To Bake or Not To Bake

Often times during the summer I find myself wandering around my home trying to keep myself busy. Waking up at half past noon, settling into the deep and dark crevices of the couch, and boring my eyes into the screen of my computer that's discovering information that will never in my life help me is not exactly the model of a productive summer.

I've never been one to join week-long camps, and if I ever travel, it's only for a day or two, or in my case a momentary distraction from my ever so boring summer. For the past few summers, my "vacation time" has hardly seen beach, sunlight, or travel but rather library visits, 16 hours of Tivo to watch, and a forever disheveled bed.

After two weeks of this nonsense during this current summer, I decided to make a change.

One day while in the dark depths of my living room couch, I came across Food Network. After watching thirty minutes of Paula Deen's fantastic southern cooking ( and of course, quietly laughing to myself about the amounts of butter found in her recipes ) did I decide to try the culinary crafts myself. I quickly climbed out of my coffin, I mean couch, and pulled up a recipe online for Cinnamon muffins. Before you know it, I was actually using my legs and creating the creamy, brown batter that I promptly poured into the baking cups.

Only after I had sprinkled the last bits of cinnamon and placed the muffin tray in the oven did I realize how much I loved working around the kitchen. My parents has always been great cooks, always preparing a home made meal even if it was past the regular dinner time, but it had never occurred to me to try to cook or bake myself. You couldn't imagine my joy when my family complimented my work on the muffins when I offered them as a little after dinner treat! I was beyond delighted, and I swore to myself at that moment that I would never return to the sluggish and lazy state I was in earlier that day.

Today i've mastered various recipes, from blueberry pie to cinnamon roles, and i've enjoyed every minute i've spent in the kitchen. I have finally found a hobby that I genuinely love, and apparently other people too! My mother can't stop asking me to bake, and I'm always happy to oblige to her request.

Now, I've had my eye on Paula Deen's recipe for strawberry & cream pie and I intend to master it today! But first, I'm gonna need to do some math to reduce that butter measurement . . .