My Experiences Within Motherhood, & my Attempts to Maintain a Personal Life Outside of It.

My experiences within motherhood and my attempt to maintain a personal life outside of it.
...Here I record my own self discipline: My commitment not to "let myself go". My promise to seek my God and follow my passions.
My attempt to do so despite and amidst the chaos of chasing around my high-energy kids while learning the French culture...

Friday, September 17, 2010

I'm Becoming Betty Crocker

I guess my nesting hormones have taken over, or something.  I think I also am constantly craving tasty baked goods.  Not to mention I'm always looking for another creative outlet.  


I've always enjoyed time spent in the kitchen, but lately I've been on a baking kick set into over-drive.  I just finished a cookie marathon practically, and in the last month I can't even begin to tell you how many different baked treats I've pulled out of my oven. Just a few weeks ago I made an orange pound cake, followed by two loaves of my very first attempt at bread:  Apple Blueberry Zucchini Carrot Bread (sounds ridiculous and overloaded, I know, but it was scrumptious!), and then it was a batch of scones and a round of croissant rolls.


But get this -- In less than a week, I've whipped up over four different types of cookies!  Yesterday alone I made two of the four.  What has come over me?  I got so excited about making cookies, that I started giving batches away to the neighbors and people at John's office. You'd think it was the holidays at our house. Yes, the nesting hormones are in strong and baked sweets is my latest pregnancy indulgence, I guess.




Though I must admit,  I am also very impressed with myself.  I managed to achieve all that baking while parenting my ever-busy 18-month old toddler (who is a bit of bull dozer to everything in her path right now).  Not only that, but I still have the tenacity to don my apron again next week.  I have two more baked treats in my queue:  Fruity Strawberry Bread and Savory Palmiers.... and sometime next month I'm already planning on pulling out my famous fall-time dessert of Apple-Pear Crisp.  Needless to say, this drive encouraged me to think that if I can be in the kitchen all day on my feet while pregnant and still enjoy myself... somehow (though I know the two aren't really related)... I'll figure out how to juggle being mommy to two tiny munchkins.  Everyone says it's going to be hard, and I don't doubt it.... but I know I can do it too.


So, out all of this big baking extravaganza, I figured I ought to at least share with you my favorite creations.  It comes down to two:  Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies, and Strawberry Rosemary Scones.  These two treats are so unique, yet wildly delicious.  I know what some of you may be thinking,  "Earl Grey Tea... in a cookie?  Strawberry and Rosemary... do those even go together?"  ...But I can't even begin to tell you how good both of these are! Both of these recipes I got from Food Network chefs and you can even watch videos of them being made on the Foodnetwork website. Both are also insanely simple. Perfect treats for a tea or a brunch or just for whenever...


Click on a link to make one of these bad boys!


Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies
Courtesy of Claire Robinson


Strawberry & Rosemary Scones
Courtesy of Giada De Laurentis

1 comment:

NH said...

We know all this baking tastes great when Charity learned "cookie" just to enjoy all the tastes.