Q&A with SW Foodie, Lydia Wilkinson

Home is…SW London, Parsons Green in a little 1 bed we renovated last year, and I cannot imagine living anywhere else, I love it!

What made me start blogging... I wanted to document my cooking as a means of keeping a food diary, as I don’t often use recipes. I then combined restaurants into this and it took off from there. I find it strangely therapeutic and a good wind down from work...

Have I always been into cooking… Yes, as far as I remember! Cooking and eating out has always been a big part of my life. I was brought up eating weekday suppers and Sunday lunch together as a family and making time to be together. This is something I hope to carry on should I have my own family as I think it’s important to catch up and relax with each other with the television off.

Most memorable restaurant… I have been lucky in that my other half (Mr D) is hugely foodie. So we’ve had some gorgeous evenings out. L’Enclume in Cartmel is the one place that sticks out by a country mile for every aspect: wine, food and atmosphere. It is very, very, special. In London: Duck and Waffle for its dramatic backdrop of our vibrant, pretty city and innovative brunch menu.

Earliest food memory… I have always loved Asian foods and in particular Chinese. When I was about five years old my Aunt was astounded as I requested two portions of crispy seaweed and ate it all myself… unsurprisingly I felt rather sick afterwards. However I still love the stuff!!

Best food memory… My Mamma (grandma) eating lobster for the first time at her 80th birthday and having the same views as I do exclaiming, ‘I’m not sure what the fuss is about.’

Favourite blog… I have several. However the ones I regularly follow are The London Foodie, his style of writing and pictures always make me want to go to where he has been. The Londoner, who can’t love Rosie’s joie de vivre and fabulous photos?! And last but not least Hollow legs, some incredible home cooked Asian dishes and also well documents restaurant reviews.

Favourite chef… A toughie, I have 3… Tom Kerridge for his Michelin starred pub grub. Simon Rogan for his delicious foraged finds and incomparable dishes and Adam Byatt, how Clapham’s Trinity hasn’t got a star is beyond me.

Food heaven… Chillies, I cannot and will not live without them. I haven’t them on almost everything. A chilli ramen is my ideal winter warmer.

Food hell… Cooked fruit. I cannot stand the stuff. Whether this has stemmed from school and soggy puds- it gives me the heebie geebies… sadly thus meaning I miss out on a good old crumble.

Favourite local restaurant… We are so lucky in that there’s an abundance of fantastic restaurants right on my door step on the Fulham Road. One that I go back to constantly is Claude’s Kitchen which is also above one of my favourite bars, Amuse Bouche. Claude serves up exceptional locally sourced food with flare and finesse. Constantly busy, a great atmosphere and the staff always have a smile on their face.

On the hit list… So many places, I keep a list on my hard drive and tick them off as I go along. The only problem is this is added to on a daily basis. But I am mostly looking forward to Pollen Street Social for my father’s birthday next month – the dessert bar is fantastic. I am desperate to get a table at Sushi Tetsu and also to visit Pescheria Mattiucci in Notting Hill, it looks so cute!

Other hobbies… Interiors, we’ve been in our pad just over a year now and I’m itching to get onto another project already!

Lydia Wilkinson lives in Fulham; she loves family, food, friends and shopping. Lydia's blog, www.swfoodies.com  gives a 'small insight into her foodie life, recipes, restaurants and hunger enhancing pics.' Follow Lydia on Facebook and Twitter @aSWfoodie.

Cuppies 'n' Cream Halloween Cupcakes

Welcome to Cuppies ‘n’ Cream, my home-based cupcake company.  I’m Natalie and this is my blog, a place to keep track of my baking and decorating experiences. I’ve been baking professionally since 2011 and I got the cupcake bug after baking some cupcakes for a friend’s daughter. I am completely self-taught and have developed my skills by experimenting and creating lots of new flavours and combinations along the way.

