Baking

So this isn't about Eliza (although she helps me in the kitchen).  This is about me. 

This year I have decided to be unlimited.  If I want to do something, I do it.  I have always felt my limitations (perceived or otherwise) very keenly.  But I think most of them are just excuses.  I don't want to feel limited.  I want to do new things!  One of those things is baking.  I have always said I was a good cook but a terrible baker.  I've been jealous of rolls that my friends have made, treats that look too fancy to come from a real home and not a bakery, and unburned banana bread.  How do you get banana bread to not burn on the outside if it's in your oven for almost an hour?  I've stayed away from these things because I felt it was beyond me.

Until now.

I made my own hamburger buns.  That's right.  HAMBURGER BUNS!  Who makes those?  Well, I did.  And they were DELICIOUS!

And I bought an oven thermometer and discovered my oven was off by 25-50 degrees.  No more burned banana bread.  SO GOOD!!!!

And I have made rolls that actually rise and turn fluffy (thank you Katie Staker for showing me how.  I still have a looooong way to go before they taste like yours but I am no longer afraid to try).

And as a result of being in my kitchen more I decided I needed more counter space.  I put our island up on craigslist and sold it so I could buy something with more counter space (see picture below).  My amazing husband spent his whole weekend dealing with this project.  Three trips to IKEA in one weekend makes him super-hubby to be sure! 

So, who knows what I will be baking up next!  But you can check it out and see what my sisters are cooking too.  We have a blog we like to use to use to share recipes with eachother that we have tested.  Nothing fancy, just a way for us to keep in contact with each other and show what we eat.

http://shenemaneats.blogspot.com/