Sunday, August 23, 2009

Chocolate Chips

I suppose my story is similar to many others, it all started with chocolate chips. We always had the staples in my house: flour, sugar and eggs. The only thing stopping me from a delicious batch of cookies were the absent chocolate chips. I would beg and plead, "Someone! Anyone! Please buy me chocolate chips and I will make you delectable cookies!"

I stuck with cookies mostly, seemed easier than other desserts. I sometimes helped my mother around Christmas make fudge, butterscotch haystacks and lemon meringue pie. I didn't know it at the time but a mini Martha Stuart was in the making, bubbling just under the surface. In school my creatvity was unleashed through the clarinet, then the oboe and I also tried my hand at oil painting.

College started and I had to take more than a full course load and go year round under my scholarship agreement. I also worked full-time at McDonald's to support myself. I don't think I did anything creative those three years. Whenever I wasn't taking class, doing homework or working I was sleeping, watching TV or playing video games. Not much creativity there unless you count building crazy mansions in The Sims.

Like magic, shortly after I was released graduated from college my inner Martha started looking for my next hobby. Chris, a friend from work, agreed to help me sew a skirt so I gave it a shot. While frustrating, I had fun making that skirt, which I still have and I wore it until my dog ripped a big hole. She loved to quilt so I started making a baby quilt for my niece Hannah. I had hoped to finish it by the time she was born in September 2007 but it ended up being a Christmas present instead.

Then I started making a super king size quilt for myself. I'm still working on it. Okay, not working on it per se but I do have all the pieces cut in a box. You'll understand why in a moment.

I wanted to create a scrapbook for my wedding and honeymoon pictures, but it was too expensive and I didn't want to sucked into what seemed to be a cult of mad scrapbookers. So, you know what happened...what would be too expensive to buy all at once could slowly be accumulated, who knew? So I did end up becoming a member of the cult and that is now my main hobby.

Of course, I'm not one to sit and enjoy, I'm a multitasker! In just a few years I also got into cross stitch, crochet, baking, cake decorating and candy making. That's how quilting got pushed to the fringes. The other hobbies have to share with baking because I'm the office baker now, It's expected of me to create goodies for every potluck.

I'll wrap up with some of my baking history in pictures:

No bake chocolate oatmeal cookies


Peanut butter bars for our office Christmas party


Kitty cat cake to welcome our new Admin


Bridal shower cake for my friend Misty


Misty's wedding cake, with two toy Harley's as the topper

Cupcakes for Chris' birthday


My sister Tessa's wedding cake


My dad's 50th birthday cake


I love the brown on white color combo!


My famous red velvet cake for Valentine's Day


Candy writing for a birthday cake


Chocolates and truffles


Sugar cookies with poured frosting



Cream cheese pound cake with
strawberry cream filling and buttercream

This cream cheese pound cake tasted so delicious with the strawberry filling and buttercream. The cake baked completely flat. The loaf browned, but I was going to level it anyway so it didn't matter. The cupcakes baked beautifully with no browning. Yum, I'm going to go have a piece right now!

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