Little Miss Betty Crocker... kind of : )

Tonight I cooked dinner for my roommates-- chicken with an apricot and mustard glaze, green beans (the good, tender kind), french bread, and mashed potatoes. Nothing too complicated, but I really enjoy cooking. And I especially like baking. Not that I ever try anything extravagant, just simple, yummy things like cakes, cookies, brownies. Anything chocolate is my favorite. My favorite creation so far was a chocolate cinnamon cake. I like to eat these yummy desserts, of course, but it's more than that. I enjoy making these things that I can share with my family and friends, because I love giving gifts of any kind. To me, it's even better than receiving gifts. I also love how relaxing baking is... except for the rare occasion when things go wrong, like the mixer overheating or the stove catching on fire (which did, in fact, happen to me once.) I can forget about anything else and focus only on adding the right ingredients, mixing them up, and watching it all turn into delicious dough or batter. From there, I put it in the oven and magically, a little while later I have a delicious dessert. I've always loved watching how all the simple ingredients come together to make something that tastes so good. Even leaving out one little thing changes the entire recipe, sometimes making it impossible to eat. The only reason I don't bake more often is that it usually is pretty time-consuming. It's a long process, and I think that's the reason people don't bake more often. Plus, with the store-bought cookie cakes, break and bake cookies, and brownie mixes, it's way faster to just grab a partially or completely made dessert. They never taste as good though. If you have the time, making your dessert from scratch is far more satisfying in both the taste and the realization that you created the entire thing. Baking, or even cooking from scratch, is becoming a lost art. I plan to continue baking, trying new recipes, and enjoying the final product : )