11 January, 2018
Happy New Year
Well 2018 is already upon us! January is a time of new beginnings and traditionally the time when we make (& probably break!) resolutions for the year ahead. I saw in the New Year in Finnish Lapland (another tick off the bucket list) at the end of a magical festive break with my two boys. I decided that this year I wouldn’t be giving anything up! Instead my resolutions are all about ‘more’ of the best things in life! More coffee, more baking, more travel, more reading, more fresh air, more good food & wine, more time with friends. I think I’ve got a better chance of achieving these goals than the usual lose weight and take up a new fitness regime type targets! And one thing I learnt last year is that life is precious and we should try and live it to the full.
It was on this day last year that I first considered starting to write a blog. My circumstances at that time meant that I’d decided to put my teaching career on hold indefinitely to focus on my young family and seriously ill husband. I saw the blog as a way of indulging my passions of speciality coffee and baking. I planned to use the blog to share the many recipes I created whilst running ‘Cupcakes by Rachel’ and to pursue my dream of becoming a Barista! I saw it as a hobby, a bit of me time, and also something that I could get stuck into as a stay at home Mum, hoping that it may lead me into the world of coffee and cake! It has definitely become a passion of mine. It has served as a therapy to me after the turmoil of early 2017. It gives me a focus and a reason to get out and about, even if it’s just an excuse to drink coffee! I’ve even acquired a whole new skill set (I can make a half decent flat white!) and I’ve met many like minded coffee geeks!
Some people say that the most difficult part of blogging is to think of ideas to blog about. That’s not the case for me! I literally have lists and lists of material for the blog! My biggest challenge has been trying to find the time to actually get the material posted. As a Mum of two young boys, my days are taken up with school runs, childcare, clubs, sporting activities, shopping as well as the household chores. In an ideal world I would get a chance to post on the blog in the evenings when the boys have gone to bed but in reality this is when the clearing up of the present day and the preparation for the next day begins! It’s usually gone 9pm by the time I’m winding down and by then I’m too frazzled to begin a blog post! So a priority this year has got to be setting some time aside to post on the blog. I recently acquired a ‘Bloggers’s Journal’, hopefully that will help me get organised and plan out my blog posts. Since my youngest starts nursery this year and things have settled down a bit after the upheaval of last year, I might actually get some spare time!
So what’s coming up on the blog in January….. I’ve just finalised a (slightly healthier) recipe for carrot cupcakes! Perfect for those on a health kick (sort of)! Well there’s carrot in them, so that’s healthy, right?! Next week I’m going to Cocorico in Cardiff on a Patisserie course. These guys were finalists on ‘GBBO Crème de la Crème 2017. I look forward to sharing the results on the blog. As January can be such a depressing month, I am embracing all things Hygge. This includes delving into the world of Scandinavian baking, hyggefying (is that even a word?!) my home and taking afternoon tea at the Danish bakery (Brod) in Cardiff. I’ll also be sharing reviews of my favourite spots to enjoy a coffee and giving tips on how to prepare filter coffee.
So onwards and upwards! Last year I dipped my toe into the world of blogging and learned a lot about speciality coffee in particular. This year I look forward to fully immersing myself into the blogoshere! Who knows where it may lead…..
So Happy New Year one and all. I’d like to share with you one of my favourite New Year quotes (although it is a few days late!)
