Blogversary 🎂 2020 - Eight Years of Blogging

Welcome to my 8 years' blogversary post! 

This time last year I was consolidating 7 years and 800 posts, and we were enjoying some chocolate cherry cheesecake.

During this year's A - Z blogging challenge (which was about all things Swiss) I hit my 900th post without noticing, and we didn't celebrate until in early May. 

Today it's officially been 8 years. It does feel like even longer though. Colin was so little back then!

Trip to IKEA restaurant 2012 and 2020, a world of difference. Still the same meals, though ;-) We went there for the first time in many months, and it felt good. Not too many people there, which was good for social distancing, but bad for business I guess. I do hope the economy will recover from the lockdown. 

Speaking of yummy food, it's a tradition around here to celebrate blogversaries with delicious desserts that usually include cherries.

They year we have gorgeous, plumb cherries around here, and I go some from the nearby Hofladen (farmer's stand) so I gave the chocolate chips cherry muffins another chance, but guess what - I forgot to actually fold in the chocolate chips! 

That's why I melted some dark chocolate and drizzled it over the cooled muffins, it was the least I could do.

I'll put the recipe at the end of the post. 

Unfortunately, just like with blueberries, the cherries will bleed into your batter. Maybe the solution might be a chocolate muffin batter next time?

I recently came across Thoraya Maronesy's YouTube Channel. She's a lady in San Diego - which is, how you all know, my second home. She likes to approach strangers in public places and ask them thought provoking  questions or prompts them to call someone to apologize.  

Earlier this year Thoraya was celebrating a million subscribers by performing a million random acts of kindness. Check out her video, it'll warm your heart:

So what I'm going to do is to do x amount of nice things. X is the number of comments and / or likes I will get for this post here or over on my social media:

Part-time working Hockey Mom's Facebook page
My personal Instagram

Keep the love coming, I'll pay it forward - and blog about it.

Thank you for being part of my blogging journey.


Now here is how to make the muffins:

INGREDIENTS

• 1.5 - 2 cups cherries, pitted (300 – 350g)
  
• 2 tbsp brown sugar (8g)
  
• 1/2 cup softened butter (113g)
  
• 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
  
• 2 whole eggs
  
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  
• 2 cups all purpose flour (300g)
  
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
  
• 0.5 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup buttermilk (120ml)
  
• 3.5oz bar dark chocolate, chopped into chunks (105g)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (180°C). 
2. Line a muffin pan with paper liners and set aside.
   
3. Combine the cherries and the brown sugar in a small pan and simmer for about 5-7 minutes. Let cool while you make the batter.
   
4. Using a stand mixer beat the softened butter with the granulated sugar until light and creamy.
   
5. Add the eggs one at a time scraping down after each one then add the vanilla.
   
6. In a bowl whisk together the flour and baking powder.
   
7. Gradually add some of the flour and the milk alternately until all of both have been added. Scrape down and mix on low until smooth.
   
8. Fold the cherries into the muffin batter along with the chocolate chunks.
   
9. Divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffin liners.
   
10. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown on top and they spring back when gently pushed with your finger.