Our 39th “Follow them Friday” features Sylvia of Going to Brussels blogging in English.
When did you start blogging?
I started blogging back in June 2009 and spent a couple of years posting irregularly before I decided to focus on the cooking/baking theme. There are still occasional random posts, to diversify the situation.
How did you decide on the name of your blog?
The title of my blog comes from the words attributed to Captain Lawrence Oates by Robert Scott, as he stepped into an Antarctic blizzard, “I am going outside and may be some time”. I was supposed to stay in Brussels for three months in 2008, but have now been here for almost seven years.
What was the title of your first ever blog post?
My first ever post was about the feeling of happiness that I got from being in Brussels, but my first baking post was for Guinness and chocolate cupcakes, a favourite for anyone who has attended the annual St Patrick’s Festival in Parc du Cinquantenaire. A friend needed the recipe, which I only had written on a scrap of paper. This seemed to be an easy option for sharing it.
Do you prefer eating in or eating out?
I have a tiny apartment, so usually eating in means that I eat alone, which is nice after a long day. But meals in restaurants or dinners in friends’ houses are the best. Lots of chat, wine, good food and great company make any meal a joyful experience.
How do you like your eggs in the morning?
I am going through a fried egg phase, the crispier the better. I usually eat eggs at other times of the day, because I try to eat porridge or have a smoothie for breakfast,
When at home in Ireland, I am all about the eggs. We live next door to my aunt, who keeps her own hens. They are very happy and therefore lay the most delicious eggs, which we use for baking and cooking. Everything we make has a special glow because of them.
What has been your biggest recipe failure?
Sometimes recipes don’t turn out exactly as I wanted them to, but it is usually because I have been distracted. Last year, I was making chocolate and raspberry brownies for a bake sale, but halfway through the process, a friend called over and I forgot to add flour. I had a similar experience with a marshmallow and butterscotch tray bake. My kitchen looked like a very sugary explosion had taken place.
What is your earliest food memory?
Looking back, it seems like everything we ate at home was homemade. My aunt even married a baker. Nowadays, we all try to eat healthily and in moderation, but I can’t think of my granny’s house without tasting toast dripping with “real butter” and Golden Syrup, sausage sandwiches or Yorkshire puddings covered in gravy. So bad, but so so good.
What are the three things you always have in your freezer?
Soup or stew, frozen fruit for my smoothies/porridge and limoncello
How do you spend your time when you’re not blogging?
Wandering around Brussels, reading, drinking coffee made in my fantastic espresso machine and/or green tea, running, playing football and camogie with my Gaelic sports club, cooking, doing CrossFit…discovering as many new things about life, Brussels and myself as possible.
Who are your favourite food bloggers?
Aside from all the BFFs, I also really enjoy 101 Cookbooks, Almonds & Avocados, Cookie and Kate, David Lebovitz, Donal Skehan, Green Kitchen Stories, Lemons and Anchovies, Love and Lemons, Naturally Ella, Oh She Glows, Recipe Rifle and Smitten Kitchen
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