What do you think, would you classify pancakes as a sort of cake??
I don’t know, I kind of see pancakes as cake adjacent. I mean, sure, pancake does have the word “cake” in it, but does that truly classify it as a cake?? If not, then what does classify something as a cake??
The Googler offered a definition:
Based on this definition, I would say that a pancake qualifies as a cake. If you are making said pancakes from scratch, then I think they have those ingredients?? Thought I cannot say that with absolute certainty. If they are box mix, then does it qualify?? But then under that logic, would box mix cakes qualify as cakes??
Furthermore, the word “bake” might be brought into question.
Since the word “bake” is not exclusive to only the oven, I would say that making pancakes over the griddle qualifies as baking the pancake. Therefore my final answer is that, yes, pancakes do qualify as cake.
So you might be wondering, April, why are you talking about pancakes right now??? Well, today is my blog-o-versery!! My blog is officially one year old today!! And to celebrate I wanted to get a cake, but that got vetoed by my family, so I decided to make pancakes instead. Enter the pressing pancake question.
I celebrated the day with some pancakes (yum!) and also wanted to write a thank you letter to blogging and honestly the whole book community. Not to steal the post’s thunder, but being here has been such a joy and I just want to show my appreciation for it all.
Okey doke. Let’s get into it.
For changing my reading habits
Can you believe that once upon a time I got my book recommendation from Goodreads?? Goodreads?!?! Aka the suckiest recommender on earth. You can imagine how stale my reading was based on that fact alone.
Blogging has made me so much more aware of the media that I consume. It is so important to read diversely, which is something I was really ignorant towards before joining the online book community. Books are windows into worlds, but those windows don’t just have to be to pirate or dragon-landia, they can also nurture empathy when reading about other perspectives in contemporary settings. It’s an ongoing effort to read diversely and I’m so thankful for this wake up call.
Before blogging I was exclusively a contemporary and romance reader. I would have been caught dead reading fantasy because ugh, thinking. But the book community as a whole is filled with fantasy aficionados, so I finally decided to give it another whirl.
And oh my, am I glad that I did. I mean pirates! How was I living in a pirate-less world?? Let’s just say it was a dark time. Fantasy is still not omg fantasy 4evah in my mind, but I don’t shy away from it anymore.
Same goes with a whole bunch of genres. If a book sounds interesting, I give it a go no matter what genre it is. I’ve tried sci-fi, fantasy, and graphic novels in the past year. Some were hits and some were misses, but it’s fair to say I never would have done it before I started blogging.
Being with my during my own coming of age movie moments
I feel like every adult ever as I say that the teens are formative years. But truly, the character development I’ve gone through in the last year is astronomical.
Blogging has done absolute wonders for my writing skills, critical thinking, and above all my confidence. Being able to write whatever chaos strikes my brain when I crack open the laptop has been truly freeing. I feel like I’ve really come into myself and my identity in the last year. I don’t know y’all, but I just exist more loudly. I aspire to exist more loudly, and I think blogging has helped me do that.
I would not have had the balls to post about geese last year. I just wouldn’t have. Maybe I’ve lost all sense of normalcy by spending too much time on the internet, but I like to think that you, dearest blogging, have helped me not only find my voice, but have the confidence in myself to use it. I am good at this, I really am, and I’m glad I can own it!
Introducing me to all of these lovable book nerds
And I say “lovable book nerds” in the most endearing way. Me one year ago would not have believed that I forged internet friendships with people scattered all over the world. And I guess when you put it that way, it does sound kind of crazy. But here I am, and now it’s doesn’t seem so crazy at all. Through so many outlets I’ve been able to make genuine connections with so many of you. And honestly I think that is one of my favorite parts of this whole thing.
I thought about tagging all the people I’m thankful for meeting, but honestly, we would be here all day. So many of you have made an impact on me through your positive comments, book recommendations, and genuine passion for blogging. Seriously, thank you.
And of course, this wouldn’t be a proper blogging appreciation post if I didn’t shout out some of my favorite bookish conversations. Thank you to the book community for some of the most interesting conversations I’ve had in my life. There have been some weird ones, but I wouldn’t change them for the world.
