How, when and why I started my blog

This post was originally published for Living24 Magazine, a new online platform that brings together young writers and professionals to share their own insight into life. I loved getting to sit down and write out my honest thoughts on blogging after all of these years. You can read my post, along with other lifestyle, wellness and culture themed articles on Living24’s site.

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Let’s rewind to high school. I think it was my junior year (2010) when my middle sister Kathleen first got me hooked on reading blogs. Blogs? What is a blog I thought? On our parent’s giant Mac desktop computer, she showed me Jane Aldridge’s wacky vintage fashion on Sea of Shoes and Emily Schuman’s cali girl next door vibes on Cupcakes and Cashmere. From there I was hooked. I vividly remember sitting near the back of my 300+ person mass comm lecture course during first semester freshman year, skimming through my bookmarked list of blogs, reading each and every new blog post instead of learning about how to write a proper press release. I was enthralled with these digital platforms people were creating. They were merely just sharing creative aspects of their everyday life, but I was eating it up. I was making recipes I found on blogs, recreating outfits (you bet I was on that Hunter rainboot train because of this post - LOL), and DIYing my little heart out. I’ve had a creative bone since birth and reading these “lifestyle” blogs fueled me.

Being the blog junkies that we were, Kathleen actually started her own blog back in 2011. A Peony For Your Thoughts - because some things in life are too sweet not to be shared. While APFYT is no longer, we had a blast posting and coming up with content for her site. I say “we” because I was chomping at the bit every chance I could to guest post. Here is one of my favorites - ha! Around spring of my sophomore year of college I started to relish with the idea of starting my own blog. I sat on the idea for a while because I was honestly nervous my sister would be mad. I remember texting her, hey I’m going to start a blog. And she replied good you should!! You’ll be better at it than I am (blushes).

Take A Bite was established in 2013. My little creative outlet to share “bites of my life.” I remember spending a full day at the corner table in the dining room of my sorority house, piecing together free font downloads and creating header images for my site on PicMonkey (scroll down in this post for a look at what TAB looked like on day one). This was back when blogging was still really just gaining its stride. This was the Blogspot registered domain days where my posts looked like articles on fall fashion, nail DIYs, or how to style costume jewelry with horrible low-res and over-filtered images. If you dig back in the archives of Take A Bite you can find some true gems like this DIY t-shirt turban headband, homemade tassel garland, and mint is the new black. I was devoted to putting up 4-5 posts a week on the best pumpkin quinoa recipe (what?), how to washi tape your laptop, and the best fall bag from Old Navy... These old posts give me the biggest chuckle when I revisit them, but will always be some of my all-time favorites.

Blogging back then was worlds different than what it is in now. There are a few true bloggers still hanging on, but we have pretty much all retired our Blogspot web address for a sleek Squarespace site that really just acts as a concrete place to link an Instagram post to. #guilty. However, from day one of creating Take A Bite I was serious about two things. 1. Not making this a short term thing. I wanted to commit to longevity with my blog. I’ve seen so many people go through all the work of starting a blog and after being hyper committed for a month, just slowly stop posting. This included friends of mind. I didn’t want that. I saw TAB as an extension of me and I wanted it to run a long course. 2. To keep blogging my hobby. Strictly my hobby. 

I’m proud to say seven years later I’ve held on to those two truths I first promised myself. Take A Bite has shifted to be much more food heavy than fashion and DIY. I’ve also shifted to rely much more on Instagram as a way to share quick content, leaving new posts fewer and farther between. However, I think that is really just an expression of the times and how the digital space has turned. All this to be said, Take A Bite is still very much a part of my life it’s just expressed differently. 

Take A Bite is also not my full-time job, nor do I think it ever will be. I work full time as the Marketing Director for a fabulous restaurant group and I truly love what I do and who I get to work with. Being apart of a team, having a boss, being told what to do, yet also having my own responsibility and freedom is something I personally love. Blogging/content creating/influencing whatever you want to call it has always sounded isolating to me. This goes against the cultural dream to be your own boss and building your own platform, but I don’t want that. I’m already working from home due to the pandemic, but working for myself on top of that sounds lonely. This is nothing against all of the wonderful people who have been able to create a beautiful life from their blogs, that’s just not want I have ever wanted for myself. 

