Call Me Kimmie Crocker!

Can I just brag about myself for one minute! I want you to know that I not only cooked dinner for myself last night (a grilled chicken salad pita with sauteed zucchini squash on the side), but I also prepared a sweet potato casserole and a banana nut cake for Thanksgiving (they are eagerly awaiting their divine appointment with the oven on Thursday morning). I must say I felt so domestic and wifely!! hahaha. If I had husband he surely would have praised me. And my children definitely would have risen up and called me blessed. =)

For a girl who once had to have her roommate come show her how to work the KitchenAid mixer, I say not to shabby! (Sidenote: I had no trouble working my old 1970s mixer.) You know, I realized last night that I don't do much baking from scratch. I, usually, pick up a little something something from Betty or Duncan that requires just a couple of additional ingredients and wah-lah --- I baked! Which makes me think of story that is kind of a tangent but it is too funny to not share. I had to make some breakfast foods for a wedding shower last year. I, of course, waited until late the night before to start making everything! (Seriously, my procrastination sometimes just sets me up for failure!). Well, I bought some muffin mix from the store and poured the mixture into the muffin pan. Only....when I went to pull them out I discovered they were cooked, but they didn't rise at all. What?!? I pulled the box back out of the trash. I forgot an ingredient. A friend called me in the midst of my discouragement. "I cannnnnn't cooooook! No guy will ever want to marry me. waaaah!" (Disclaimer: it was late, I was tired, stressed, and frustated....all breeding ground for the "I am never going to get married" pity party. hahaha). My friend, sweetly, encouraged me that anyone can overlook an ingredient and that she, too, has done it a time or two. "But...there was only 2 ingredients to add!" (Silence). She, then, offerred to give me cooking lessons before I got married. hahahah. Score!

Can I just be honest and say that I actually ENJOYED baking from scratch!!!  It really was alot of fun!  Not only did I feel a sense of joy, pride and accomplishment when I folded the finished product into the 9x13 casserole dish, but it also brought back fun memories of when I was a little girl.  I used to LOVE to watch mom bake cookies, pies, cakes, etc.  I would stand on a chair and watch with absolute fascination.  I loved watching the glass bowl spinning around, I loved seeing the mixture get sucked into the beater and come out smooth, I loved it when mom would turn up the speeds and it would get to the fastest speed.   But mostly, I loved licking the beater!  Not much has changed there!   I licked every bit of the banana nut cake off that beater!  Yuuuuummmyy!!  
 
I think I might just have to try this baking thing more!  I will definitely need to find a cute little apron to wear too....and some matching mitts!!  That way if the meal doesn't quite turn out, I still look cute!!!