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

Learned Things

So I have been learning a lot lately. I can blame the learning for the reason behind not blogging so much these past couple of weeks right. I won't go into great detail about what all I've been up to, but I must say it involves writing many papers and cleaning dishes among other things. Instead I have compiled a list of things I have learned. Here it goes. 

1. Water and laptops do not mix. (You might lose everything including a 20page research paper)

2. Backing up files is very important. 

3. Children never get tired of playing tag. ( neither do I! )

4. One and a half year olds are the best cuddlers. 

5. Three year olds need nap time. (If missed they might get really aggressive and overly sassy)

6. Chocolate chip cookies are the most sought after dessert at the cdl. (It is hard to find even a small crumb floating around on that one special day of the month)

7. Field trips are a good break from the monotony of the everyday. (Added bonus is the interesting learning factor)

8. Best friends are amazing. (Shout out to Granny Eyer)

9. Surprises are the best when unexpected! (Granny Eyer came up for a visit/break this week. She didn't tell me she was coming though until she was at the house. It was happy)

10. One mans trash is another mans treasure has some truth behind it. (Yard Sales anyone?)

11. If a three year old tells you that his grandpa is driving the bus, he is probably telling you the truth. 

12. Bubbles and chalk are very entertaining. 

13. Showers are surprisingly relaxing. 

14. The old wives tale, bad things happen in there's might not be completely true. 

15. Fireworks are LOUD. Nuff said. 

16. In a water ballon toss size really does matter. 

17. Selfies don't make a lick of sense. 

18. Organization is key. (I've lost that key somewhere…)

19. Raisin bread typically has cinnamon in it. (If you are allergic to cinnamon you would especially know this and would be able to smell it out for someone who might not know.)

And last but not least

20.  God knows what He is doing even if I don't. 

Peace be with you and may the odds be ever in your favor. Until next time, Captain Fun Something signing off.