Chit Chat and Chocolate and Cheese

If you have read any of my past posts, you may have noticed that clicking on the majority of my links will lead you into a special little place that I adore. It's warm and inviting and smells like vanilla. It's about time that I dedicate an entire post to Bakespace, to help out those of you whose lives are, unbeknownest to you, a dark, empty void.

Yes, it's an online community, yes, it's a recipe sharing site, but it is even more than that. It's a place to find cooking mentors, inspiration, and advice. You can find a perfect recipe, get tips from the author on how best to execute it, and even learn the background story. It's those stories that got me hooked on Bakespace from the get go. I'm a sucker for sap, and when I started reading about a girl who lost everything in a fire and was trying to recreate her grandmother's famous cake from memory, I about lost it. The site is full of food rock stars like piday and krrispy (who I actually watched win a Bake Off on Food Network way before I found her on Bakespace!) and also lots and lots of regular people looking to share some ideas and a love of food. You can sign up for monthly newsletters, which takes me back to the reason I was inspired to write this in the first place.

This month's newsletter focuses on food photography, a subject and art about which I have much to learn! I have a cheapy little digital camera, and I have never even read the manual. Usually I just turn off the flash, set my dish near a window, zoom in close, and pray. Apparently, that technique is not all that bad, since the site's creator, Babette, has included three of my photos and recipes in the Bakespace newsletters (Chocolate Cheesecake Cupcakes in February's chocolate issue, Peanut Butter Fudge Bars in the brownie issue, and Scrap Wraps this month) and I just found my brownies on her blog, too! I'm such a goofball that I get excited when people like what I make, but even more so when other people go out and try it for themselves. I love it I get an email from a member whose family enjoyed one of my recipes. Makes me warm and fuzzy.

I'm not the only one who has noticed how much Bakespace rocks, by the way. The site has been nominated for a Webby again this year. The Webby Awards are like the Oscars for websites, and will bring tons of buzz and attention to the site if they win! So get your butts over to Bakespace and sign up, post some recipes, make some friends, and then go vote!