (I don't have an exact release date yet, but it will be sometime in September 2014. I promise to keep you posted.)
The year was sprinkled with travel and the pleasure of meeting many new friends. In September, I traveled to Ireland to participate in Angela Ritchie's ACE Camp to learn more about photography and food styling from Beatrice Peltre. Gary, my dad and I made a trip to Las Vegas early this month. And, I've just returned from Salt Lake City where I attended ALT Summit.
What's that, you ask? It's a conference for the blogging community filled with workshops, parties and the opportunity to learn more about this crazy blogging world and social media. I have to admit, I was very nervous. World famous lifestyle, fashion, and craft/DIY bloggers? The experts on nail polish, hair, shoes and just the perfect outfit? Yikes! As it turned out, it was a wonderful group of mostly women. They were kind, intelligent, generous and enthusiastic about the internet blogging world.
One of the highlights was a dinner hosted by one of the sponsors Gygi. It's a family owned SLC kitchen/restaurant supply store with a beautiful space for cooking classes. Kelsey Nixon, from the Food Network and Cooking Channel lead us through a few of her recipes. She has a new book, and the recipes are great. In the photo below, it looks like we're the same height. I'm actually crouching down about 12 inches! She's tiny and just as lovely in person as her TV persona. The kitchen was decorated in a birthday party theme (perfect for me!).
As you can see in the photo above, we made a Brussels Sprouts side dish. It included maple syrup and pecans. It was one of my favorite parts of the meal. If you've interested in her book, you can find it on Amazon, or your favorite source.
To view to recipe online, you can find it here on Scribd.
What's new for my next year? Book editing and release, and more frequent and diverse blog posts. If you've made it this far, I'd like to ask a favor. What you would like to see in my posts? Any recipes or topics you're looking to learn more about? Just leave a comment and let me know. I'm trying to add more posts to my Pinterest boards, and Little French Bakery Facebook page. I hope you'll check them out and follow along.
Last year I posted my Confetti Angel Food Cake Recipe on my birthday. If you're looking to celebrate with a fun cake, I think you'll enjoy the recipe.
Thank you for your support over the last year, and here's to the next chapter!