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Now I’ll be honest, Take A Bite has cultivated a decent little community for me. I do get paid here and there from content I produce and I’ve had far more opportunities than I could have ever imagined because of my blog, and for that I’m so thankful. I’ve met incredible people through blogging, including one of my dear friends who I’ve traveled with, talk to regularly, and got to go to her wedding two years ago. It’s not lost on me just how cool blogging has positively impacted my life. What an awesome hobby if I do say so myself!

All this to be said, there is so much pressure out there to be a hustler striving for more Instagram followers or to become the next Defined Dish. Oh you don’t have 10k and a swipe up, then why bother sharing? I feel those pressures. I feel them hard. But I do my very best to remember the voice in my head that told me back in 2013 that this is a hobby, this is for fun, this is my creative outlet. I’ve never wanted my blog to overshadow me, I’ve just wanted it to be a bonus add-on. Sometimes I want to scream “Hey look at me, I’ve been doing this for 7 years!!! Follow me! I’ve been around forever.” But honestly, that’s just me being jealous of seeing people grow quicker around me. If I put my head down I’m sure I could get those numbers up and create more opportunities. But for the 5th time, I really and truly love this as my hobby. I have never personally put pressure on myself to post something at a certain time, to stick to a content calendar, or to reply to every DM. Because I’m really just a normal ol’ 27-year-old girl who has this blog and can use it as my excuse to post yet another picture of my chocolate chip cookie recipe and show you what I bought on Amazon and pretend as you care. 

If you want to start a blog, or maybe more relevant today, and Instagram account. Go for it! This outlet continues to be so incredibly fun. Just own it and own your intentions on where you want it to go, and I promise it will be worth it.

Annie

Lucky Bars

May the countdown to Thanksgiving begin. These Pecan Pie Bars from Joy the Baker's new cookbook are the perfect pre-thanksgiving indulgence. I'm now the proud owner of Joy's second cookbook, Homemade Decadence, thanks to Blogging for Books

I've been a long time fan of Joy's blog and already own her first cookbook. When it was time to pick out my next book from the B4B archives, Joy's was a no brainer. This book blows her first cookbook out of the water. It's double the content and I can confidently say I want to make everything in it. 

It was a struggle having to decide what I would bake first, but because of the holiday season, Pecan Pie Bars had my tastebuds tingling. The shortbread crust, chocolate chips and addition of liquor helped too. 

Sunday looked like this, so it was a no-brainer that it had to be a baking day. 

After making the crust and getting it in the oven I started making the pecan mixture. Melted butter, brown sugar, corn syrupy goodness was all combined when it was time to add the eggs and BAM! A double yolk! I let out a slight squeal, quickly snap chatted it (I'm such a stereotype of my generation), and now I'm waiting to see what kind of luck it brings me. Joy may call them Pecan Pie bars, but these guys will now forever be "Lucky Bars."

Pecan Pie Bars
yields one 9 x 13 pan

Ingredients:

Shortbread Crust:
2 cups flour
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp
1/2 tsp. salt

Filling:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup light corn syrup
3 large eggs
2 Tbsp. bourbon or any liquor of choice (I used Kahlúa)
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups toasted pecan halves, chopped
1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan, then also line it with parchment paper. Grease it again to ensure the pecan bars will come out easily!

For the crust:: combine flour, powdered sugar, butter and salt in an electric mixer with the paddle attachment. Beat until completely combined, about 4 minutes. Dump the mixture into the prepared pan and use your fingers to spread the crust out evenly. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Keep the oven on.

For the filling:: whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, eggs, liquor and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in the pecans and chocolate. Pour the mixture over the crust and spread evenly. 

