Baking Has Been A Part Of My Life Since Early On
I come by my love of baking quite honestly. Mom is an excellent baker and cook (and seamstress for that matter). In the early 60’s, she was a Home Ec. Teacher. She then married dear old dad, raised her family and went back to teaching part time. As we were getting older she began working in test kitchens, beginning with a local salad dressing manufacturer and currently with a magazine conglomerate that publishes cooking magazines. For the last 25 years or so she has also been a food judge at state and county fairs. While raising us she shared her love of the kitchen. Thanks Mom!
Baking has been a passion of mine since my early days. As a teenager, I would often dig into mom’s recipe box while she was away teaching a class, testing salad dressing, or judging a fair. I would try my hand at whatever caught my eye. I experimented with all kind of baked goods, from cookies to yeast bread; perfecting my techniques with every attempt. Cookies and quick breads turned out to be my forte, as I realized that I am not a fussy baker. I can appreciate beautifully crafted cakes and pastries, but I really don’t seem to have the patience to perfect them myself; though I sure have tried!
Speaking of sharing; I am not a secretive baker. I have tweaked my recipes over the years and am flattered when people ask me to share them. Visit the Featured Recipe page for some of my favorites. It’s selection may seem small now, but I plan to add to it’s offerings frequently; so please check back with us. If you would like me to e-mail you when I add a new recipe, please register your e-mail with me. Occasionally I am asked for sugar free recipes, and I must say that I am not knowledgeable at all about this type of baking. I have been blessed to not have had anyone in my close circle that have needed these types of recipes. I have found a resource that has some beautiful sugar free recipes, www.Quick-Weightloss-Solutions.com I have not tried them, but they look well rounded. If you are in need of this type of baking, check them out. Sharing recipes reminds me of a funny story. On my first Christmas visiting my new mother-in-law, I brought her a tray of cookies. She was so pleased to have received the homemade goodies, that she thanked me profusely. She asked her son if I had made him his favorite cookies and I realized that I didn’t even know what they were. He told us that no I hadn’t, but he is enjoying all the new treats that were coming from our kitchen. His favorite cookie turns out to be white chocolate-macadamia nut cookies; with all the baking I had been doing, you would think I would have asked him what his favorite was...oh well.
Miss Mary Photo credits: Picture of a tray of holiday cookies by Jancouver @ istockphoto.com Picture of a plate of white chocolate macadamia nut cookies by rpernell @ istockphoto.com Picture of cookie dough hearts by PIKSEL @ istockphoto.com
|
Over the last 20 years or so, I have become the “Christmas Cookie Queen”. Trays of cookies became my 
On our first day back after the Christmas visit, I decided to make him a batch of his favorites. Realizing that I didn’t have a recipe for white chocolate-macadamia nut cookies, I chose to use the most famous cookie recipe in the world—The Nestle Tollhouse Chocolate Chip Cookie—substituting white chocolate for semi-sweet and macadamia for walnuts...why not? When he returned home after his long day at work, I presented him with a plate of my newest creations. His beautiful eyes instantly lit up (remember, at the time we were newly married), as he bit into the fresh baked goodness. He then looked me in the eye with the most serious expression, thanked me and said “Honey, I know how you love to share your recipes with everyone, but please can we keep this one as our own special cookie!” I smiled, kissed him and replied “of course darling”. You won't tell him...will you?
