Turkey Day Prep: Clove and Honey Brine

Thanksgiving is almost here!!!

And with that comes the decision of how to cook and present your turkey. We tried brining a couple of years ago and I think I will stick with it...but of course I will NEVER refuse a cajun fried turkey! I came across this recipe on about.com and I might just have to try it this year. It sounds delish!!!

Prep Time:  7 minutes
Brine Time: 1 hour per pound (but no more than 24 hours)
Yield: Makes 1.5 gallons of brine

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large bag of ice
• 1 gallon hot water
• 2 quarts chicken broth
• 1 pound table salt (non-iodine)
• 1 pound honey
• 2 tablespoons whole cloves

DIRECTIONS

1. Place fully washed turkey in large plastic bag. I recommend the Reynolds over roasting bags or you could even try one of those Xlarge Ziploc storage bags. 
2. Combine salt and hot water until it dissolves. Wait for it to cool to room temperature. *DO NOT add warm or hot water to the turkey as it will pre-cook and cause bacteria to grow. 
3. Add honey, broth, and cloves to mixture. Once thoroughly mixed, add ice.
4. Make sure you get most of the air out of the bag to make sure the turkey is fully covered in brine. You may also have to use something to hold the turkey down while brining. 
5. Thoroughly rinse all the brine from the turkey before cooking. Cook as directed. 

I'll let you know how it turns out! Happy Thanksgiving Prep to all!!!!!

Bundts and Rosh Hashana!

OK so no I'm not Jewish and no, bundts don't really have anything to do with Jewish people or Rosh Hashanah, but that is perfectly fine with me! I respect all people, all races, all religions and all cultures and think there is something we can learn from everyone!

Today starts my efforts to post a new bundt cake recipe every day leading up to National Bundt Cake Day, which is on November 15th! I will also be tying this into a pound cake giveaway from OMG Pound Cakes!!! Details to follow!

I will not lie and pretend that I am going to actually make 28 pound cakes in the next 28 days. That would just be ridiculous and would cause me to gain large amounts of weight and could be an incredible waste of resources. Now I could have tied this in to a daily giveaway or some sorts, I could have donated a cake a day, I could give them away to neighbors, family, friends...but really? Twenty eight cakes?!?!? I work full-time and have a child, husband, mother, dog, two inside cats I own, two outside cats and their two kittens that have adopted our back porch and a fish. Coming up with the 28 flavors was hard enough people! GEESH!!!

Now one day I might just do all of those things. This just isn't that time. Very rude of me but hey...at least I'm honest!

So back to Rosh Hashanah and what that has to do with bundt cakes. Well nothing really...until I ran across a recipe I found on AllRecipes.com for honeycake. Honey is one of the foods you see at a typical Rosh Hashanah celebration. There you go! That is the tie in. Honey cake in a bundt + Rosh Hashanah = a win for all mankind! Now...I do plan on making this cake, as well as all of the others that I will post {at some point} I promise!!! This one sounds very good and could be a great alternative to my classic Honey Vanilla Pound Cake!

As I said, I saw this recipe on AllRecipes.com posted by Amybobamy and made a few very minor adaptations! I don't know her but the recipe received 14 stars and I personally trust and believe in all 14 of those people who took time out to 5 star her!

Honeycake

 

Ingredients

 

Cooking spray (I use Pam's Baking Spray ♥)

3 1/2 cups cake flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 cinnamon

1 cloves

1/2 nutmeg

1 cup canola oil

1 cup honey

1 1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup strongly brewed coffee

1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 cup whiskey

 

Directions

1. Preheat oven at 350° and spray bundt pan with baking spray.
2. Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl and sift until well blended.
3. In a separate bowl, mix remaining ingredients with a blender. Combine with flour mixture.
4. Bake until golden brown, or about 1 hour.

I don't usually use oil when I make my pound cakes because I usually have sour cream or cream cheese in there somewhere because I firmly believe in making every pound count! {My scale tells me I am succeeding...he's SO rude} I assume the oil is necessary for the amount of honey and sugar. Otherwise you could get a very chewy crust, especially with the whiskey! Again, I haven't had the pleasure of making this yet but I would advise on making sure your cake pan is well greased otherwise the cake may stick to the sides of the bundt pan.