- Creating a jingle for the Time Stone to the Little Green Frog Song and then proceeding to plan a whole national and intergalactic music tour around it
- Creating a milo the goat fanclub (ahem, cult)
- Making history with the first ever long-distance mind reader machine, and then repaying for contributions with a blood sacrifice at a deserted mansion, in the mountains, exactly one and a half miles above sea level
- Plotting to give all aggressively tall fantasy characters an ego check, because let’s be real they need it. Shoutout to my fellow shorties, sending you all the love : )
- Creating a battle plan against portal dragons (tin foil hats, sticks, and acid proof sun screen, obvi)
- So much screaming. About literally everything (shadow and bone, marshmallow and caramel, boba, TJR, ++) because as a generality, the book community gets so excited about everything lol
- Planning pirating adventures even though an ocean is nowhere to be sea-n (hehe get it?? like sea???)
- The totally legit and totally patented Ear Squint Workout Program, to be used to get in shape and hear the exact tune your computer is humming at any given time.
And literally so many more! Every interaction with you guys literally brings such a smile to my face! Seriously, love it so much. Thank you for being so authentically yourselves and just being the absolute best.
Showing me that my voice is important
I totally psyched myself out (thanks, anxiety) before biting the bullet and starting this blog. I told myself people wouldn’t care about some strangers’ opinions on the internet. Well, I guess I was wrong on that count.
People come to my blog to, like, read it. Isn’t that so weird? I’ve formed connections with so many of you and here we are, shouting into the void of other bloggers hoping someone was listening.
And holy shit, the void answers back.
People actually value my opinion? Like what?? Apparently my book taste isn’t total trash? Through bad metaphors and rambling reviews, people pick up books because of me. Even if it is on a small scale, it is still beyond cool.
Having this corner of the internet means everything and it makes me so happy to be here. I am so glad my voice carried through the void. And even more thankful that everyday bookish creators use their voice to shout back, influencing my reading fate with all the amazing recommendations, reviews, book lists, and more.
For changing my relationship with books
But since joining the book community, I feel like I connect to books in a different way. My love of books is more of an external hobby, rather than an internal one, because now I have people to share it with. If I need to rant about some god awful love triangle, I can write about it and then we can all complain in the comments.
Or people will tell me, oh April, this book made me think of you or APRIL THIS BOOK HAS PERFECT ON PAPER LEVEL HUMOR, GO READ IT. Instead of being holed up in my room enjoying books, I feel like I am a part of this living, breathing, sea-monster of a thing that is the book community’s collective love for books. I am one with the books, the books are with me. And I love it.
Sharing the bookish love
No one in my life loved books, let alone had read any of my favorites. So I just read by myself. And I enjoyed it, but it’s not the same.
Sharing the bookish love, on the internet and in real life, has been such a gift. Not only have I been able to share the bookish love with all you lovelies, but also with people in real life.
I originally planned to just anonymously blog and be really chill and under the radar. A few of my irl friends know about it, but over time it kind of snowballed and more people knew about it. Soon enough, this blog had brought me closer to people who love to read in real life too. Apparently, we do exist in the wild (crazy, right??).
Making me a part of a community
I really want to start singing were all in this together because…
- It’s iconic
- It’s stuck in my head
- Community y’all!
But it has been severely overplayed as the unofficial-official Covid catchphrase of administrators at our school, so I’m not going to burst into song. Right this moment at least. But I will say that it is pretty cool to be a part of this community.
Flashback to June of last year, when little April had no idea a book community — bookstagram, blogosphere, none of it — existed. When I entered, I didn’t know what I was doing (and I still don’t know most days tbh) but y’all welcomed me with such welcome arms.
People shared tips, knowledge, and above all bookish love. And suddenly, I was a part of it. I don’t remember exactly when I felt like I had fully been immersed into the big ole bear hug of the book community, but I know I have you, dearest blogging, and you, lovely bookish friends, to thank for it. Thank you. Seriously.
Teaching me some internet skills… sort of
To be honest, I was a bit of a disgrace to Gen Z before I went down this whole blogging rabbit hole. I didn’t really social-media (yes, as a verb) and I generally felt mega awkward when interacting with people online.
I still feel like a fish out of water in certain situations, but over the last year I’ve really made a bunch of progress. I’m officially on social media (like pretty actively too, not just the inactive account that sits and gets internet dust bunnies (idk code rats??)). And I think I know what I’m doing?? Kind of.
