My first crafting passion

Before I knew about rubber stamping and paper crafting, I knew how to bake.  I enjoy cooking of all kinds, but I love to bake.  

Cakes, yes, especially if they don't need to be frosted or decorated (though I did finally take a class on that last fall).  Cookies, absolutely - I have favorite recipes for "everyday" cookies like oatmeal and chocolate chip, as well as all our Christmas cookie plate must-haves.  Pies - I devoted one steamy, un-airconditioned midwest summer (before kids) to learning all about making pastry crusts and great pies.  

But bread...I think I was the only kid in elementary school who used part of her Scholastic Book Fair money to purchase a bread baking cookbook, which I read and re-read countless times.  Only occasionally did I actually make bread while growing up...in fact, the only time I can really remember doing it was on a snow day (after shoveling the driveway and sidewalk, of course).  Through the years since then I've had good runs of baking different kinds of bread.  

One of the things I missed the most about having my kitchen torn up this summer was no baking.  So while it still isn't complete, I've been able to use it for several weeks now.  In addition to cooking dinner, I've put my new ovens through their paces, trying brownies, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, and three loaves of bread:

No-Knead Rustic Loaf

Honey Oatmeal Sandwich Loaf

Pumpernickel

  

I'm very happy with the new kitchen.  The ovens are great, the layout works really well, and the organization of my ingredients and tools is just what I was hoping for.  

If you've read this far, thanks for allowing me to digress from paper crafting and show you what else I've been up to recently!  

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