 

Obviously I am speaking from experience and don't want any of you to have to experience baking a perfectly delish tasting batter and waiting that long hour for it to bake and cool and then find your hopes and dreams shattered when you can't get the cake out of the pan!

 

But hey...practice makes perfect!

 

Happy Rosh Hashanah to all those who celebrate it! Happy eating to all those that will celebrate any and every holiday if it involves food and fun!!!

National Don't Put All Your Eggs in One Omelet Day!!!

HAPPY OMELETTING!



No...I am not kidding! You don't see the purpose of such a wonderful day?!?!? DUH! Like if you put all of your eggs in one omelet, besides being incredibly full and possibly gassy...you'd have no eggs left to uhmmm...bake a cake! Or make cookies. That would be a tragedy...

Read on for a couple of great EGG-tastic recipes! {Yes, I am aware that was corny}

Rum-Peach Ice Cream Sundaes with Pound Cake Croutons

Drooling already aren't you! I don't blame you, this was a DELICIOUS after dinner treat! Think of it as a sweet, rich, flavorful party in my mouth! This is a grown up version of an ice cream sundae and it does not disappoint! OK, stop drooling, of course I'll share the recipe with you!

INGREDIENTS
Serves 6

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 oz pound cake, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
6 ripe peaches, cut into thin wedges
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup rum
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 pints vanilla bean ice cream

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the over to 350 degrees F. In a large pan, melt 1 tbsp of butter, add pound cake and toss to coat. Spread pound cake cubes on a baking sheet and bake until toasted. About 10-15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, add remaining butter to pan, toss in peaches and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally until the peaches are slightly softened.
3. Add the brown sugar and stir to melt. Remove pan from the heat and add the rum and lemon juice. Tilt the pan slightly and carefully ignite the alcohol.
4. Return pan to fire cook over medium heat until the peaches are softened and the sauce has thickened slightly, about 10 minutes.
5. To serve, scoop ice cream into bowls and spoon peaches and sauce over the ice cream. Garnish with the pound cake croutons and serve immediately.

National Strawberry Sundae Day

I haven't lost my mind...well, that may be open to discussion but these really are National Day's that I am sharing with you. Don't worry, I will only share ones that involve yummy deliciousness of every kind! And with that we will celebrate NATIONAL STRAWBERRY SUNDAE DAY!!! (Note: It was yesterday but I wasn't feeling well and didn't get a chance to take pictures or eat my sugary confection {sad face}

I feel that it is my duty to honor delicious food holidays {no matter how ridiculous or pointless they are} and it so happens that I have some leftover strawberries from my Patriotic Red Velvet Flag Cake from the 4th of July, so it's only right that I do something with them. 

At first I was going to just make a simple strawberry sundae...but why stop there. I also had a box of strawberry cake mix staring me in the face so today we will be making Strawlicious Sundaes with Strawberry Cake Short Cakes! Please note that I just made this up and am not responsible for any euphoric sugar highs that might be associated with the making and eating of this recipe!

All I really did, since I was lazy and not really feeling well, was made strawberry pound cake loaves (four of them) and cute into 1/2 inch cubes and placed them in a bowl. Top them with ice cream, I used vanilla and top ice cream with strawberry topping. VIOLA!

For the strawberry topping, simply cut up a dozen or so strawberries and place in a container. Top with about 1/4 cup of sugar, put top on container and shake to mix. Place in refrigerator for about 15 minutes. When ready serve on top of ice cream!

Okay, now VIOLA!

Happy Fried Chicken Day!

As unhealthy as fried chicken may be, who can deny that it is the absolute best way to eat chicken?!?!? All those denying this statement must have never had fried chicken so good that you don't even care if people see you lick your fingers! It is definitely something that needs to be eaten in moderation, but NOT ON THIS DAY!!! Today I invite and encourage you to indulge in this American classic! It would be unpatriotic of you to not participate since it IS after all NATIONAL FRIED CHICKEN DAY!!!