Bake until set, about 25 to 30 minutes. You're supposed to let them cool completely before cutting into bars, but when you have the scent of pecan pie filling your house it's a little hard to wait. The bars will stay fresh in an airtight container for up to 4 days. 

I have a weak spot for shortbread. The crust is so buttery and when paired with the sweet chocolate pecan topping, their just, just, just, so good. They are like pecan pie turned up a notch. 

Joy's cookbook is now a top favorite for me. On my bake list are her Lemon Bars, Classic Vanilla Cake, Roasted Balsamic Strawberry Grits, Dirty Chais and Breakfast Biscuit Cobbler. Read my full review of Homemade Decadence on Blogging for Books

BRB while I go cut tiny piece after tiny piece until I realize I just ate about two full sized squares... Once a grazer always a grazer. 

Annie

I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review. If you are a also a blogger make sure to check out their site on how you too can start Blogging for Books!

New Season, New Blogs

New season, and new blogs on my radar. Some food blogs and some fashion/lifestyle or as one blogger describes her's, an "inspiration blog. I love that.

First up, My Name is Yeh. Pronounced Yay!!!, with lot's of exclamation marks! She's Chinese and jewish, uses code names of important people in her life and doesn't believe in capitalization. Not to mention her recipes all make me yell, YAY!!!

Some of my favorite recipes are her Pistachio Pop-TartsFunfetti Biscotti, Coconut Quinoa with Dates and Nuts (the recipe that put her on my radar), and Chicken with Apples + Chardonnay.

The Darling Detail is written by Jessi Afshin, lives in my new favorite city, Austin. A few "details" about Jessi: she has a crazy legit blog, she has amazing style, she is the production Assistant for Camille Styles (woah) and she's my age. She also wakes up at 5:45 ever morning to work on her blog. It's currently 6:47 a.m. so I sort of feel your pain, this isn't an everyday thing for me though.

Yeah...Immaeatthat. Kylie makes awesome sweet and savory healthy food that is still "crave-able." She wants to pursue a career intertwined with food without working in a restaurant (you and me both girl). She makes stellar sweets, veggie rich meals and also shares "what she eats every week" similar idea to my bites posts. My friend I interned with this summer showed me Kylie's site this summer and now we are in a constant game of sending screenshots of her dishes back in forth!

Some favorites are  Baked Apples Stuffed with Oatmeal Cookie GranolaSingle Serving Pumpkin Cinnamon RollsLess Slutty Brownie and her new Tea Latte post (perfect for my new tea kick!)

Mrs. Lilien, written by Kelley Lilien is a blogger, designer and author of the adorable, Mrs. Lilien's Cocktail Swatchbook. I love the way Mrs. Lilien formulates her posts. The graphics, colors and placement really sets her creativity apart from most blogs I read. They are crisp and impressive but still simple. Her aesthetic is to always keep the "Mrs." in mind, so you can expect every post to be tres chic! P.S. her current post on jumpsuits is on par. 

Lady and Pups-An Angry Food Blog. A misery outlet as the author likes to call it. L&P is the result of her move to Beijing and the anger it brings her. She has channeled her anger into delight through food. She is cynical, sarcastic and cooks some amazing food. 

Most dishes have an asian feel, but I love her recipes like The Saucy Marriage PieSea Salt Buttercream and Chocolate CupcakeMicrowave Sausage and Cheese Spaghetti  and Green Butter Grilled Oysters. She doesn't believe in measuring, but I don't either, her recipes are more of "guides." Don't let that scare you. Five seconds of looking at the photography on her site and you'll be sold.

Straight From Kate  is my newest read. I found her on Tuesday and had to add her to the list. Kate lives in Dallas where she ditched corporate world to pursue, well, anything. She is a photographer, freelance artist, creative and stud sugar cookie decorator so we obviously bonded on that. Since Straight from Kate is so new on my radar as well as new in the blog world, I look forward to seeing how she progresses it.

Sometimes you just need some new inspiration.

Annie