I'm Ready!

For years, people have been telling me two things:

1.  I should sell my desserts.

2.  I should start a blog.

Well, I'm finally ready to give it a go, so why not combine the two?  

I've always liked baking.  When I was a kid, one of my favorite things to do was look at my mom's ancient Betty Crocker cookbook.  Besides providing tremendous entertainment value (from the intro to the pie chapter: "If you want to please a man, bake a pie!"), it gave me knowledge to aid and abet my sugar obsession.  I would watch my mom make apple pies as gifts for my grandfather or my uncle, or crank out 6 kinds of Christmas cookies while keeping me and my two younger siblings out of trouble.  All of this was marinating in the back of my mind.

When I got a bit older, I would bake Christmas cookies for my co-workers and friends.  Watching "Good Eats" taught me SO much - including why some of my childhood baking experiments didn't turn out so well!  I would cook and bake occasionally, but it still wasn't something I did all the time.

Then, my husband and I moved into our house in Bellingham.  I was home all day with my then-4 month old daughter, and I had this beautiful new kitchen to play with.  I started trying in earnest to learn more, to improve, to get really comfortable and enjoy the process.  I bought my own cookbooks, started reading food blogs, watched even more "Good Eats" (seriously, I adore that show).  I made a rule for myself that I wouldn't buy cookies or sweets at the store - if I wanted them, I'd have to make them!  (And I even follow my rule, most of the time.)  

One thing that has definitely prompted me to try my hand at baking for others is that my family can't possibly eat everything I want to make.  We'd all have diabetes and no teeth within a couple of months.  So hopefully, some of you lovely people with exquisite taste will ask me to bake you a little something - for the holidays, or just because.  Seriously, if you live in the Bellingham area and ever find yourself craving some killer chocolate chip cookies (or brownies, or sugar cookies, or whatever!) let me know.  I *might* be able to get them to you that day. 

Bring on the holidays!