I’ve improved photography skills, caption writing, and can somewhat use emojis without embarrassing myself (according to my irl friends I’m embarrassing myself with the laughing-cry emoji thing, but I like it so I will continue to use it unironically). I’m proud of how far I’ve come and that’s what really counts (why is this exact line in every single cheesy Disney show ever) (i really need to stop) (I’m banning myself from using parentheses for here on out)
Writing. I suck less.
I am writing a lot more. Like a lot, a lot, a LOT more. Have I used commas correctly yet?? No. No I have not, but I have written 50k words (and counting) (damn I broke my parenthesis ban) on the blog alone and I feel like that accomplishment overshadows my lack of comma-ing abilities.
If you even look at my first post (but seriously, don’t… it’s really rough) the character development in my writing style alone is absolutely wild. Voice? Did not exist. Personality? Nah, I was just a soggy human robot cracker, devoid of any emotion. Saying anything other than mmm yes, good stuff in my reviews? Also a negative! It didn’t happen for several months.
But then, on a glorious November day, I was listening to the Renegades trilogy by Marissa Meyer when I was possessed by the ghost of inspiration. I binged the whole series in a weekend and I had so many thoughts! So many feelings! And I had to write them down!! That was the first review that actually had zazz in it, and has shaped (stylistically at least) all of my future reviews. The dam had broken, and all of my inner chaos was spilling out in word form.
That gold rush would not have happened without blogging. I found my blogging voice then, and maybe just my voice in general. From that point on, this blog is wholly and authentically me, in every single way.
That, in my mind at least, is when I began to really see myself as a mildly solid blogger. I had figured out the secrets of the universe and got into my groove. And let me tell ya, it never would have happened without thousands of words of practice, thousands of words that weren’t quite it, thousands of words that shaped me into the writer that I am today.
Woah. Ok.
So yeah, I am so thankful for blogging, for this community, for everything really. I’m so appreciative to be a appart of such a talented and dedicated group of people who continue to dazzle me with their blogging creativity every day.
Year 2, here we come!
What is your favorite part about blogging??
Happy one-year anniversary🍾This was beautifully written. I think pancake counts as cake, you know, just with different proportions of similar ingredients. I still feel like a fish in the water in the book community sometimes, but I’m definitely getting better with my sentence constructions👌🏽
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ahh thank you so much!! ok ok i can get on board with that logic. im so glad to hear you’re getting the hang of it!!
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Happy blogoversary! It made me feel so happy reading your journey, and I hope you keep on blogging and keeps making you happy!! ❤ ❤
Also, we need more Milo the goat content, just saying 😉
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thank you so much!!! ahh I’m hopeful to have many more years of blogging joy!! haha I might have another milo post in the works 👀
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Woohoo happy one year birthday to your blog!! I loved reading this entire post, it was sooo relatable with my own “journey” into blogging (irl “friends” who hate reading? completely changed reading habits? That feeling of actually belonging in this community? I am here for all of it)
Here’s to many more years of blogging!!
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ahhh thank you!!! I’m glad to hear so much of it resonated with you!! agh yes, all of the above. yes, here’s to that!!
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Ahh happy blogiversary, here’s to many more years in here!! I love your blog and blogging voice, and the absolute creativity in your posts 🤗 this post was so relatable!
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thank you so much Jan!!! yes, here’s to that!!!! thank you so much, hearing you say that brings so much joy 🥰 I’m glad to hear that!!1
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HAPPY ONE YEAR!! that’s amazing and I’m so happy for you! I love your posts so much and they always make me cackle! (and yes the milo cult rocks hehe)
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OMG THANK YOUUUUU!! yess I’m glad I can share the cackling joy 😂 but seriously, thank you for saying that, it makes me so happy to hear 🥰 (yesss love the milo cult)
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Happy blogoversary April🎉🎊🎈!!! Even though I don’t comment and am not able to read your posts very often, I absolutely love and adore the ones I read- I love the way you blog, and am so happy you decided to join the community!
And this was such an awesome and innovative post!! I relate to so many of those points- especially the amazing book recs we find here!