My blog is a place to explore recipes, decorating techniques, tutorials, and also includes my visits to ‘cupcakeries’ (Is that a word? I don’t know, but I like it). You’ll find ideas for cupcakes, cakes, and hopefully (in the not too distant future), I’ll add brownies and cookies too. One more thing to add is that I hate artificial flavourings and extracts. All my recipes use the ‘real-thing’ in the ingredients. I love the taste of fresh ingredients and my favourites are lemons and raspberries. Oh, and I always try to source locally if possible too.

Cupcakes for Halloween

So, enough about me…I’d now like to share a recipe for some yummy Halloween cupcakes.  What ingredients could I possibly use that would remind me of this fun occasion?  It has to pumpkins! My son will also be happy as he can do the usual carving of a spooky face at the same time – waste not, want not!  And to me, nothing says autumn like pumpkins do. So as Fright Night is drawing in and guys and ghouls will be gathering for tricks and treats, why not hand your friends and family a Pumpkin and Cinnamon cupcake – you can also try to convince them they are indulging in a healthy snack too.

With these Pumpkin and Cinnamon Cupcakes, you will have natural orange cupcakes that are infused with the real flavour and goodness of the pumpkin. Made with such distinctive ingredients the cupcakes are moist inside, bursting with flavour and are complemented with a kick of cinnamon. The cream cheese buttercream just melts in your mouth with its silky smooth taste. This recipe will bake 18 large cupcakes.

Ingredients

120g of plain flour
120g of self raising flour
200g of light brown sugar
3/4 tsp. of baking powder
3/4 tsp. of bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp. of mixed spice
1 tsp. of cinnamon
250g of fresh pumpkin
20g of fresh grated ginger
2 medium eggs
120ml of buttermilk
5 tbsp. of vegetable oil

Method

1. Pre-heat your oven to 155 degrees C and line your cupcake tray with your cases.

2. Cube your pumpkin, boil and when soft mash up with a fork, draining out any excess water. It is important to do this step first so your pumpkin has time to cool. I also add some of the mushy insides of the pumpkin as the flavour is really strong. Don't worry if you get any seeds in either as you can pick these out when mashing.

3. Add all your dry ingredients in one large bowl.

4. Add your wet ingredients in a separate smaller bowl, including your grated fresh ginger.

5. Combine all ingredients together folding in gently.

6. Add your pureed pumpkin and then spoon into your cases filling about 3/4 of the way.

7. Bake for 25 minutes.

8. I like to keep my cream cheese buttercream quite simple. I don’t feel it needs much else, but for a little something extra you could try sprinkling some cinnamon, ginger or a squeeze of lemon juice.

These cupcakes can be eaten as a little treat (my preference) or they can be the perfect dessert to any lunch or evening dinner. I do hope that you have enjoyed reading this and that you'll give my recipe a try.

For more recipes, visit cuppiesncream.wordpress.com and to find out about ordering cupcakes from Cuppies 'n' Cream, visit www.cuppiesncream.co.uk. You can also follow Natalie on Twitter @CuppiesnCream and on Facebook.

A Day in the Life of The Beauty Shortlist by Fiona Klonarides

It would be more interesting to say "no two days are the same" at The Beauty Shortlist, but most days, the main theme a lot of us share applies, which is "How do you squeeze sixteen hours worth of work into the limited hours of one day?"

Blogging is a lot more time-consuming than people imagine. The minutes tick by while you fiddle with resizing photos or a back-end glitch and I really respect the bloggers who post daily - that's a big commitment. I travel a lot and work full time as a freelance journalist too, so I've had to become brutal about time management which goes against my personality. Given the chance I could quite easily spend the day Googling recipes for spicy Moroccan-style hummus and five-seed flatbread, watching Eric Lanlard baking his incredible cakes and looking for a run-down house to renovate on a Greek Island, so I had to come up with some strict working-from-home rules. Because I work from home people keep appearing for cups of tea or calling for a catch-up chat when I have deadlines dangling from both ears.

