Lemon-Blueberry Bundt Cake

For the most part, I blog about what I’m cooking. You know, opposed to cooking for my blog.

Huh?

What I mean is that I rarely make a recipe specifically for the blog. Most of the recipes I share with you are ones that I’m cooking for friends, family, and clients and I just happen to catch a quick photo for Mountain Mama Cooks before the food gets chowed down.

It’s worked, or so I think, for me but I’m not going to lie, things get super hectic if I’m making something for dinner or that the kids really want to eat and I make them wait 5 minutes so I can get a picture for the blog. It’s torture.

Torture for everyone involved. My family wants to eat and I’m crazily trying to catch a “good enough” photo so that I can post the recipe.

Well, things are going to change……….just a little bit.

I attended a pretty incredible conference on social media this past weekend called Evo, The Evolution of Women in Social Media. (Check back this weekend for a recap on what I learned and the amazingly awesome women I met!)

I did two workshops that focused on food styling and photography and another workshop on the importance of a well written blog with focus. I kept hearing the same themes over and over. Plan your shoot. Take your time. Think about the story you want to tell. Practice styling the food so you really highlight what it is you want. Use natural light. Take charge of your camera. Be creative. Follow a process.

Um, yeah.

So that’s pretty much everything I don’t do.

My creative process? The truth is, I don’t have one.

My process goes something like this: make dinner (or lunch, or dessert etc), find a clean plate, put said recipe on plate, put the plate on the floor (yes, the floor) by the window in living room, swap chubby fingers and dog paws away while I attempt a decent photo, eat said recipe, download photos to computer, slap post together, publish.

I have two kids and I work part time. I have a husband who travels too much, kids that are constantly hungry, it’s a powder day, i’d rather by outside hiking, and the World Cup is on t.v. right now. These are just a handful of excuses reasons I’ve blogged the way I do.

But you know what I learned this past weekend? I want to be more creative. I want to “have a process.” I want to master my camera and take amazing pictures. I want to tell you a story with my food, not just offer you another recipe. I want to grow and become better. Because isn’t that what it’s all about anyway? Evolving? Become better at whatever it is you do? I know for sure that it’s not going to happen for me if I keep doing things the way I’m doing them.

So each day, I’m playing with my camera and trying to figure it out. I’m writing down what recipes I want to share with you and giving myself a schedule to get those done. I’m going to tell just any story, but my story. I’m trying to find a process. A process I didn’t even realize I’d been missing so much.

And who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?

And because I can’t leave you without another fabulous Mountain Mama Cooks recipe, here is a super simple recipe for Lemon-Blueberry Bundt Cake.

Don’t worry if you’re wondering what this recipe has to do with this post. Because the answer is absolutely nothing.

This is a we-are-going-on-the-boat-this-afternoon-and-I-need-a-quick-dessert-to-take-so-what-do-I-have-in-the-kitchen kind of dessert.

After rummaging through the pantry and fridge, I found a cake mix, blueberries, a few lemons, some leftover sprite. I had just under 90 minutes and this is what I came up with.

Let me tell you, I would totally make this again. And again, and again. It was delicious. Like really delicious.

Putting soda pop in cake is pure genius.

Enjoy!