Moving House

My dearest readers,

The Cook's Sponge, alive and cooking since June 2012, is moving house. For a while now I have been considering creating a blog that encompasses more than cooking, and the time has come. It makes sense, I believe, to incorporate this blog in to the new one. I have certainly slowed down recently when it comes to cooking and writing, life is catching up with me a bit. I don't imagine I will post as often about cooking as I used to, but hopefully you'll find other topics along the way to interest you, and I am inspired to get back in to it.

I feel a tinge of sadness at the end of this chapter, but I am trying to fend it off, as this is not an end, just a change. I have loved this first year of blogging, thank you for joining me, and may it continue!

Come and join me over at... The Sponge

Here's a glimpse of what's coming up soon, food-wise, on The Sponge:

Only Glucose

I've been all geared up to let you know about some exciting progress with my glucose baking, when I have come across some rather difficult information about eating both glucose and sugar. A very kind friend recently gave me a copy of the follow up to David Gillespie's "Sweet Poison," called "The Sweet Poison Quit Plan. How to kick the sugar habit and lose weight."

Apricot and Chocolate Bread and Butter Pudding

I don't know if I convinced you regarding bread and butter puddings last time I gave them a try, though I see there was some interest and maybe even some willingness to come round to the idea. I was pretty convinced myself, enough so to try another version that I came across recently.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

I visited a friend last week and arrived just as she was finishing off baking. Great timing huh? Her teenaged children had been eating, and raving about, red velvet cupcakes so she decided to make some for the first time. I was fascinated of course, and barged in, stirred the icing, licked the icing, read the recipe and asked a million questions. When it comes to something a little bit different like this, I am always curious to know what makes it different. What IS a red velvet cupcake?

Victoria Sponge

I think I MAY have done it. No doubt you will remember my sponge challenge, and the raging success I had with the Cornflour Sponge. But while I was happy to bask in the glory for a short while, I soon realised that I still hadn't mastered a Victoria Sponge, or, some would say, a real sponge. I still hadn't really nailed it, and I was still feeling a little defeated.

Something happened the other day that made me want to get back in to the kitchen, and back to the sponge challenge. I think it was the fact that I had a few moments of child-free daylight hours - an extremely rare thing of late.

Anzac Biscuits

It's been a while, and I must admit it's a very gentle return, as there's not much here that's new. Though I'm actually not convinced I have made Anzac biscuits before (!!) so it was a little something different for me. Thursday was Anzac Day in New Zealand and Australia, the day when we remember those members of the Australia New Zealand Army Corps who fought and died at Gallipoli in World War 1, and indeed all who have died fighting on behalf of our countries in many wars.

Hot Cross Buns

Reuben hopped in to bed with me the other morning after the Monkey Clock told him he was allowed to get up, and I decided it was time I explained Easter to him. You see, apart from it being probably the most important event to have happened in the history of the world, we have this whole "Easter" "Esther" problem to contend with. It has arisen (ha ha) a couple of times - we saw hot cross buns in the supermarket a while back, and when I said they're for Easter, I admit it did sound a lot like "they're for Esther."