Today marks the 1-year anniversary of One Sweet Mess. Happy birthday, blog!

I can’t believe I’ve been blogging for an entire year. I suppose the expression is true, time zips by when you’re having fun. And, boy, have I had some fun making a mess in my kitchen over the past year. As I look back, it amazes me to see how much this little blog has grown. It went from two readers (one of which was my mom) and a lack of camera skills to something I now call home. I look forward to each and every moment I bake something and share it with all of you, my wonderful readers and friends.

I started this blog with the intention of growing as a writer and expanding my skills in the kitchen. I never once dreamed that my small smidgen of the interweb would gain the recognition or the abundance of faithful readers that it has over the past year. And, as if that weren’t enough, something amazing happened–something even more unexpected and surprising. You, my lovely readers, decided to have faith in me and my recipes. I received emails and comments a mear few months after I started posting recipes, informing me that you decided to try this muffin or these meatballs. Wonderful comments that revealed how much you enjoyed my dishes. That, my friends, is the best gift a foodie could ever ask for. Making people happy and expressing my love through food is the very reason I cook, bake, and write about food. Thank you, all of you, for every ounce of support.

I’m exceptionally grateful for the friendships I have aquired since I started my blog last December. I may not see your faces on a weekly basis, but I feel as if I know each and every one of you as if we sit at my dining room table sipping tea and eating cookies every week. I can’t thank you all enough for your support and encouragement throughout this first year of blogging. I’d like to give a special thanks to Isabel, the author of Family Foodie and creator of #SundaySupper, for seeing something special in me and my blog. The #SundaySupper team has become a second family to me, a virtual family of sorts. Their support never ceases to amaze me and, for that, I thank all of you. I’d also like to thank Kita from Pass the Sushi for designing this colorful space I call home. She is the most patient and creative person I know. Then there’s An from Bakerstreet who believed in my desserts and invited me to join her every Monday for #MuffinMonday. It is because of An that I can no longer go without a muffin on Mondays.

I’ve created several dishes over the past year, but here are a few of my favorties:

Glazed Snickerdoodle Muffins

Coffee Cake Pound Cake

Loaded Nachos

Espresso & Toasted Almond Semifreddo

Maple Nut Granola

Extra Crispy Fried Chicken

Celebrating a birthday wouldn’t be complete without a present, right?

To show my thanks and appreciation, I’m giving away one of my very favorite kitchen gadgets. A Cuisinart SmartStick Immersion Hand Blender. I use this tool more than any other tool in the kitchen; it makes for easy blending and cuts out the messy task of transferring soups and sauces to a blender. Just insert the immersion blender right in the pot and buzz. Less mess and easy clean up. This tool will be your new best friend in the kitchen.