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The Pancake Princess

The Pancake Princess

A baking blog curating internet recipes.

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2016: Goals

by erika 12 Comments

This year, we’re going into the fourth year of The Pancake Princess.

YEAR 4.

That's me (and two of the greatest ladies I've met this year) on the most incredible sugar high I've been on all year.
That’s me (and two of the greatest ladies I’ve met this year) on the most incredible sugar high I’ve been on all year.

It’s amazing to think about the different mindset and life space I occupy now compared to the starting line. In mid-2012, I was freshly graduated: in the slightly isolating post-college world with friends dispersed to all corners of the globe, a full-time corporate job that wasn’t quite fulfilling, and more free time outside of work than I knew what to do with, I turned to over-exercising to the point of a long-term knee injury and experimenting in the kitchen, which eventually led to documenting my results in a very humble wordpress.org blog.*

Over time, thanks to the incredible support of you, both new and long-time readers, this blog has evolved into a portfolio I’ve been able to use to launch freelance writing gigs with the Houston Press and Urban Swank, my ticket into the newly formed Houston Food Blogger’s Collective (founded only this past January by the stunningly awesome Claire of The Petite Professional), and most importantly, continued to be a haven to share food and recipes I love with the incredibly supportive online food community. For all of this, THANK YOU.

Over time, however, I’ve also realized that my priorities and preferences have shifted. While my main interests when I started this blog were creating healthy desserts and pursuing my ideal pancake recipe, I’m no longer as interested in creating droopy, low-cal chia seed muffins as I am in creating beautiful loaves of mostly indulgent pumpkin bread that deeply satisfy with one slice instead of three half-sweet slices. I’m more interested in finding meals that keep me excited about eating healthy when I’m not eating out OR tackling difficult recipes for the technique. I’m more interested in food that will delight and bring people together. I’m gaining more interest in refining my cooking skills and techniques through learning from others rather than struggling to create my own hackneyed recipes. And possibly most importantly, I recently developed a dairy allergy, which means there will be a significant shift in focus to dairy-free recipes from here on out (sob, goodbye cheese).

To focus on these new preferences and to help you know what to expect in this space, here are some posting goals I’m setting for 2016:

  • Monthly Houston Restaurants Round Ups: Between my extraordinary fortune of joining the Houston Food Blogger’s Collective and freelancing, I’ve had excuses to try more restaurants than ever before. I’ve been wanting to share my (very unscientific, vegetarian-biased) perspective on my favorite finds of Houston’s food scene. My hope is that whether you’re based in Houston or not, these will inspire you to come explore Houston’s phenomenal food scene at one point or another! I plan to do round ups at the end of each month.
  • Kitchen Lessons: Every month this year, I want to try a new recipe that either a) expands my technique, b) is something I’ve never made before or c) I’ve had my eye on forever. I’ll share the results with you in step-by-step photos, videos, or just a (typically lengthy) review.
  • Insta-recipes: I’ve been really enjoying Izy’s insta-recipes, and I’d like to do a similar series that features quick and easy recipes that I incorporate in my daily life at least once a month.
  • Family Classics: The longer I blog, the more incomplete my blog feels without documenting some of the family recipes I grew up with, no matter how overdone they are in the blog world (banana bread, wine cake). This will also be a monthly series.

I think that should keep us busy for 2016, don’t you? Tell me about your goals (if you have some in your back pocket) that you’ve set for this coming year? I’m still mulling over my personal goals. Goals or not, I’m feeling like we can make this year a great one.

Whole Wheat Stuffed Pancakes (vegan) // The Pancake Princess

*But my 2016 self has made it three-quarters of the way through business school with the prospect of entering a potentially exciting post-graduation and is feeling closer to figuring out what long-term goals and has gotten into a groove with a highly likeable workout routine and has encountered too many great people to name them all in the past year. #thedarkdaysareover

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  1. Nancy @ gottagetbaked

    February 1, 2016 at 1:16 am

    Yay for year 4!!! I love how you’ve focused in on the things that matter to you, both in life and blogging, as time has passed. You are such an amazing, dedicated, incredible woman that I know you’re going to reach all of your 2016 goals and more! I hope that I’ll be where you are soon: blogging regularly again, eating healthfully, exercising my body and being happy. You’re my inspiration. Love ya, girl!

    Reply
  2. cynthia

    January 6, 2016 at 6:52 pm

    <3 all of this so so much. I can't wait to see what 2016 brings for this lovely space!!

    Reply
  3. alayna

    January 5, 2016 at 7:10 pm

    This makes me so happy. I’m beyond excited for your 2016 🙂

    Reply
  4. Shikha @ Shikha la mode

    January 4, 2016 at 1:10 am

    Yay this is amazing!!!

    Reply
    • erika

      January 4, 2016 at 1:26 am

      Thanks Shikha!! I need to get back on the blog reading bandwagon–I’ve been missing your amazing travel posts!