Who cares why this day was invented, let us celebrate accordingly! Here are a few different ways you can enjoy this national treasure today!

• Cheat like my mother, who by the way is the official fried chicken cook in our family...I should say WAS because she now cheats and goes to Publix and BUYS her fried chicken. CHEATER! Cheaters never prosper so don't take her lead...unless of course it is as hot at your house as it is at mine right now.
• Go to your favorite restaurant and throw down.
• Ask your mother or grandmother to make some for you.
• Make it yourself.

Frying chicken is somewhat of an art. Not everyone can do it and some just shouldn't even attempt to. You know how you are! But for those brave souls that would like to properly honor this day, I'll give you a couple of recipe options for you to try.

SPICY FRIED CHICKEN
Recipe from The Neelys

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds fryer chicken, cut into 10 pieces
Salt and pepper
1 quart buttermilk
2 tbsp Franks Red Hot
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Peanut oil, for frying
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika

Directions

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper and set aside in a shallow baking dish. In a nonreactive bowl, mix buttermilk, hot sauce and cayenne. Pour buttermilk mixture over the chicken, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
2. Preheat deep fryer to 350 degrees F.
3. In a large paper bag, add flour, cayenne, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Close bag and shake to mix. Shake off excess buttermilk mixture from chicken and begin placing a few pieces of chicken into the bag. Shake to coat chicken. Continue until all chicken is coated.
4. Place chicken into the deep fryer basket and fry for about 8-10 minutes for white meat, 13-15 minutes for dark meat. Drain on a paper towel and serve!

SWEET TEA FRIED CHICKEN
Recipe from Paula Deen

I am including this because I live in the south and it just seems right. This one is a little more elaborate but well worth the effort! The recipe also included Biscones but I have not tried them yet so I left that part out.



Ingredients

Sweet Tea Brine

1 quart cold water

2 gallon-size tea bags

1 cup sugar

1 lemon, quartered

1/3 cup kosher salt

6 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless 

Oil, for deep-fryer

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper, optional

1 teaspoon House Seasoning, recipe follows

Buttermilk, for dredging

1 teaspoon hot sauce

Directions

For the brine:

Bring the cold water to a hard boil and remove from the heat. Add the tea bags and steep for 5 minutes. Remove the tea bags and add the sugar; stir until dissolved. Add the lemons and kosher salt; stir to dissolve. Put in a nonreactive bowl and refrigerate to chill for 8 to 12 hours. Cook's Note: Make sure the brine is good and cold before adding the 6 chicken breasts.

Put the chicken in the brine, cover and refrigerate for 4 to 8 hours. Drain the chicken.

In a deep-fryer or heavy-bottomed pot, heat enough oil to come halfway up the sides of the pot, to 350 degrees F.

Put the flour into a shallow bowl. Add the cornstarch, black pepper, if using, and House Seasoning. Add the buttermilk and the hot sauce to a second dish. Dredge the chicken in the buttermilk, and then the flour mixture. Carefully add the chicken to the hot oil and fry until golden and fully cooked. Transfer to a serving platter and keep warm until ready to serve.

House Seasoning

• 1 cup salt
• 1/4 cup black pepper
• 1/4 cup garlic powder

Mix ingredients together. Mixture can be stored in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

You should be hungry now and heading to the store so you can FRY THAT CHICKEN!!!

Thank you.

Happy 4th of July!!!

My fondest 4th of July memories include eating ice cream or a popsicle while waiting for the the annual parade on Grand Island, NY and growing up in San Francisco and shooting off fireworks at the elementary school playground down the street from my house. No matter what, fireworks of some sort are a MUST!

And if you know anything about San Francisco, you know that actually getting to see the fireworks is a feat in itself and is only allowed if the fog feels like being nice and decides to hold off for a little while.

These days, my child doesn't get that excited about fireworks and we would have to drive somewhere to see them where we live now, so we have had small 4th of July gatherings the past couple of years. The main event...sparklers and my Patriotic Red Velvet Cake!