Taming The Email Dragon is the biggest challenge probably for a lot of us; I  learned a few tips from Simon Tyler, author of The Simple Way. Emails devour my time like hyenas, so now, instead of floating along in a sea of emails and reacting to each one that floats in, I try to: a) only check email 2-3 times a day; b) unsubscribe from almost all of the updates/newsletters I thought were a good idea/interesting/essential but which I can live without - they're concentration diluters and time drainers; and c) I make an effort to deal with each email immediately - respond, file, delete, etc.  Despite being a beauty journalist, I get a surprising number of press releases about things like new electrical appliances or Scottish dancing festivals.

I never had a real game plan for The Beauty Shortlist.  I just wanted to offer a beauty edit for consumers with honest reviews. And I love giving newer brands a look in - it's hard to cut through and make your way onto the radar.  Filtering out the great from the good, bad and also-rans in the beauty world. The blog has grown organically but not without a very hard slog and two highlights have been meeting Kate Shapland and Jo Malone, both of whom are exceptional at what they do.

It makes my heart sing when people take a chance on a product or brand The Beauty Shortlist recommended and they Tweet me to say thanks for the recommendation, they've fallen in love with it. Trust and credibility are key.

You have to take your hat off to beauty entrepreneurs these days; new beauty brands seem to be launching like fireworks and it's a very crowded space out there. If you think too much about what lies ahead - how to make your brand stand out, how to nail media coverage, what's the best strategy re. social media channels, what do you spend your budget on, and when, how are you going to last the journey financially (especially if you have no backing and are a one woman or man band?) - it can feel quite daunting. Having said that, passion is a high octane fuel and creativity, originality and integrity are good co-drivers for the road ahead.

For this year's Beauty Shortlist Awards, we tested 142 brands and 408 products across a long list of categories. The Awards are always completely exhausting but I love every minute. You get a real eagle-eye view of the current beauty market, where brands go right, where they go wrong.

This year's winners included top aromatherapist Michelle Roques-O'Neil's new calming, energising bath and body brand Therapie, www.roquesoneil.com, one of my all time desert island brands. I also like Abahna London a lot, www.abahna.co.uk, they're launching their fifth signature blend this month and I've heard their White Grapefruit & May Chang Bath Foam was spotted in a bathroom at Buckingham Palace.

Ila Spa's skincare, ila-spa.com, is also out of this world. I'm an Acqua di Parma Blu Mediterraneo addict but my signature scent is Pomelo, the first fragrance launched by Jo Malone's new brand Jo Loves, www.joloves.com, a couple of years ago. Jo has somehow bottled the bliss of a summer holiday in the Med and it's the most commented on fragrance I've ever worn - it's extraordinary how many women (and men!) love it.

As far as recommending skincare brands, I think Weleda, Dr Hauschka, Elemis, Balance Me and Neal's Yard Remedies are all doing things right - the last three are model examples of "Best of British Beauty". And one of the most exciting newcomers in a long time is 001 Skincare, www.doublezeroone.com, which is definitely one to watch.  It's a beauty-full world and I feel really lucky to be part of it.

Fiona Klonarides is a freelance beauty, health and travel journalist; she founded her award-winning blog The Beauty Shortlist in 2009. Follow Fiona on Twitter @BeautyShortlist and Facebook. The Beauty Shortlist featured in the Top 10 Beauty Blogs (No. 2, UK) - Cision/Social Media Ranking, February 2013 and Fionas as Top 25 Personalities, Natural Beauty Yearbook 2013.

How Blogging Drives My Business By Chiara from Hoobynoo World

Hoobynoo World is a place filled with happy, bouncy characters, all illustrated by myself with accompanying character profiles written by my husband, a children’s author. Before I started this business I was a freelance graphic and web designer. The business is just over a year old and running it from home, the biggest challenge is getting yourself out there and found by the general public. Like most small small businesses, I don't have a huge marketing budget so I did a lot of research on how to market myself effectively and for little cost.

