Welcome back!

One thing I really enjoy is baking. I discovered my love for the oven when I first moved in with my hubby … I wanted to bake muffins and so I bought a package of ready to bake muffins … I followed the instructions (I think) and they came out really NASTY! I mean … they were so horrible – they were tough as rocks so I threw them out. I was devastated. I read through the instructions on the packet again to see what I made a mistake on and sure enough … I put too much or too little of something and I guess I didn’t pre-heat the oven, or perhaps left the muffins in there for too long.

I didn’t give-up though. Next time, I bought a package of cake mix and followed the instructions to a “T” – I made chocolate cupcakes and they turned out fabulous (maybe not really fabulous – but, they were awesome). Since then, I have been happily baking sweets and I just love it.

I have bought quite a few cook books – some have become my favorites (in fact, they are so “ka-ka” looking now that I have to be careful so they don’t fall apart). I can now bake treats from scratch (I have to carefully follow a recipe though). One of my favorite cookbooks is Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book (Better Homes & Gardens Plaid). I have marked some of the recipes in this book as our family favorites – not only for sweet treats but actual meals.

When my kids were babies, I remember that when I baked cookies or muffins … it would take a few days before we could finish them. It’s usually just me and my mother-in-law who would eat them until they were gone. Now that the kids are bigger, I would be lucky if there are any treats left after 24 hours. It seems like as soon as they come out of the oven, they are gone. It makes me smile just thinking about it.

Baking makes me happy! There was a time when I almost stopped baking … I guess just because of things going on in my life. I am happy that my love for baking has not ended. My love for baking comes and goes … it usually comes in the fall and lingers until spring and usually takes a break in the summer.

PS – If you would like to see my recipe for chocolate chip cookies – which is what I am making right now, check out my video on How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookies.