Welcome to #CookBlogShare 2018: Week 8, which means it is my turn to host again. It's been a busy few weeks since I last hosted #CookBlogShare and I haven't been able to visit and comment on as many blogs as I would have liked, but I have been looking and there has been some fabulous recipes linked up. Thank you to all that contribute both as readers or bloggers, it is you that makes it such a great linky.
I am a little worried about jinxing it but at last I seem to finally be getting back on top of things after having fallen behind. In addition to catching up, I have been looking back over old posts. Having been blogging for a couple of years now I have learnt so much and I have found that some of my earlier posts, are getting lost, not least because their pictures are not up to scratch. It's a shame as they are great recipes, so this week I revisited and republished one of my early posts, Meatloaf with Mozzarella and Red Peppers adding some new photographs. I still have lots to learn and Meatloaf is not the easiest dish to photograph but hopefully you can see an improvement. I plan to revisit a few more of my older over the coming months to give them new life. I have also been looking at giving Recipes Made Easy a little bit of a fresh look overall. Nothing major but just trying to keep on improving as I learn.
Sweet and Savoury Bakes
With all that going on I haven't had much time for baking, so for my #CookBlogShare Round-up I have chosen two sweet and two savoury bakes that I am sure you will love They look so good I can almost taste them!
Cookies and Cream Oreo Drip Cake
Starting with the sweet bakes, doesn't this Cookies and Cream Oreo Drip Cake from The Baking Explorer look amazing! Definitely one for special occasions.
Easy Vegan Carrot Cake
I don't do that many vegan recipes and have done little, if any vegan baking, but if I was offered a slice of this Easy Vegan Carrot Cake from The Veggie Space, I certainly would not turn it down. It looks totally delicious and well worth trying.
Cheese Streusel Bread
These Cheese streusel bread rolls from the Not So Creative Cook, seem pretty creative to me and had me intrigued. I haven't baked breads like this before so I can only imagine how yummy they will be. Another one that I intend to try.
Chilli Cheese Hearts
Curly's Cooking made these Chilli Cheese Hearts for her valentines inspired post but they look far too good to keep just on Valentine's day. I know the rest of my family would love these.
Lucy
Such a lovely collection of entries, I’m going to note some down to try in March, it’s great to find sons new recipe inspiration. Choclette’s courgette fritters are going on the list for sure!
Jacqueline Bellefontaine
I rather liked the look of the fritters too.
jenny walters
What a fabulous bunch of recipes.They all tickle my fancy!
Jacqueline Bellefontaine
Thanks jenyy
Michelle Frank | Flipped-Out Food
I know EXACTLY what you mean about going back and re-shooting old posts. SOMETIMES it's fun and exciting, but other times it can really be a drag—especially when it doesn't work out quite as envisioned. I recently re-shot one of my old recipes, only to realize when I sat down to edit the the photos that I'd had a ginormous smudge on my lens. D'OH! The struggle is real.
Thanks for the great roundup and link party. These all look amazing, though if I make any of them it'll be purely for my hubster: he makes up for my lack of sweet tooth—with change!!
Jacqueline Bellefontaine
Oh i wish I didnt have a sweet tooth It is MR B who doesnt.
Choclette
I so need to revisit the majority of my photographs and redo, but that is an epic job all on it's own - ahhhh! It does make a difference as your photos show.
I have my eye on those chilli cheese hearts. They look so deliciously flaky.
Jacqueline Bellefontaine
yes those chilli hearts do look good.
Jessica
I do love meatloaf so will perhaps give your recipe a try at some point! x
Jacqueline Bellefontaine
Hope you get a chance and enjoy it. I love meatloaf because it's so easy.
Nico @ yumsome
What a lovely collection, Jacqui - the carrot cake looks delicious but I love those little hearts even more. They're going on my to-veganise list!
Love your before and after photo too - isn't it great when we have a visual record of our continual improvement! xx
Jacqueline Bellefontaine
Thank you Nico, yes i think it is important that we can see improvement it helps keep us motivated.
Lathiya
If given time I will retake all my pictures of my early stage posts..learning never ends...