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ahh thank you so much Riddhi! thank you so much for saying that!! yess the book recs are truly unparalleled haha
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Congrats on one year of blogging, April!! This is such a huge achievement, we are sooo happy for you! 🤩🥳🥳
And I want to have those pancakes too!!! 😋😂
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AHH THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!! haha right?? it’s always pancake time in my book 😂
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Happy anniversary!!
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ahh thank you so much!!!
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I was just responding to one of your comments on your blog earlier today (when I say ‘earlier’ I mean like five minutes ago) and I sort of thought, ‘Oh, didn’t April create her blog sometime in July? Her blogoversary must be coming up, I wonder when that is!’ and then I head to my reader and lo and behold here the post is.
This post honestly makes me want to just head over and write, like, five different blog posts because it’s basically the love of blogging in one post. This is absolutely amazing.
Ha, also I definitely don’t know how to use commas either and I have given up on trying. I will just put them wherever I feel they go and not where I feel like I don’t go. If, I, want, to, write, a sentence, like, this, then, so, be, it.
By the way, did you ever actually make that blood sacrifice?
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haha what a coincidence! I’m honestly impressed you remembered that lol. ahh thank you!!! I’m so glad you liked the post and even more glad the post juices are flowing haha
seriously. I can never decide how to use them. I mean Oxford comma, yes, but other than that?? I switch it up. like when I have a little throw in phrase (idk what it’s actually called) I never know if I should just em dashes or commas??? but I also don’t know how to use em dashes really well so I’m basically grammatically screwed on all accounts ugh. YES USE THOSE COMMAS WITH ZAZZ!!! love it
unfortunately I have not left my home state in many many months, therefore have never encountered a mountain or location fitting the description. but I did it in my mind??? does that count lol???
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My brain remembers weird things (and fails to remember the actual important stuff). For example, this one kid in my class who I dislike told me that he has the same birthday as a specific baseball player, three years ago, and I still remember that.
Haha secret that makes everyone hate me: I don’t usually use the oxford comma. Not usually. My second grade teacher told me I didn’t have to put a comma before ‘and’ and so it’s just stuck in my head now. I use it sometimes but like…I was taught so long ago that I didn’t have to use it…Ha, I think that I use em dashes instead of commas in soooo many places. My stories are littered with one, and every time I write one I’m like ‘there are too many of these and i need to stop with this’
Ah, I see, I see. Well, I suppose that you are forgiven, as long as you imagined the blood sacrifice.
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huh, it’s weird how the brain works like that sometimes. cool too.
*gasp* no Oxford comma???? i dont think we can be friends anymore phoenix…
kidding. mostly. yea i was taught not to use it, but i like it so i do anyway haha. i literally did not know what an em dash was until i started journalism its such a problem. like i used them basically never. at least i know how to use it properly??? eh as long as you don’t have 70 per page and the reader isn’t choking on them, its probs ok lol
oh thank you, i was burndened with guilt for only being confined to the bounds of my imagination
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Yah, definitely haha.
I know, I know, basically everyone hates me…I think I should probably start using it, like I DO see a lot of use in it, but then if I give in and start using it, it will feel like all my friends will have won, and it will be a blow on my pride…
Ha, I definitely have known what an em dash is for a while, I just didn’t know what it was called. But yah I use it…literally always. I’m sure a lot of times, a comma or a semicolon could probably replace it but ah well.
Ah yes, no problem, glad to get that burden off of you.
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oh no, a blow to you’re pride will simply not do. i guess you must persist in you’re Oxford comma-less ways, as much as it pains me to say
haha sometimes you just need the zazz of the em dash, yknow??
i’m forever grateful, my shoulders no longer have such a weight on them
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Right, exactly! I really must. I relent to using it at times, however, if I believe it would be truly confusing otherwise.
Definitely. The em-dash is truly one of the zazziest of grammar stuff.
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Happy one year blog-o-versery!!! 🎉🎉
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ahhh thank you so much Shruvi!!!
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happy one year!! wow I can’t believe you’ve been blogging for this long. I absolutely love reading your posts and bookish opinions, you’re always so insightful and funny ❤
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ahh thank you!! right?? it hasn’t felt like a year… like at all. thank you so much for saying that, truly, it brings such a smile to my face 🥰
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Happy blogsaversary, April!!!!!!!!! One year!?