The answer to that was quite simply, blogging!

Aside from the obvious benefit of creating posts to promote your product/service when you blog, you create more opportunities for you to appear in Google and be found in search. But blogging is so much more than a search engine tool, it allows you to connect with your customers and your audience, it puts a personal face on your company or brand and builds trust between you and the consumer.

In order to create variety and keep readers coming back to your blog, it's very important not to just use your blog as a sales tool but to provide valuable content that offers advice or 'How Tos' or provide valuable information that would be relevant to your readers.

I will often write fashion posts as this is relevant to the products I sell, focusing on new trends or collections. I also offer advice on social media at a basic level as it is something I have had to learn myself over the years.

As I am very involved with the handmade community, I will post trips to craft fairs, and craft tutorials. This provides a variety of content that will appeal to a wider audience bringing more people to my blog and then to my website. The other benefit of blogging, is guest posting, such as this one I am writing which provides links to my website which is good for my Google rank and SEO.

I also welcome other bloggers to guest post on my blog as this provides a wider range of interesting content for my readers and offers a different perspective. I look for bloggers who are an expert in a particular field and will offer real value to my blog and its readers.

The blogging community itself is huge, which offers other opportunities for you to connect with other like minded people. There are blogging conferences, Twitter hashtag groups and many bloggers will use Blog Buttons or a Blogroll to promote other bloggers.

The other way that your blog can help to drive your business is through advertising, many of the well established blogs feature paid advertising from large companies, this is a fantastic way to create an additional revenue stream for very little work.

So with a little effort you could create an amazing marketing tool for yourself simply by adding a blog to your website or creating a free one. Results will not happen overnight but it is much more likely to give you a return on your investment than say a full page spread in a magazine.

Chiara Stone is a designer and owner of Hoobynooworld.co.uk, where you'll find these  funky acrylic fashion jewellery, phone covers, handmade accessories, wall stickers and much more.

Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth this September with National Cupcake Week by Jessica Aleisha Dodds

Since 2008, the cupcake phenomenon, in the UK, has grown like a well risen sponge, taking over most confectionery and baked treats as the most fashionable and sort after edible fancy. With the likes of Magnolia bakery in New York launching in 1996, it took a while for UK market to catch up, but in recent years the cupcake has gone beyond all cup-cases of the imagination, with flavours, toppings and edible art.

Cupcakes, in my opinion, have become so popular due to the selfish streak in society, not wanting to share the deliciousness of cake. In all elements of cookery, customers thoroughly enjoy portioned parcels and the cupcake is no exception. There is something convenient and cute about a cupcake, with it being well-contained, easy to transport and suitably portioned.

Once a simple treat for kids, cupcakes have now become a sophisticated, yet fun alternative to the traditional slice of cake. The rise in demand supported the birth of businesses, all over the UK, selling these easy, crafted treats and for the cake artists among us, the boundaries of the simple cupcake were being stretched. Challenging new flavours replicating sweets, such as rhubarb and custard, tantilised children and adults tastebuds alike and with artistic detail, beautiful bouquets, wedding towers and edible art collections were created. With a history of larger cakes being the best canvas for edible art, the cupcake was able to offer a miniaturised version of these grand works of artistry; a singular portion of cake offering all the excitement, design and flair of a whole cake, but in a tiny format.

The cupcake has become an easy versatile tool to fit all occasions. A whole market has been established to cater for the demand, with Perspex towers, cupcake cases, sprinkles and for the more creative, cupcake parties have been born. People, such as Ming Makes Cupcakes have even dedicated blogs to the desirable delicacy. National Cupcake Week, from 16th – 22nd September, is a celebration of the last five years of incredible cupcake creations, from the simple and tasty to the most artistic, but debate has opened about what the new and upcoming craze will be.