This cake is PERFECT!!! I make it as a simple red velvet sheet cake, top it with a cream cheese frosting and decorate with strawberries and blueberries. It's super easy, super yummy and a definite crowd pleaser!

Happy 4th!!! Enjoy the day and remember to honor the reason we celebrate this day!

Patriotic Red Velvet Cake

It's that time again! Time for my decked out red velvet sheet cake! It's delicious if I do say so myself!!! I make this every year for the 4th of July. Here is this years cake, recipe below.

INGREDIENTS
Yields 12 servings

2 cups sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 eggs
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 ounces red food coloring
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk, shaken
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon white vinegar
Cream Cheese Frosting, recipe to follow
2 dozen Strawberries, halved
1 lb Blueberries

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Whisk the cocoa powder, cake flour, baking soda, and baking powder together, set bowl aside.
3. In a separate bowl, cream the sugar and butter together until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and mix well then add the dry mixture.
4. Mix until smooth then add the buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla and food coloring. Continue beating until well combined.
5. Pour batter into well greased sheet cake pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
6. Cool pan on wire rack. When completely cool, add the Cream Cheese Frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 8oz package cream cheese
1 stick butter, at room temperature
1 box confectioners' sugar

Beat cream cheese and butter together in a bowl. Add sugar and blend well. Spread on top of cooled cake. Add strawberries and blueberries in whatever pattern you like. Remember to thoroughly wash and dry your fruit before adding to cake.

Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

~ENJOY!~

Prankster Wankster

I loved telling jokes and doing pranks as a child but I can't really think of an ultimate prank that I pulled. I was an only child, raised by a single mother, which didn't leave me with a large audience to prank! What I do remember fondly is all of the cool prankster toys and gadgets that we had growing up in the 80's.



We had cigarette bubble gum, gum that tasted like dirt, can of farts, gum packs that would shock you, green slime, fake blood...the options were endless! I thankfully have never had the horror of biting into gum that tastes like dirt but I have definitely given out a few of those packs. I know, I'm naughty.

I think food pranks are the easiest to pull off because no one really expects to bite into something that looks normal and be knocked out by whatever ridiculousness is lurking inside. That's why I think I'll plan a nice little prank for the hubs. The guise? BACON! Bacon-themed items seem to be all the rage right now and just my luck, what did I come across?!?!?!? Bacon Frosting!!!

Just imagine his face when I present him with this beauty!

I'll have to tell you when I successfully pull this off. SHHHHH...don't tell him! Happy Pranking!!!

Gone Nutty...French-style

As a baker, there are some days that my nut allergies really tick me off! Today was on of those days when I came across a recipe for Blueberry Financiers with a Cornbread Streusel and Cornbread Ice Cream. Does that not sound like absolutely delicious?!?!?! Financiers are a French pastry, similar to a tea cake, that has rich caramel undertones thanks to the brown butter listed in the ingredients. I was absolutely drooling over this recipe until I got to the "nutty" part. {sad face}

You see the batter of these deliciously sounding treats, that I am so sure go excellent with a nice cup of tea, is made by combining flour with ground almonds and confectioners sugar. The result are golden little bars, as is the traditional French shape, that I am so sure are absolutely DELICIOUS! So that leaves me staring blankly at all of the many wonderful images dancing through my mind of me enjoying these wonderful sounding little pastries. You are welcome to stare with me.

