My First Baking Project - Corn Muffins!

Well I already see that I blogged about my first baking project! Did I mention that I bought the semi-made muffin mix - LOL! I had to start with something simple because it has been a very long time since I baked anything. With this semi-made corn mix all I needed to add was eggs and milk!

I loved the way that my muffins turned out and it made the house smell so good! I also found out how delicious muffins are when they are hot!


Now maybe its just me but while thinking about baking I'm sure that I mentioned here that I had to get some baking pans - especially muffin pans because I didn't have any.
So guess what happens the next time I'm at the grocery but I see some muffin pans selling for 99 cents! Well that was something that I definitely had to "break the bank" for! I have been using them quite often but I have come to find out that cleaning these aluminum pans is proving to be difficult - especially when you want clean in those cracks and crevices!

My First Bakery Concoction (in a long time - LOL!)

Well, I finally did it! I baked something - for the first time in a very long time!

I just got finished baking a batch (half-dozen) of corn muffins and they came out great! I even had a couple of them for a snack!

Mind you the muffin mix was pre-packaged but it did require me to add some other ingredients - eggs and milk. Actually I was nearing the ending date for the rest of the milk that I had and I wanted to put it to good use!

It just occurred to me that I could have taken a photo of my muffins and put it on here but I'll remember to do that the next time!

Mind you, I do want to start this whole baking and cooking thing slowly and the corn muffin mix was on sale and I figured that this would be something easy that I could handle as a first start to baking!

I have to say that I loved the way that the house smelled as the muffins were baking in the oven and that's a smell that I could get very used to! Plus I have a few left over that I can have as a snack before I rush out the door in the morning!

So my first baking attempt came out very, very well!

Back To Baking!

I can feel the fall season coming and I have been online and I have spotted a lot of scrumptious-looking recipies online and I'm dying to try out some of them!

It's been a long time since I did any baking and that was confined to baking cakes. But now that I want to get back to it again I'm anxious to get started.

First I have to gather my "tools" together because its been so long since I baked anything! - LOL! So far all I can find is the rolling pin! I also have a couple of cake pans that are smaller for baking layers of cakes but it will be fun to buy some more baking items! I'm leaning towards buying some off of QVC as I like the cooking products that they sell.

Then I'll have to decide on what it is I want to start baking with - probably something more simple in the beginning and I have a special affinity towards cornbread!

So wish me luck and I will post pictures of my baked goodies!

It Doesn't Hurt To Get A Little Help!

Yesterday I went to my local library with the expressed purpose of checking out some basic cooking books for beginners like me. Of course there were a lot of books to choose from but I'm starting off with the most basic of them!

I checked out two books and since I have three weeks to go through them that gives me some time.

As I said I'm starting off with the most basic of the cookbooks and I will work my way up from there.

If you're new to cooking or want to learn more about it don't be afraid to go to your local library and check out some of the more basic cooking books. They won't cost you a thing - except for maybe signing up for a library card - LOL!

I have also been taping some cooking shows on TV so that I can learn at my own pace as well - this is how I learned to make my first Thanksgiving Turkey!

Yuck!

Well I tried to make pancakes from scratch even though I did have some instructions in front of me - it didn't turn out too good!.

Actually the first time I tried to make the pancakes from scratch they just didn't look like pancakes! And they certainly didn't taste like pancakes either! So the second time that I tried to make them from scratch, while they did look like pancakes they certainly didn't taste like pancakes! And I could tell from the taste that I put too much baking soda in the batter!

I actually think that this is my first really bad attempt - but that just makes me want to make right! So I'm going to try again as soon as I have all of the right ingredients!

Winter Weather Supplies!

There's nothing more better than being able to have a warm, hot cup of hot chocolate on a cold winters day! And believe me this is a cold winters day! My area was hit with a major snowstorm over the last 24 hours and the wind chills are going to go down to zero!

I posted on my Homeowner's Blog about how cold it is tonight and how the rooms are drafty because of the gusty winds! So its great to be able to have a nice cup of hot chocolate to drink! This is one of my little pleasures in life!

However sad to say that I am running out of hot chocolate


I'm grateful that I have enough money to buy me some more hot chocolate but I have to brave those inches of snow to get it!


I named this blog post "Winter Weather Supplies" mostly to remind myself of all the things / groceries that I should be stocked up on just in case I'm snowed in - LOL!

• hot chocolate!
  
  
• tea (and sugar and lemon and honey and brandy!)
  
  
• coffee (and sugar and non-dairy creamer/milk)
  
  
• rock salt! - have to clear the sidewalk!
  
  
• soup!
  
  
• aspirin - when I feel a flu or virus coming on

I'm sorely lacking in supplies but at least I'm grateful that I have enough money to be able to stock up once again!

I'm Going To Be Baking Once Again - I Vow!

A long, long time ago I used to bake cakes! I even think I had one of those easy bake ovens as a child!

Thoughts of baking again have again entered my mind and I was recently reminded of it when I was watching one of Martha Stewart's shows!

I haven't baked in so long that I am sorely lacking in baking materials! I did manage to find my old rolling pin and found the sifter that sifts the flour. I have maybe one or two baking pans and I know that there is a mixer around here somewhere but I haven't found it yet - LOL! But it will be fun to buy some new baking tools and I look forward to that!

About the closest that I have come to baking in recent times was when I last bought some cornbread mix (they were on sale - 3 for a $1 - LOL!) I had bought the mix but I didn't have any eggs or milk to add to it and I had to wait. But once I did get the eggs and milk and made - it tasted great! - and this furthered my longing and desire to bake once again!

I have been buying my pastry items from the bakery at my local supermarket mostly because its quick and painless but I have been longing to get back to baking once again and its something that I really want to get back into.