Many speculative comments have been made; regarding the future of the cupcake, yet there is belief that due to its adaptability, the cupcake will survive. One opposing argument suggested that the cake pop will eventually take over the mass market, yet due to being smaller, more expensive and complicated to make, I doubt any success will overlook the cupcake’s reign. The Great British Bake Off is further supporting the baking boom in Britain and supermarkets, bakers and chefs alike are releasing specialist books on cupcakes and decorations. Locally, bakers are trialing new combinations, such as crownies, brownies and cake, and others are experimenting with pastry, following BBC Good Food’s prediction that miniature choux buns, were the next best treat to tickle our fancy.

One thing for sure, however, is that this week plenty of cupcakes WILL be eaten. I for one will be indulging in a carefully crafted cupcake or two and even through talk of new trends, the cupcake is still a highly popular, deliciously delectable treat. So what flavour will you choose?

Keep up to date with Jessica Aleisha Dodds and her blog, Red Velvet Baking by visiting www.redvelvetbaking.blogspot.com. You can also follow Red Velvet Baking on Twitter @RedVelvetBaking, Facebook and Instagram.

Five Blogging Lessons from Helen Yuet Ling Pang, Food and Travel Blogger

A few years ago I had a successful food blog, World Foodie Guide, which I maintained for two years then stopped updating just months after being shortlisted for the Guild of Food Writers New Media award in 2009. I made the decision one afternoon on a subway train in Tokyo. After two weeks of travelling in Japan, I was exhausted and didn't even want to blog about it. My last three posts, about the Japan trip, were truly a struggle to write. I then announced my 'retirement' from the world of food blogging.

Now I'm back with my new blog On The Frog. I'm older and hopefully a little wiser too. And I’d like to share a few lessons that I've learnt from blogging, taking a long break and finally coming back to it.

1. Be clear about why you blog 

There are numerous reasons for starting and maintaining a blog. It could be a creative and enjoyable outlet where you share your thoughts and tips with others, or perhaps you hope to turn professional and develop a second career, so your blog is a potential means of making money, directly or indirectly. With both blogs, my intention has never been to make money, so I've always turned down advertising and sponsorship requests. And once you know why you blog, you'll know whether or not to accept freebies. I learnt from my old blog that it's near on impossible to be completely honest and objective when reviewing a PR-organised restaurant visit. Accepting freebies can really affect the credibility of a blog, so tread carefully and always make it clear if you haven't paid for something yourself.

2. Choose a subject you're passionate about

Choose a subject you're truly passionate about, otherwise sustaining a blog in the long term will be difficult. Readers can tell from your writing whether you care about the subject or not. I chose food for my first blog because I've always loved it. My parents owned restaurants their entire lives and so the enjoyment of food is a big part of my life too. I also liked sharing my restaurant tips with friends and that's why I started blogging. When I realised I wasn't enjoying restaurant reviewing quite as much, I tried to switch the focus of my blog to travel, my other great passion. That didn't work out either because I was simply couldn't keep going at the intense pace that I'd set myself. Although travel is now the subject of my new blog On The Frog ('on the frog' is Cockney rhyming slang for on the road), I've learnt to pace myself and I'm enjoying blogging again.

3. Pace yourself 

Blogging is tough anyway, as you have to do everything yourself. I pushed myself far too hard with World Foodie Guide and set myself a punishing schedule of three substantial posts every week. By the time I realised I couldn't do it anymore, even just slowing down wasn't an option anymore. My husband had complained a lot about being sidelined, and since I’ve stopped restaurant reviewing, we've had more time to spend together again. So take it easy with your blogging. It should be fun and not take up too much of your time. With my new blog, I now write when I feel like I have something to say.

4. Keep up with technology

Blogging has changed considerably since I first started in late 2007. Returning to blogging a few months ago, I found that even Wordpress had changed dramatically. I initially struggled to perform even basic tasks on my blog. However, it didn't take too long to brush up on these skills and now I think I've mastered most things I need to know. Otherwise, I have a technology guru husband. I also continued using Twitter over the years and love Instagram for its simplicity and ease of use. These days, people share information and tips over a wide variety of social media platforms, so blog commenting has reduced noticeably and appreciation of a post is now indicated by tweets and Facebook likes. I also recently created a free iPhone app, beautifully designed by Everplaces, which is a guide to the best of traditional London.