Financiers

SEE...don't they look yummy?!?!?!?
I considered altering the recipe slightly but then realized that would not make it a financier at all...it would just become a muffin! But probably THE BEST MUFFIN IN THE WORLD!!! Too dramatic? Well since I can't enjoy, there is no reason you can't. I'm putting the recipe below. Don't bother telling me how good they were once you make them. I won't care. (I will) I won't cry! (Maybe a little)

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup ground almonds (OR almond meal/flour)
3/4 cup confectioners sugar (OR powdered)
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat the over to 400 degrees. Place 12 rectangular molds, or you can use mini muffin cups.
2. Place the butter in a small light saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, let it come to a boul, swirling the pan occasionally. As it boils you will notice that a foam will appear on the butter's surface. Continue to cook the butter until it looks clear and the milk solids have dropped to the bottom of the pan and have turned golden brown.
3. Remove from heat and immediately pour through a cheesecloth-lined strainer. Let cool to room temperature. You will need 1/3 cup of brown butter. Use the leftover brown butter to butter the molds with a pastry brush.  .
4. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, ground almonds, confectioners sugar, and salt together. Make a well in the center and fold in the lightly beaten egg whites, vanilla, and brown butter. Fill each mold almost to the rim and bake for about 10 mintues.
5. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.

Recipe makes 12 financiers.

These are best eaten warm from the oven, but they can be covered and stored for a few days at room temperature or in the refrigerator. You can also pretty these French babies up by adding berries to the top. Raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries seem to be the fruits of choice.

If you choose to add fruit, at step 4 remove the molds from the oven after about 4 minutes and gently place one or two berries of your choice on top of each and continue baking for another 5-7 minutes.

In my superbly French-accented voice...VIOLA! It is finished!!!

Buffalo Chicken Surprise Salad

I politely stole this recipe from a good friend (with loose  permission) who I would force to make this for me when I came over. I call it buffalo chicken surprise because of the dried cranberries she put in the salad which you wouldn't expect to be paired with buffalo chicken.  I think it's a lovely salad and I hope you enjoy!

INGREDIENTS
Servings: 4

6 buffalo chicken strips
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup green onions
1 cup shredded cheese
Hearts of romaine lettuce

Compile your salad to your liking and feel free to add fixings that you enjoy. My friend puts nuts on hers but since I'll die if I eat nuts...now that I think about it...I think she has tried to off me a couple of times by handing me this very salad with nuts hidden at the bottom.  Note to self: reevaluate friendship.

Well there you go! Its just that simple, enjoy your salad!

Uber Easy Homemade Caramel Sauce

1 can sweetened condensed milk
{YEP! That's it!}
- Place unopened can of sweetened condensed milk in a pot and completely cover it with water.
- Place lid on top and boil for 3 hours. Make sure can stays covered with water.
- Use tongs to take can out of water and let can cool.
- Open can, once cooled, and ENJOY!
See! I told you it was uber easy!

Brownie Cookie Cups...BROOKIES!!!

Like many people, I get a lot of recipe inspiration from Pinterest, how could you not?!?!? There are thousands of yummilicious looking treats and decadent meals that make you want to stop by the grocery store on the way home from work and cook up something FANTASTIC!

This brownie cookie cup is no exception! I am pretty sure I saw it on Pinterest but it wasn't a recipe it was some "special" pan that Williams-Sonoma used to carry but I don't think they do any more. But it was simply a pan that was slightly larger than a cupcake and maybe slightly flatter and I believe it was sold with brownie and cookie mixes. So today I decided to just go ahead and test it out with my old trusty cupcake pan and guess what...IT WORKED!

OK so yes, if you haven't guessed I have a bit of a sweet tooth! I do cook real food and sometimes it's even healthy! I'd probably have to actually post such things so you'll believe me, but this is a new blog so just give me a little time! {Please and thank you!}

So back to this yummy sweet ridiculousness! It's everything you would want when you can't decide between a brownie or cookies. That sounded greedy...let me rephrase...Uhmmmm... I got nothing! It's just yummy and good! And after all...isn't that what we all REALLY want deep (not so deep) down inside?!?!?!?! Just look at it!

Look how good that looks sitting on that plate! Can't you just imagine how good this would be?!?!? The brownie cup forms a perfect little bowl for the super yum brownie/cookie filling inside. It's the best of both worlds. This offers something for both the chocolate lover and the cookie fiend! It was quite simple! Just make a batch of brownies, then make the cookie dough. Or, you can be lazy like I was today and just use the box brownies, the basic Betty Crocker Fudge Brownie box is my personal favorite and grab a roll of Pillsbury chocolate chip and you're done! I greased the cups, poured the brownie mix in half way and then topped with about 2 tablespoons of cookie dough and baked for about 35 minutes.