      Reply
  5. Lilly

    January 2, 2016 at 12:56 pm

    YESSSS!!!!! Go you!!! Can’t wait to follow year four of pancake princess!!!

    Reply
    • erika

      January 4, 2016 at 1:27 am

      YU DA BEST <3333333

      Reply
  6. Kayle (The Cooking Actress)

    January 2, 2016 at 9:51 am

    yay yay yayyy 2016 is gonna be great!

    Reply
    • erika

      January 4, 2016 at 1:27 am

      Yes!!! LOVED reading your 2015 recap, so excited to see what happens for you in 2016!!

      Reply

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New year, new profile pic surrounded by cookies ✨

For those of you who like to plan, here’s a very tentative guide to what I’m envisioning for this year’s bake offs (if the world doesn’t blow up). Thank you, as always, for your constant enthusiasm and support for the bake offs! 💕💕💕 

🍪Jan: lemon poppy muffins, Levain choc/pb cookies?
🍪 Feb: cream cheese kolaches, loft house copycat cookies, flourless chocolate cake?
🍪 March: carrot cake
🍪 April: liege waffles??
🍪 May: tres leches
🍪 June: key lime pie 
🍪 July: tiramisu
🍪 August: oatmeal cookies
🍪 Sept: doughnuts 
🍪 Oct: shortbread?
🍪 Nov: Mac n cheese 
🍪 Dec: ginger molasses or chocolate crinkle cookies

Photo credit: @juliejulez.jpg 👹💕
{HOUSTON GIVEAWAY} Hi friends! If you’ve been f {HOUSTON GIVEAWAY}

Hi friends! If you’ve been following me for a little bit, hopefully you know how obsessed I am with @happyearthcompost and their mission to make composting more accessible and easy for the Houston community! Here is just a sneak peek of all the eggshells and lemon peels from the lemon poppy seed muffin bake off that are going straight into my Happy Earth compost bucket instead of the trash 🎊

I’m thrilled to be partnering with @happyearthcompost to do a giveaway for one lucky winner! Here are the deets:

🌱 you will win 2 free months of monthly pick ups from @happyearthcompost! You’ll get a little counter top bin (pictured here) and a larger bucket to keep outside (in the second pic)
🌱 must be located in Houston or Bryan/College Station to win
🌱 to enter, just make sure you’re following me and @happyearthcompost and tag a friend in the comments! Each comment is a separate entry
🌱 giveaway will close this Saturday (1/16) at midnight! GOOD LUCK!!!
Thankful for another year of bake offs with you gu Thankful for another year of bake offs with you guys! Loving the appreciation for the coffee cake, blueberry muffin, pecan pie, gingerbread and Levain cookie bake offs (more Levain to come in 2021 hopefully!) 🎊💕

While on vacation, I’ve scraped a lot of recipes for future bake offs (thanks to your help) and I feel refreshed and ready to get back to baking ASAP! On the list for 2021 bake offs: carrot cake, oatmeal cookies, copycat lofthouse cookies, Levain chocolate pb cookies, shortbread, lemon poppyseed muffins, etc. Let me know if there’s anything else you’re dying to see in the comments!

THANK YOU for all of your support, your kind comments, your reviewing of different recipes and your spreading of joy through baked goods this past year. Thanks to my tasters for their critical tasting and hilarious comments. Can’t wait to do it all over again next year 💕
Gingerbread bake off is up! Commence all the ginge Gingerbread bake off is up! Commence all the gingerbread baking!! 🎄🎄🎄

Tap the pic to see all participating recipes and tell me which one looks the best or which recipes you’re most excited to try!! You really can’t go wrong with any of them 🎊🎊🎊 and if you’re planning on baking any other holiday cookies this weekend, gimme the deets on what you’re making! I need more inspo for my cookie boxes 🍪🍪🍪 #pancakeprincessbakeoff
According to Google, interest in apple cider dough According to Google, interest in apple cider doughnuts has waned by now but I’m not exaggerating when I say these doughnuts might be one of the best things I’ve made all year #sponsored

Pictured here are a few recipes I tried to satisfy a craving: @smittenkitchen, @tasty, and a few of @sallysbakeblog’s baked apple cider doughnuts as mini muffins. Sally’s were good but clearly in a different league than the fried doughnuts. I liked the denseness, tang and substantial exterior crunch of @tasty’s doughnuts that came from the sour cream, but once I got the hang of frying @smittenkitchen’s doughnuts, they edged @tasty out as my winner—ethereally light, they just melt in your mouth. Plus, Smitten’s method for rolling out the doughnuts is MUCH MUCH easier. 

I used @whitelily flour in all recipes and loved the way the fine texture led to feather-light doughnuts! If you’re looking for an application for low-protein flour, I can’t recommend these doughnuts enough. They’re worth getting over your fear of deep frying for 😜 #whitelilyflour
@THEPANCAKEPRINCESS

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