Jacqueline Bellefontaine
I think we all feel like that
Patrick@looneyforfood.com
I’ve only been blogging a year but I want to go back a retake most of my pictures!
Jacqueline Bellefontaine
Oh Patrick I hear where you are coming from.
Jo Allison / Jo's Kitchen Larder
I love your revamped meatloaf photos Jacqui, what a difference! The new photo looks like you've got a window right there with lots of beautiful natural light flooding in! Can I ask what sort of light you are using? Very tasty round up by the way 🙂
Jacqueline Bellefontaine
Thanks Jo, The lights I am using was a really cheap soft box from Amazon that came with a very large fluorescent bulb which I have now changed to 4 natural daylight LED bulbs with an adapter.
Cat | Curly's Cooking
Thank you for including my Chili Cheese Hearts along with the other tasty recipes. Your new meatloaf photo is great and you can definitely see how much you have improved. I've been doing the same and trying to update old recipes and their photos but it's quite time consuming as well as coming up with new recipes!
Jacqueline Bellefontaine
Your chilli cheese hearts look very tasty. Yes, it is time-consuming but I guess we all have to go there at some point.
Eb Gargano | Easy Peasy Foodie
Loving the transformation of your meatloaf, Jacqui 😀 and snap! I am currently doing the exact same thing (and it seems we are in good company!!) ...it's a frustrating job but the result is so satisfying. I am staggered by how much I have learnt about food photography in the last 3 years...while I still know I have a way to go, it is heartening to see the progress I have made. It's also so nice when you see an old and unloved recipe start to do really well, because it's got a nice shiny new photograph!! Eb x
Jacqueline Bellefontaine
Thanks Eb, Yes I think we all go there and while it is nice to see how we have progressed sad to see unloved recipes because of the pics. I wish I had thought of that term when I was writing. I could only come up with recipes getting lost which wasnt quite right but I could think how else to explain. Unloved was the word I was looking for. Heres hoping it brings a boost to those olde recipes too.
Angela / Only Crumbs Remain
What a differenc there is in the two meat loaf images Jacqui - it's so much more vibrant and the light on it is really beautiful. Just like you and Corina I am slowly going through some of my older recipes which need reshooting now that my photography skills are much improved to what they were. I know just what you mean about some foods being difficult to phoograph but you've really done that meat loaf justice.
Angela x
Jacqueline Bellefontaine
Thank you Angela. I have noticed how much your photographs have improved too. We all had to start somewhere and there is so much to learn.
Monika Dabrowski
Your new meatloaf does look a lot better (although I am sure both are equally tasty!) - it's sharper and the colours are really nice. Happy hosting:)
Jacqueline Bellefontaine
Thank you Monika. Some is down to editing another thing I had to learn from scratch, but it really has helped to learn to use artificial light as I have only very limited natural light in my basement kitchen. Yes they both tasted the same but we do eat with our eyes.
Jhuls @ The Not So Creative Cook
Wow! Thank you so much for the feature, Jacqui! I am so happy right now! 😀 Thanks a lot for hosting as well. I brought with me something healthy for this week's party & I hope you'll love it. Have a lovely week!
Jacqueline Bellefontaine
Your welcome. Have a good week
Corina Blum
Your new photos of the meatloaf are definitely a big improvement Jacqui! I am trying slowly to improve old post and update all my recipes at the moment which is a huge task too! Once that's done I'm also thinking I need a big new blog redesign! There is always so much to do,isn't there? Anyway, hope you have a good week and are feeling more on top of things x
Jacqueline Bellefontaine
Thanks Corina Yes its a big task to some extent i think it is nice to see how we have evolved but some of my very early shots just don't do the recipe justice.
Marilyn Lesniak
Thank you for being so supportive of other bloggers. I think parties are the best social media strategy around!! I linked my Broasted Chicken, Fish and Chips and my Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili for that down home comfort meal. I hope you enjoy them. Have a happy week! #OverTheMoon #WWBlogHop #ThursdayFavoriteThings
Jacqueline Bellefontaine
Thank you Marilyn, Its a pleasure to support other bloggers and I enjoy seeing yours and all the other recipes that get linked up.