But of course I couldn't stop there!!! Oh no...that would be nonsense to just stop at combining a cookie and a brownie. Nope...I like going that extra mile! I like pushing the envelope of ridiculous! I like going right to the edge of that cliff and then just diving off face first. Yep...I did it!!! I topped it off with some delicious Haagen Daaz Dulce de Leche Ice Cream!!! Yep...RIDICULOUS!!! 

And I won't apologize for it either!



Pear Reisling Pound Cake

OK so I had this FABULOUS idea to do a Pear Reisling Pound Cake based off of a recipe I saw for poached pears and a cardamom whipped cream! It sounded simply divine and why would I not want to treat myself to such a treat?!?!? But why stop at just a yummy dessert? Why not throw said yummy dessert into a pound cake?!?!?! Even better!

The verdict...YUMMY!!! But in my most humble and honest opinion I do think my first draft was a bit too sweet and I need to rethink how I make it. For starters, I poached the pears in Reisling and 2 cups of sugar for about 30 minutes...or was it three cups? Maybe I shouldn't drink the Reisling as I'm baking. I then combined the cardamom whipped cream, pears with some of the Reisling liquid that had been reduced to a syrup and pureed them all together.

Are you licking your lips yet? I know I was!

What I neglected to consider was that all that sugary goodness from...well the sugar mainly (tee hee) and the wine would slightly carmelize the outside of the pound cake. So besides some sticking issues, despite my very well greased pan, the outside of the cake was slightly chewy and again, in my opinion, just a little too sweet. Ask my husband, who thinks its OK to put sugar on Frosted Flakes, and he'll say it was not too sweet.

So we will have to do another test cake! YAYYYY!!! I enjoy yummy mishaps and if sweet and chewy are my downfalls on this one, I'll take it for now!

Taste wise, the cake did have a very pleasant pear and cardamom taste and of course was SUPER moist! We just need to consider reducing the sugar. Next cake I think will be more pear-y and cardamom-y and I'll use the Riesling poaching liquid as the glaze!!! Oh yum, I can taste it already!!!

I'll be sure to post my the redo! Until then...KEEP YUMMY ALIVE!

Flour Butter Eggs and Sugar!

There is just something AMAZING about the possibilities of combining simple ingredients that by themselves can be very bland and boring (like flour...who has ever sat and ate just flour?!?!?) and mixing them into the most divine creations!

I didn't start baking until I was 25 and baking was not really my mother's forte...besides an occasional Sock-It-To-Me Cake or Sweet Potato Pie.  I started with brownies and THE MOST AMAZING french toast in the world. Yes I consider Betty Crocker Fudge Brownies out the box, adding my "secret" ingredient {milk instead of water}, baking. And yes...I am also considering making french toast with store bought bread "baking". But in all fairness it was a really good Apple Cinnamon bread!

When we moved to Georgia I graduated to all types of recipes, lavish meals my then 4 year old would just turn his nose at my presentations and baked goodies to share with all. I figured that's what women do in the south, right? Some were disasters...like those latkes I tried to make. Others made me slap myself it was so good!

That's when it happened...I was bored and trying to find something to make. I had a hankering (I said I'm in the south) for something with sweet potato...but didn't really want to make a pie. Partly because I felt ashamed that I didn't really know how to make pie crust and partly because I had just had sweet potato pie. Then I came across a recipe for pumpkin pound cake. I'm not a fan so I figured I could just try substituting sweet potato and VIOLA! A pound cake was born!

The look on my family's faces when they tasted my very first Sweet Potato Pound Cake was enough of a reason for me to keep on baking up yummy goodness. Since then I've been baking up yummilious cakes, pie, cookies and anything else that starts out with mixing flour, butter, eggs and sugar. Now I've decided to bake and blog. I'm sure you will find my trials and tribulations with trying to make the perfect pie crust and other sugary confections hilarious. Well, one can hope...