It's been almost a whole year since I've logged in to create a new post on this site. That is not to say that I haven't been cooking, eating and of course, sharing my food photos. I've been posting to my Tumblr fairly regularly, since it's a quick way to share Instagram pics and easy to do from my phone. It's also about 99% visual, and well, frankly I didn't feel like sharing my thoughts much this year. At times it seems like the entire food blogosphere is just one site after another of people with these amazingly beautiful lives and families. The thought of being able to keep up with the Joneses had me retreating this year. Cooking, baking and taking photos of food still works wonders to lift my mood. In 2012, I needed a lot of that, and although I didn't share it here, I was home cooking up a storm. With my friend-the chef-turned-neighbor, I've been fortunate to have a built-in audience to feed and learn from. I just didn't have the words to share stories in 2012. Sometimes it's good to be quiet, and just take notice of how you feel, rather than letting everyone know.

Despite there being plenty to smile about in 2012 - a lot of laughter, a bit of travel and a lot of silliness - my thoughts were mainly on other things. The nitty-gritty stuff, the sitting in a cubicle stuff, the hussle-ing and rat race cause it's time to be serious stuff. Or, is it? At some point along the way, I realized that I had turned down the wrong path once again, and lost sight of the things that I knew made me happy. Sharing food with people, baking, and taking photos makes me happy. It's almost like a form of meditation for me, forcing me to be present, and content in the moment. Life feels more lovely when your kitchen smells good.

I'm starting a food photography class today with Julia Crawley, of Liz and Jewels, as a way to re-focus and learn more. In anticipation, I've been combing through the photos of this past year. Below are some highlights with recipes for some of my favorites below to follow soon...