...and we're LIVE

Hi and welcome to The Virtual Goody Plate. I know there are about 50 posts that predate this one but they've been imported from my other blog that just can't handle the volume of baking I have to post. The baking needed a blog of its own, and here it is. Let me show you around.

Sidebar: After doing 31 days of goodies on my blog in December, I put them all in a book. If you click on it you can preview the first 15 pages. And if you buy it I make $1 - woo hoo! Then you've got my quick story, a Food Blog Search widget (you might get lost for hours in there but it's a good lost), and The Baking Cupboard - the list of ingredients, sources and descriptions I use to label my posts. Then a short list of some of my favorite sources, but I find inspiration and recipes all over, from cookbooks to magazines to blogs and websites. And finally you've got a quickie link to my other blog and the archive of posts.

You'll also find some "Ads by Google" around the blog. I'm experimenting with Google AdSense so ads will show up after posts and on the sidebar; we'll see how that goes. I arranged the color scheme so they don't stand out too much but at the same time the point is to get readers to click, so if you see something interesting go check it out. I'm not going anywhere so you can come back here later.

Here's what you can expect to find on The Virtual Goody Plate: lots and lots of recipes. Heavy on the chocolate, heavy on the cookies, but anything in the baking or treat realm is possible. I received a candy thermometer for Christmas and have yet to use it so you just never know what may happen. Posts will probably go up once or twice a week

Pictures, you'll also find pictures here. I hate a recipe without a picture. I'm a total amateur but making a concerted effort at good food photography, so bear with me.

Cookbook reviews, local bakery reviews, baking issues of all kinds. I have zero official culinary training or expertise, just a lot of Food Network watching, baking with friends and family, and addictions to sugar and chocolate. I read recipes for fun. And now I make them, photograph them, eat them, and blog about them. And that is LOTS of fun!