Sometimes I like trying something new. A peculiar looking dish that my parents claim is delicious, a new hairstyle, a book that everyone is raving about - I am glad to say that sometimes trying out new things have actually helped me to discover things that I have been missing out in life.
I never thought that this summer some of the new things would be baking, learning about photography, and starting a blog.
Before this blog, I have to admit that I have never baked from scratch. I always used the boxed mixes because I thought that they were really easy to use, and buying and measuring all the different ingredients for a recipe would be a hassle. I thought that it was alright if I used a boxed mix because something wrong might happen if I made something from scratch. I remember watching shows on TV wherein a character would make a cookie or a cake and their result would be a burnt, rock-hard, inedible mess with a smoke-filled house and an oven on fire. When I first made a cookie from scratch , I was a bit anxious because I worried that my cookies would become a disaster. I was afraid that something would go wrong, but now I have realized that it is alright to make mistakes. They have really helped me to learn, and now I am a lot more confident whenever I make something in the kitchen.
After I bit into the first cookie (from scratch) that I made, I just could not believe that I made that cookie. My mother was with me at the time, and I told her how the cookie tasted - soft and chewy, with the flavors more pronounced than any cookie that I had made with a boxed mix. I was thrilled because my cookies tasted like the ones she always makes from scratch too.
At that moment, I felt a weight lifted from me. All the fear I had was withdrawn. I was anticipating the next time that I could bake again. I imagined what I would make next... Brownies? A cheesecake? More cookies?
Before baking anything else, I had to make something so that I would always be able to remember what I made this summer. I immediately thought of a blog - a fun background template, an easy way to organize my recipes, and a way to access what I baked almost anywhere. I thought about a few other options, like a journal, but I realized that a blog would be the best choice.
I then thought about what I would need to add in my blog. I have read so many food blogs, and they almost always have pictures of food. I did not know the first thing about photography. Sure, I knew how to use my point and shoot camera and how to upload pictures to my laptop, but I did not have an idea in the least about things like aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. I did not know what a DSLR was, and my mother actually had one!
For the first five posts, I used my point and shoot camera (I started using a DSLR for the chocolate chip scones post). I researched about photography, and reads lots of articles about the basics of photography. All that information that I learned may have overwhelmed me a bit, but I am so thankful that I know now a bit about photography. When I first tried taking pictures with the DSLR, I was a bit nervous. I had to read about a lot of the settings, like what "A" or "P" meant. The camera was unlike any that I had used before, but eventually I got the hang of it. I actually looked forward to taking pictures whenever I had to bake.
A picture really is worth a thousand words. I may not be the best photographer, but I am glad that my photography has improved immensely since I started taking pictures. Now I know what a good photo should have: things like good composition and lighting, for example. After my mom upgraded to a newer DSLR, she gave me my first DSLR - a Canon 40D. It may not be the latest model, and it may not be able to take videos. I know that the camera does not make the picture - the photographer does. Some pictures that I have taken with my point and shoot have been just as good as the pictures that I have taken on my DSLR. The reason why I decided to continue using the DSLR was because of all the features and settings that it has that my point an shoot camera does not. I like challenges, and using this camera really made me think. Should I increase the aperture? Is there enough light in the picture? Can anyone tell that that yellow blob is actually a lemon bar?
I really want to give a big thanks to all of you who have been reading my blog. I mentioned in the About page that I intended to use this blog just for this summer only, but I have really enjoyed blogging. I had a wonderful experience - my blog even gave me an excuse to try and bake things that I thought I would never be able to make. I enjoyed everything - taking photographs, writing about why I decided to make a certain dessert, and even making mistakes, because they really have helped me to improve my baking.
I have baked cookies so many times during this summer time that now I know the recipe by heart.
Here is a list of my favorite recipes from this blog.
Before summer started, I would head over to the sections in the grocery store where the packaged cookies and boxed mixes were in. Now, I head on over to more than just one section, with a shopping list full of ingredients in hand, ready to purchase what I need in order to make something new.
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