On Sugar Mountain

Inspiring Bloggers: Confessions of a Cookbook Queen

Posted by Jess @ On Sugar Mountain on February 21, 2013 · 15 Comments 

Hello friends!

So way back in 2012 when I was running two blogs, I thought it would be a neat mini-series to feature bloggers I found inspiring. Naturally my grand illusions of a hit-blog-post-series ended up with one measly post about Jessica from How Sweet It Is. An awesome post I might add: but just one. Hence not a series, and not a strong resource for aspiring food bloggers such as ourselves.

You can find the post on How Sweet It Is under the “Resources” section of the navigation bar and clicking on Inspiring Bloggers.

Today, I am happy to reboot this mini-series and share the second inspiring blogger: Kristan of Confessions of a Cookbook Queen.

“I want baking to be cool. Of course, I’m not cool, but I’m hoping that someone cool will read my blog and make sure that baking sweeps the nation. Or the world. Whatever” – About

It’s like she knows me. And by me, I think every dessert-focused food blogger out there whose face lights up at the sight of colorful cupcake liners or stands immobilized when faced with the predicament of  BUY ALL THE SPRINKLES which sprinkles to purchase.

Kristan? Not sure if you’re reading this but hats off to you: baking is officially super cool.

I think the first recipe I ever tried from Confessions was the Banana Split Cupcakes:

Seriously, couldn’t you just die of cuteness overload?? I don’t consider myself a girly girl; I own maybe 5 pairs of shoes, with 2 of those being sneakers. But when it comes to baked goods? Pink is power, glitter should never be used sparingly, and mountains of sprinkles make even the darkest day brighter.

Teehee not quite the same effect but hey they were delicious! And adorable regardless of my poor photography/piping skills at the time. Not to mention they were incredibly fun to bake and reminded me that in baking, much like the rest of the creative world, forget about thinking outside the box…

Erase the box entirely.

Okay so you may have realized that I like this blog. Correction: love. But let’s get down to what specifically makes Confessions of a Cookbook Queen so inspiring.

1. Photography
2. Typography
3. Creativity
4. Humor
5. Authenticity

I believe that photography speaks for itself, but as a food blogger I find that her photos inspire me to improve my own photography. Her staging is cute without being cluttered, and well-staged without being completely improbable. What do I mean by improbable? Well, I like to think that the photos could actually have taken place in a kitchen somewhat similar, albeit more prettier, than my own. It takes the photos up a level from just elegant, to authentic. And I know I can look to her blog to inspire me when I’m staging my own food photos.

Concerning typography, Kristan has no fear when it comes to utilizing big, bold, eccentric fonts in her photos. It’s not enough to have the unique fonts; one must know how to properly combine and employ them, something I am still currently studying.

For #3 please see all of the photos and accompanying links: fluff stuffed into a banana cupcake topped with strawberry buttercream, chocolate sauce, and a cherry? No not creative in the least.

And finally, four and five go hand in hand. Kristan makes me laugh. She is not the only blogger to do so, but she does a really really good job at getting me to actually LOL while reading. Her writing is honest, conversational, and informal.

I may be an English major, but I hate writing that is pretentious for the mere reason that the author knows how to use large words. That’s not authentic for me; Kristan’s writing is and I find it to be refreshing and amusing. She’s not a professional food photographer or chef: she’s a normal person with an obsession for baking cute things.

As an obsessive baker of cute things, it’s hard not to admire her work.

Phew! This post is a tad long but I hope you had fun checking out all her lovely photos and reading my thoughts on Confessions of a Cookbook Queen. Just a friendly reminder:

Disclaimer: I do not own these photos. Permission was requested and obtained from Kristan of Confessions of a Cookbook Queen. All writing and opinions are Copyright ©2013 Jessica Gonzalez|On Sugar Mountain

I’ll be back tomorrow with a super-sweet treat to welcome the weekend; thanks again to Kristan for allowing me to work with her for this post

Happy Baking!