5. Be prepared to accept criticism as well as praise

This is really important to bear in mind. Just because you think your blog is the bee's knees and that your opinions are deep and meaningful doesn't mean that everyone else will agree with you. That's just life. Everyone has an opinion and with the development of social media, a voice. Share your thoughts, defend your standpoint and accept the views of others, whether you agree with them or not. And don't take blogging too seriously!

Food and travel blogger, Helen Yuet Ling Pang from OnTheFrog.com has recently released her own iPhone app, On The Frog to London, a guide with 50 tips for discovering some good old British traditions alive and well in modern London.

Top 5 Tips For Getting Your Blog Seen by Jessica Hodkinson

Blogging is one of the most talked about activities that takes place online and the option to blog has given budding writers a chance to share their thoughts and knowledge with others in an open space. So how does it all start?  Well, you take an idea and then apply your passion for writing or photography and select a platform like Wordpress, Blogger or Tumbler to publish on.

I started PR Company two years ago as a project when I was learning about digital PR and SEO. The blog was almost used as a working diary to start with and then I began writing about topical subjects that others could relate to. Someone told me about a little thing called page rank which Google uses to determine the importance of your site and typically link to pages that have the highest keyword density.

PR Company now has a page rank of 4 which makes it credible in the SEO world and I get a lot of great feedback about the blog.  I then decided to start a new project and as I have a lot of knowledge about retail/fashion, I decided to home in on a niche and select something that would be appealing to the Mummy blogging world. Harper7Style.com was born! Harper Beckham is already a little mini fashionista and appears in national press on a frequent basis. Therefore I thought this blog would have great potential now and later on in life when she becomes as big as her Mother, Victoria Beckham.

Even though blogs may look great, getting the word out there in a cluttered blogosphere can prove to be challenging.

Here are a few tips when it comes to marketing your own blog!

1. Guest Post
A good way of getting the word out there about your own blog is to guest post on others that publish content that covers the same topics as yours. It takes a bit of effort as you will need to approach editors and pitch a good topic with appeal to their readers. Most guest posts include an author name and a link back to the author’s blog.

2. Twitter, Facebook, Google+
This is an obvious one but plugging your blog on social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and Google+ is a very straight forward option which provides instant results and hopefully directs traffic to your blog. Using the correct hashtags like #socialmedia, #PR, #fbloggers will also enable your post to be picked up by people searching for these topics.

3. Comment on other blogs
Commenting on other blogs and leaving a link to your own blog is an option that will enable you to tell others about your work and it will also assist with SEO efforts which means your blog could quite possibly rank higher. However be cautious as this can also look quite spammy if overdone or comments are placed on irrelevant blogs. You need to make the comment worthy as leaving a comment about ‘Fish and chips’ on a beauty blog about skin care just wouldn’t work and it would probably get deleted.

4. Get involved with conversations on websites that have high authority
This takes a little more effort but networking and getting involved with debates on websites that carry authority like the Guardian Online, will give you the chance to plug your blog and get it out in front of a large audience. Here is an example of something I took part In: Working in Fashion PR: ask the experts.

High end links like this are also very valuable in an SEO strategy.

5. Word of Mouth
A very obvious method but one that can be just as effective,  speaking to people and telling them to go online and take a look at your work. If they like what they see, they may follow you and spread the word to others.

For more information on Jessica Hodkinson and PR Company, visit prcompany.org.uk. Jessica works as  Senior PR and Marketing Exec for Daniel Footwear. Jessica recently won a competition with Nokia and will be reporting at Social Media week in Mumbai.You can follow Jessica on Twitter @onlineprpixie and @harper7style.