Spring I am So Happy To See You

I am so so so sorry for my extended absence on here. Life just catches up with you sometimes you know? Well all can say if life is currently pretty darn good. Baking is up, exercising is up, sleep is not up, but that is sincerely nothing new, and I scored a copy of Martha Stewart's Cupcakes recipe book from the Easter Bunny. Besides my chocolate being left in the sun by my dad, which I don't mind I would've eaten too much anyway! I will most likely just go home and eat the deformed re-frozen chocolate when I get home the next time anyway. I'm not sure if I'm going to update by the 15th again, so I might as well say it now. April 15th is me and nick's one year. It's been a crazy year and it really went faster than any year of my life. I guess I'm used to measuring years in school years so this whole april-april deal really snuck up on me. He's just as much of a sweetheart as when we first dating and though not every day is easy, some are even exceptionally hard, that's what makes it worth it to me. That even though we may fight, at the end of the day I still can't wait to tell him something stupid, or look up dogs on petfinder. And he deals with me, which is an accomplishment in itself so thank you nick, for everything. You're the best :)! Now that you had to sit through that mushy rant I will handsomely reward you with pictures of baked goods I will happily make for you if ever you ask. Happy spring temple, I am glad to finally be spending some more time in your good graces of warm weather again. <3 ps. one of the picture of me and nick was from last april and its funny to me just how much older in one year. in a few years I don't think I'll love that fact anymore!

I am sorry for my respite

from the blogging world, but i'm busy enjoying spring! i'll try to return to you with love stories and flowers sometime soon :)

An Ode To My Kitchen Aid Mixer

Dear Kitchen-Aid Mixer,

I'm so glad you're in my life. You make everything so much easier and allow me to make things such as homemade bread and soft pretzels from scratch with ease. I'm so glad my parents decided to leave you on the counter always so I don't always have to lug you from the laundry room to the kitchen whenever I want to use you, because truth be told, you're a little heavy. But I don't want you to change I think you're perfect just how you were. It was so silly I pined for you and asked for you for Christmas when you were really hiding on my back shelf covered up still in mint condition from when you were placed there over 13 years ago. I really wish when mom-mom would've bought you we could have used you together, but as a 7 year old I don't think I'd love you the way I do now. (no offense). Regardless you were waiting for me there all those years I proclaimed proudly in the next room how I hated any form of baking and cooking and that anyone I married would have to do all the cooking. Eventually I came and found you and even though I wish mom-mom had been alive and still living with us all these years it almost feels as if she put you out there to wait for me. And I was most certainly the next one to lift you from your peaceful sleep. And maybe it's silly but I most feel her when I'm in the kitchen working with you. I know pop said she would have been proud of us and now looking back I'm glad I'm using you my grandmother's kitchen aid mixer, alongside my great great grandmother's baking pans from when she cooked in a boarding house where her daughter, my great grandmother, met her husband. I feel more connected to the people I was lucky enough to have and love in my life who are gone along with the ones I never got to know through little things like you kitchen aid mixer, the things that help make the ones who leave us just a little more real, if only for that moment. So thank you kitchen aid mixer, I'm sure I'll see you soon.

Love Always,

Mary

To All Those Who Love Me So Much, I'd Like To Return The Favor

I am aware I haven't updated in entirely too long and I have to sincerely apologize but here I am once again. I'm not sure how clear I've made this point before but I really love baking, I'm starting to really expand what I am doing with it and love trying new things. This weekend was an all-time high for deliciousness. I had to pack for Florida and spring break (which I leave for on FRIDAY!) and knew since I wasn't going to be able to bake that weekend I would whip up a few extra special things this weekend to celebrate. On the menu were cheesecake swirl blondies, spinach pesto mozzarella muffins, and caramel corn. I also bought an intense tart pan at Williams & Sonoma which I intend on making insane things with, a candy thermometer, and a little book called "The Field Guide to Candy" which I had been debating over every time I stepped in a Barnes and Noble for months. Nick and the fact I had a gift card finally convinced me! It housed the caramel corn recipe. I really want one of those little blow torches for creme brulee. Next up? Cheesecake milkshakes? I know its technically not baking but as I said the kitchen is where I have felt most at home lately! Me and Nick also ventured to the Flower Show on Sunday where I introduced him to the love that is bonsai. It was a whirlwind but great nonetheless and maybe next time I update it will be about sunny (hopefully) Florida. :)

xoxox

I also threw in some pictures of Nick with my dog Ted taken from the weekend just because I find them so damn cute.

Busy Busy Days

This post will be short but majorly sweet since I am have mass amounts of work building up but all I will say is "peanut butter whoopie pies." Think cakesters on steroids. I probably made them larger than recommended but what can I say, if I want something like this, it's go big or go home. I will update in detail soon about all the shenanigans on Temple/home life and leave you with this image.

Happy Valentines Day To The Ones I Love

Ok, so maybe valentine's day was yesterday but I was far too busy yesterday to post. Why was I so busy you ask? I was being creative this year and for once making my gift for my boyfriend as opposed to going out and buying something and I decided to go with homemade fortune cookies. Great idea right? Kind of. These were ridiculously hard to make and although some turned out great they were quite the process to get there. Each one had a different "reason why I love you" inside of them and I was happy with the final result. I felt bad when Nick had a stomach ache after eating them all though. This alongside of homemade pink heart pancakes, cheesy eggs, sausage made us both full to the point of exploding (not very romantic). Most of all I got to spend the day with him so it was all in all a fantastic day. More picture to come eventually :)

Slighty Delicious

I really wish I would've been able to post this entry last night. I was literally in such a good mood. Not that I'm in a terrible one now it's just after a terrible night's sleep and one geology test later, the fuzzy feeling endorphins of a great mood just seem a tad harder to muster. But for once... i actually tried baking in my apartment in school! I borrowed the scary electric mixer of the lovely Caitlin Weigel, and I won't lie, I was pining for my kitchen aid walk away come back later magical cookie dough mixer at home. But we made it through and twenty flour filled hair and more mess on the counter than in the bowl later, we had ourselves some snickerdoodle cookies. Now don't be fooled society by the appearance of what may seem to be enormous irish potatoes. These cookies were amazing. The were rich soft melt in your mouth goodness. I must admit though they were not for the faint of heart. I had the world's worst stomach ache after finishing off two of these. All fair in love and cookies though because the pros definitely out-weighed the cons and I will surely be making these again. Now it's valentines day weekend and I think I'm probably going to out-bake myself. We'll see how it goes. :)