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ahhh thank you!!! agh its absolutely crazy to me that it’s been a whole year!!!
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I love your reflections for your first year of blogging. I’m less than 6 months in, but I can relate to a lot of the things you said. Happy one year and hooray for existing more loudly, it feels so good to do that!
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thank you so much!! I’m happy to hear many parts of the post resonated with you!!! yes, it really does!! thank you so much and happy reading Ariel : )
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I honestly don’t have much to say except that I’M SO PROUD OF YOU!! One year, that’s big! You’re amazing, April!!
And this was a very relatable post to read because the way book blogging influenced me is something I’ll always be thankful for! Lovely!!
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AHHH THANK YOU SO MUCH BIRDIE!! you are literally one of the coolest people ever and it means so much that you said that ❤
I'm so glad to hear that. looking back, it's absolutely wild to see what all blogging has done for me and I wouldn't change it for the world!!!
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“one of the coolest people ever” I’m writing this down hold on…
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haha make sure i get quote credits
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april!! congratulations on one year of blogging!! that’s so amazing, and you should def be celebrating with pancakes (i hope you also made waffles; they’re clearly the superior breakfast choice) also omg book blogging has definitely done all of that for me too, and i can’t wait to see what you have ready for us during year 2, because i’m in love with your milo & goose content!! proud of you~! ❤
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ahhhhh thank you so much!!! haha never fear, I’ve eaten a lifetime supply of pancakes in the last two days lol (ahh I love waffles SO MUCH (best breakfast food EVER.) but sadly I do not have a waffle iron shaper thingy in proximity, I know, very tragic). ahh so glad to hear that!! I’m so excited, by next year there is a strong possibility we have a whole farm of animal posts lol. but seriously, thank you so much, it means to so much to hear that coming from you ❤
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Happy blogoversary! I completely agree with your thoughts in this post and I relate a lot to them! I think that blogging has helped a lot of people in the ways you mentioned.
I love reading your blog, your posts are always entertaining and well-written and I can’t wait to read more of them!
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thank you so much Siena!! ahh so glad you agreed with parts!! thank you so much, that literally makes me so happy to hear!! I’m looking forward to another great year!!
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Congratulations and happy blogoversary!! 🥳🎉🎈 One year of blogging is pretty epic, even though I must admit that I can’t accept pancakes as a type of cake, no matter how well they fit all those definitions 😂The “cake” in “pancake” must mean something different! They still taste really good, though, so I do agree that they’re an adequate way of celebrating!
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ahh thank you so much!! no! hmm i’m intrested to hear your definition of “cake” as in stands in the word “pancake.” haha they most certainly as delish, so im glad they got the celebration pass! thank you again!!
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Haha, I’m not sure, but I feel like true cakes are not as flat as pancakes – they need a certain height! The “cake” is probably left over from some historical etymological background that doesn’t make as much sense anymore today 😄
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Happy blogoversary! I loved reading your reflection for your past blogging year. I agree so much to what you said; blogging has definetely helped me in all these ways as well.
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ahh thank you so much!! im glad to hear you agreed with some parts!!!
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Amazing post! 🥞 Happy first blog birthday. It’s great you had some great change in just one year of blogging. I enjoy reading your posts.
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thank you so much!!! ooo is that a pancake emoji i see??? lol. ahh thank you for saying that, it makes me so happy to hear!!
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HAPPY BLOGOVERSARY OMG APRIL!! one year of blogging is seriously something to be proud of… your blog is incredible and so are you, i truly love your hilarious yet passionate blogging voice, so excited to see more content from you in the coming year!! cheers to more milestones!! ❤
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AHHH THANK YOU SO MUCH CHERELLE!!! ahhh you are too kind, i am smiling so hard rn. cheers indeed!!
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Happy blogging anniversary! It’s always nice to see other bloggers persisting and not giving up in the face of passing time, well done!
Also, I think it’s a criminal offence to classify pancakes as a cake. I have no solid, sound argument to justify this, but it’s just a feeling from the gut🤔
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thank you so much!! honestly i didn’t think i would make it a full year, but here we are better than ever lol. ok ok, the court will accept this argument
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AHHH THANK YOU SO MUCH CHERELLE!!! ahhh you are too kind, i am smiling so hard rn. cheers indeed!!
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