Brunch & Baking

I recently had people over for brunch and it reminded me how much I like to bake.  I made some Chile Rellenos casserole (Win),  some baked French Toast that had orange marmalade (Win), and some Popovers (Fail).  I need to work on my popovers, not sure I had a very good recipe so I'll have to try that again.  Good thing is the recipe itself is easy and basic, so making various attempts won't be difficult.

I enjoy baking but I wish I had a better kitchen to do it in.  My husband recently changed positions within his company and the change includes a pay increase, so I'm hopeful that we can redo our kitchen to make for more space.  Our neighbors redid theirs a few years ago, and they had the same set-up as we do, so we have an idea of what it should look like.  It's a definite thought!

First priority however, is the bamboo flooring we've been sitting on for about 5+ years now.  We will be ripping up the carpeting and getting the flooring installed before Spring.  We have relatives coming for a visit and we'd like to have it finished before they arrive.

Back to baking.  I do love to bake.  I'm not much into cooking but baking makes me feel good; The measuring, the mixing - there's something soothing about it.  It's something I can do and totally focus on, without any worries intruding.  And here come the holidays. It's the perfect time for baking!  My mom, sister and I even make a day of it near Christmas.  We get together and do an all-day Christmas Cookie baking event.  I'm looking forward to it.  Before Christmas though is Thanksgiving.  I can't believe it's Thanksgiving time already.

For Thanksgiving my parents are going out of town, as they always do, and rather than impose on my sister to have us over and cook a big dinner, my husband and I are going to a friend's house.  There are approximately 16 guests expected and we're bringing Brussels Sprouts and a Chocolate Cream Pie (family recipe).  Hubby makes the veggie, I make the pie.  He cooks, I bake.  It's a fair exchange.  Ok, it's not really fair since he cooks far more often than I bake, but if that weren't the case we'd both be enormously fat because let's face it, baking isn't a fat-free kind of hobby.  The chocolate cream pie I'll be making is basically eggs, butter, sugar and chocolate.  It's so delicious and amazing and I'm excited to share this long-time family tradition with my friends.  Though part of me would rather just eat the whole pie myself.  Now there's a dangerous thought!  I'm still recovering from all the leftover Halloween candy and now it's Thanksgiving?  It's so not fair.

On the bright side, I no longer work in an office where new treats are arriving daily as gifts from business partners.  Now that I work from home I can avoid the lure of those temptations often found during the holidays in a business office.

Speaking of work, one more day of work before the holiday and tomorrow we're all being let out early.  Hooray!  Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
-Amy