Baking, Baking & more Baking!!

I'm writing this post at 10:00 at night, but my mom won't let me post it until tomorrow morning. (I get so many complaints that I write too long of posts. My mom says, "You wrote a book today, don't post any more until tomorrow, so people have a chance to see what you already posted.") I'm telling you that, so you can read the post as past tense.






I've been baking all evening. We had 12 overly ripe bananas, so I made my dad five loaves of banana bread. I'm used to doubling and tripling most everything I make (my mom jokes that since I cook dinner for a family of 10 every night, I'm not going to know how to cook for just two when I get married...but I'm not sure that's something to get too worried about!)


I also made a batch of chocolate chip cookies. I added m & m's and walnuts (for my dad.) I don't usually taste my own baking, but I tasted these...they were really good. I made sure to keep an eye on the dough while I was making them. Last time I made cookies, I made them for the college & career group. After I had finished making them, Shannen thought it would be funny to tell me he put one raisin in the dough. I was totally paranoid, and worried about it all afternoon. After I got home (keep in mind, I've told almost everyone that there could possible be a raisin in one of the cookies) he started laughing and said, "Ha, ha...I was just joking!" (Annoying little fellow!)

Last but not least, I made a batch of cracked sugar cookies. I ran out of flour, so I had to use 1/2 a cup whole wheat flour, but they still turned out fine. The recipe I used makes anywhere between 5 dozen - 6 dozen cookies, we always have extras. I decided to half the recipe this time, and it only made like 24 cookies, that's not nearly enough.

I love baking and I love baking for people (i.e. to bring to a party, a get together, or just because, ect.) but it always makes me laugh when people ask for recipes. I'm one of those people who can't follow the recipe to the "T." For instance, my chocolate chip cookie recipe...it's not a "real" recipe. I took three different recipes, and after experimenting and testing different mixtures, I combined the three recipes to get the recipe I have. But it gets worse, I still don't follow that recipe either. Sometimes I add 1/2 cup extra flour, sometimes I add less, I usually never measure my vanilla, and I've often added more eggs than the recipe calls for. They never turn out the same as the time before. I also never follow baking directions. If the recipe says preheat the oven to 350, I do 325.

Earlier I was helping my dad do something on the computer when my timer dang. I asked Shelbie to get the batch of cookies out of the oven. About three minutes later I walked over to the stove (where two cookie trays were sitting.) Usually the newest batch fresh from the oven gets set on top of the burner, and the already cooled one gets set on the counter. I guess Shelbie doesn't know that's how it "should" be done...so I walked over to the counter and for some reason I was going to move the tray so that I could have room to work at the counter. Without thinking, I grabbed the tray with my bare hands and started yelping. Shelbie was staring at me with a look that said 'oops...did I do that?' Finally she said, "Um...careful, it's hot." My finger tips were red for a while, but they aren't burning anymore.

My timer is dinging and I only have one more batch to do. So I am off to throw the last batch in the oven and clean up my mess.