‘How To Cook That’ started when I needed a way to keep my mind active and my body awake during night feeds with my third son. I loved cooking desserts and people were always asking for my recipes, so the topic was an easy choice. As obvious as this sounds if you intend on starting a blog make sure:
1. It’s a topic that you enjoy.
2. An area that you are trained in or have experience. If it a how-to site you’ll need more knowledge than the average bear.
3. You LOVE it. If your blog is a success you are going to be producing the same topic of content for years to come. It should be fun for you.
You are still reading so I assume you are passionate, excited and have more ideas than you have time to write about. Welcome to the world of blogging. I’ve made a video to guide you through setting up your new website. Don’t worry, it’s easier than you think!
1. Click HERE to follow along with the video and set up your website.
(Disclosure: I get a small affiliate commission if you buy hosting through the above link, commissions are small so please don’t let that influence which company you choose to host with, go with whatever suits your needs the best).
2. CHOOSE A DOMAIN NAME
A domain name is your website address. For example the domain name for this site is “howtocookthat.net”.
3. ADD HOSTING
Buying the domain name is like putting that web address on hold so no one else can use it, BUT you are not yet using it yet either. To actually use your web address you need ‘hosting’, a company to store your website information and send it out to the world.
4. INSTALL WORDPRESS
Wordpress is free and totally customizable and you don’t need to know anything about coding (HTML/java etc) to use it.
5. CUSTOMIZE
Choose a ‘theme’ for the website. The theme is the general layout of the site. Click through the many ones available and choose one that will work for you. You can always come back later and change the theme at any time. Make sure you choose a theme that is ‘responsive’, which means it works on any size screen from mobile though to desktop.
Add various ‘plugins’ as you need them. Plugins are like mini tools or apps to help you do things on your blog. If you want your website to do something specific like have a shop, play your music, add a page of youtube videos, a gallery for your photos, share buttons… there is bound to be a plugin for it. You can add a plugin, test it out and delete it if it is not what you want, just like you would do with an app on your phone. Like apps there are heaps of free and paid versions of plugins.
6. CONTENT
Now it is time for you to add content to your website. Just a word on copyright. You can not copy or use other people photos or text without written permission. Every picture you find on google images has been taken by a real person and you can’t just steal their photos, you need permission.
7. GO LIVE
On the dashboard / admin area it will say “your site is currently being displayed as coming soon click here to launch it”. Click it and it is live.
8. ENJOY
Enjoy creating your very own piece of the internet.
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Dear Ann, I had a question for you. When you did the tiny baking challenge, how did you get the eggs so small? Thanks.
hi Ann your ice cream rolls recipe is stunning because i didn’t know how to make the base but where do you get the things you use to crush the igridents
Hi!
I would like to know how long does any cake last in the fridge without loosing properties
Txs and congrats for your website!
I love it…
Hi Bea, That can’t be asnwered simply. What kind of cake? Most cakes are best made and eaten fresh.
I am trying to make Strawberry Mousse Labyfingers and I’m looking for 3 1/2 inch ring mold where can I find some.
Hi Emily, I would try a baking supply store or amazon. There are quite a few online now.
I have a question how long will rice crispies stay fresh if i make them tomorrow.
Hi Heather, Are you making a decoration using rice crispies, if yes they will last up to 5 days depending on how dry they are kept and the temperature that they are stored at.
Hi Ann
I have just one question. I would really like to know where you get the tiny eggs in your mini videos?
Thanks
Karishma
Hi Ann, I have watched your chocolate videos and you had mentioned in one of them that if we would like a video with all the chocolate tutorial in one to let you know. Well would love it if you make that video 🙂
Thanks Pina!
Hi Ann
I tried to make your sugar snow balls but a I added a gluten free glucose syrup and my sugar liquid has started getting brown before it reaches 150 degrees.
What did I do wrong?
Thanks
Betty
Hi Betty, which recipe are you referring to here? Is it the sugar snow globes? It sounds like you added extra glucose syrup. Would that be right? Maybe the temperature differential caused the issue. The other thing I would check is your candy thermometer. Check that it is measuring accurately by testing it in boiling water. Maybe it is reading a little low.
Hi Ann,
My daughters are crazy about the mini kitchen, patisserie, and of course the baked goods! They’re now busy wondering about those tiny eggs …. how can we get mini eggs??? How about the mini choc chips? (they made a regular size batch and then made minis from that recipe, cutting up a chocolate morsel into minis)
Thanks for sharing your incredible talent with us all and giving kids the confidence to bake and get creative!!
Adina
Brooklyn NY
Thanks Brooklyn. So glad the girls are enjoying baking.
hi Anne how are you ,i hope you are doing well
i want asked for name chocolate use it , because when i use real chocolate its teats very nice but its melting in hand and when i use candy is to much sweet
can help me please
Hi Maryam, Ann doesn’t recommend any particular brand of chocolate, put she does prefer real chocolate most of the time.
Hi, in the video on tempering chocolate, you add a teaspoon of cocoa butter to the chocolate. How much chocolate were you using, please?
Dear Ann
I am amazed by your channel.
I would like to give the desert tubes a try here in Holland.
Only the on difficult thing is to find the glass tubes. Is there any site you can recommend to order them online?
Greeting from Merel
Hi Merel,
Ann provides links to some options on the recipe blog page here: https://www.howtocookthat.net/public_html/dessert-tubes/ . Click on the links in para 2 for some options.
What is the best kind of bag for piping chocolate into molds? BTW, LOVE your channel!! It has helped me out tremendously.
Hi Joanna, Ann doesn’t recommend any particular type. She will often use a zip lock plastic bag with a small piece of the corner cut out for chocolate decorations. When it comes to using molds it is a lot easier and so you can often just pour or use a spoon to fill the molds.
Hi Ann. I love your channel very much and your videos are amazing. I wanted to ask a question about ganache. Does my chocolate have to be tempered to make chocolate Ganache?
Hi Rifa, no it doesn’t
How can we edit are videos?
Hi Wendyrivera. You will need some kind of editing software. There are a wide variety of these on the market, depending on your needs and your operating system. Some will just allow you to do basic edits. The more expensive ones provide all types of effects and features as options. Start with something simple to build your video editing skills.
Hi Ann
I love your channel (subscribed) and your blog. When I first started cake decorating I used your videos. Thank you for your work. Keep doing what you do. I’ve been inspired by your work and started blogging about my cake journey atxxxx
Hi Gretchen, Congratulations on your blog. It would be great if where you used Ann’s recipes as inspiration or as a basis for your work that you provided credit to your source. Ann always does that in her tutorials.
HI Ann,
I loved the blog. Keep up the good work. I am writing for a magazine and Keep reading and collecting such blogs. I just found one with a few Indian recipes. It is a new one but after contacting them they assured to roll out a lot of them soon. The site is has a food section. As i said it is new. It is new but a good one.
By the way,I was laughing because,we forgot to topped the freak shake with marshmallow! Hahaha,but Ann!is it okay to look at?
Anne Reardon!here my freak shake and the oreo truffles!but unfortunately, me and my group having trouble with melting the white chocolate to coat,but we survived it we make another version
Hi Harold, It looks so yummy. Well done!
ANNE REARDON!!I’m very thankful for your ideas of “TEN BEST OREO RECIPES” that thing help me in my Bread and Pastry class,when I made those!my grades get high!and also your CHOCOLATE BROWNIE FREAK SHAKE!It really helped me!!THANK YOU VERY MUCH
Our pleasure Harold.