Baking Adventures

This weekend I discovered that The Great British Bake Off is now on Netflix! Of course when the show started airing in the United States it became known as the The Great British Baking Show. Not as cool of a name but a great show nonetheless. I became attached to this show when I was couchsurfing in England. One of my hosts watched the show the first night I was there. As soon as I returned to the US, I was pleased to find it online. Now I am ecstatic to find the first season on Netflix. Hopefully more will be added in the future.

Watching this show inspired Heather and I to make a cake at 9 pm on Friday evening. We are the greatest of homebodies: watching cooking shows and baking on a Friday night. Since I was dogsitting, it was an adventure in the kitchen to find everything we needed without having to go to the store. We were successful in finding everything except cinnamon; we substituted cinnamon sugar. Here are the results:

Since the verse on YouVersion that day was Psalm 34:8, we found it fitting to make a picture. 

Once I'm in the baking mood, I must continue. This month I am also trying to slow down my grocery spending and learn to use what I have instead. This is inspired by the 31 Days of Living Well and Spending Zero Challenge, but I have modified it to fit my lifestyle. Maybe a future post on that adventure. Because of that challenge, I didn't want to buy anything for my baking except milk, bread, and eggs. Thankfully, I already have flour and sugar and the other basics on hand.

My latest baking started with this recipe from my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook for chocolate chip cookies. Naturally, I couldn't just make boring chocolate chip cookies. During the mixing process, I threw in some cocoa (I just emptied what I had left) and used Toll House chocolate chunks instead of chocolate chips. I guess I created double chocolate chip cookies. Then I decided I wanted to make s'more cookies. I started melting butter and marshmallows just like I would for a rice krispie treat. My plan was to put marshmallow and graham cracker on the top of the cookies. Maybe it was a lack of recipe or maybe I was trying to do too many things at once, but it didn't work. The marshmallow was hardening in the pan faster than I could get it on the cookies. 

Well that's all for my baking adventures thus far. Next I want to try making bread again. I'm still on the search to find the perfect bread recipe.

For now,

Granny Eyre

White Wedding

As you know, my best friend growing up got married this past weekend. I thought it might be fun to share some of the photos and stories with you from the big day. 

My beau & I waiting as they took pictures after the ceremony

It was an elaborate and beautiful wedding and a very fun reception. It did rain on us at the reception, which stunk, but luckily they got a tent which kept everyone dry! The tent was also really nicely decorated. Luckily my beau took lots of pictures on his phone that I can share with you. 

The get-away car

As a few of you know I was very worried about my hair for the wedding day. I'm not very skilled with updo's and it wasn't going to work out for the other bridesmaids to help me fix it (long story...). So the beau's sister ended up helping me out; she was able to ask the hair dresser she goes to, to do my hair. I was very lucky because she came in special for me, and in the early morning too. I was very thankful and she did an awesome job! I was so happy with how she did it! I don't normally prefer my hair up, but I thought this style looked really nice. I found inspiration for this hairdo on Pinterest of course.

The reception included lots of yummy food, sweets, cakes, and icecream. They also had a photobooth (those are always a hit with me!) and normal wedding reception activities. The bride was very beautiful and I hope she and the groom will have a very happy honeymoon! I can't wait to hear how their cruise goes! 

Yum! Some of the sweets they had in addition to cake!

I thought Granny Eyre might especially appreciate this cake on the right

Two happy couples!

What a weekend it was...it really was a whirlwind!
The Farmer's Daughter