Expansion Decision

Hello again and Happy New Year!

I hope your holidays were filled with happiness and of course cookies.  As the flour has settled in my kitchen for the past few weeks, I've taken a bit of a hiatus in the baking department.  Not to say that I haven't baked at all, but I now that the cookie season has ended and my freezer space returns to normal, no new cookies have been tested in my house.  Since being home for two weeks gave me ample opportunity to cook, I tried my hand at cooking some actual meals, and healthy ones at that.  But for the most part, when it comes to cooking "real" food, I'm not incredibly adventurous at concocting my own recipes and pretty much just follow what someone else tells me to do. Pairing flavors or making sure the whole dish is cooked through is something I leave to someone else.  And when it comes to doing exactly what I'm told--I do a pretty good job.

Don't think you'll be able to come here and find recipes for dinner--I really don't want this to be a meal-centered cooking blog.  Instead, I want to expand my baking focus and share with you some of the other things I enjoy making--muffins, breads, brownies, and cupcakes.  Having been accused of being a one-trick pony when it comes to making sweet stuff, this may even inspire me to branch out into other desserts and treats.  I promise you won't find beautifully (and painstakingly) decorated cakes--remember how I don't have the patience for that with the Gingerbread cookies?--but you'll probably find a few yummy treats to share at your next bake sale, pot luck, or to just savor after a great dinner (or lunch or breakfast--I don't judge).

Since making you wait 10 months until the cookie process starts again would just be torture, this will be a way to explore new ideas.  And of course, we'll have to test new cookie recipes (my husband might kill me if he had to wait that long for another fresh baked cookie) and perhaps even be inspired by a dessert to figure out how to make it into a cookie.

I have a few ideas already and hope to get started this weekend with some Banana Nut Bread and maybe some Oatmeal Raspberry-Filled Muffins.  And I'm pulling together a list of some of my favorite tools and utensils, so for those of you with gift cards and Christmas cash--stay tuned!

Happy Baking,
The Cookie Princess