Baking (tuna, cake, cupcakes, calories)

[msjbrent]

I have never been much of a cook, never had the interest. Lately I have really enjoyed baking. Minor baking. Cakes, cupcakes, cookies, ect. Does anybody else enjoy simple baking? Any fun/different ideas anyone enjoys?

[BlueWillowPlate]

I tend to bake in the fall/winter (even when I lived in Colorado.)
I pretty much bake the same old stuff year after year: the occasional yeast bread, pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, pumpkin pie, cranberry orange bread, chocolate chip cookies, apple pie, raspberry cobbler. Chocolate cake. Brownies.

[Cattknap]

I think baking can be fun and creative. Like Cil, I tend to bake more in the fall/winter (coincidentally I also have 6-7 extra pounds to take off every spring, LOL) and when company/family comes. Our sons came for a visit a couple of weeks ago and I made lots of cookies and Ina Garten's apple crisp....next week I teach a cooking class and will be doing some baking as well.

On a day to day basis, my husband and I try very hard not to eat baked items (we pretty much stick to whole foods). Neither of us want the calories...but there is something very comforting about the smell of cakes, pies, cookies, breads, etc. baking...makes for a homey feeling.

[jkmewright]

I am not much of a cook either BUT I started making birthday cakes for kids when we had our first one. They are 3-D teddy bears that actually stand on their fannies w/fur frosting in pink or blue or whatever. These cakes are SO cool and can be for boy/girl/shower etc... Chocolate icing fur is especially fabulous for a first birthday JUST for the child. TOO darn cute. For a shower, I put the bear in that decorative see-through wrap w/curled ribbons @ the base. Now, we have moved up to 3-D race cars and tractors Other than that, I bake bread in a bread machine lol

[Hoosier]

My wife made me a cake when we were dating and it was the absolute best cake I had ever had...better than mom's! And that is a true compliment. She is the baker in the family. I love to cook, any kind of recipe, no matter how difficult I'll try. But when I try to bake...if it's not out of a box, the birds and squirrels get their sugar fix.

[Sgoldie]

I like doing all the home type things (baking, cooking, sewing, gardens). It gives me a sense of peace and grounding.

I especially like it when my man and I work in the kitchen together as a form of sharing. It's something I look for in a man. My dad was the chef in our family. He just loved it and was an excellent cook. He even had a special sauce that he canned. We had so much fun together, good family times. Every Sunday was 'formal' with the antique china and dishes and lots of special food. I can see him grinning now!

My his mother was the baker, a handful of this and a handful of that. Hard to keep up with for measurements. Reminds me of the french cookbook I had where they gave no measurements. Fortunately I pick most things up pretty easily.

[Paula Lynn]

I used to love to bake, but without going into reasons, I don't have a working stove. I miss making the normal stuff and muffins. Is there such a thing of an electric oven (not a toaster oven or micro) ....... that will fit on a kitchen counter???????????

[Sgoldie]

I don't have a stove now either. I use to bake in a micro/convection that could be switched from one use to the other. But, if you forget to change the settings, which sometimes happens, you wind up with a very smoky room. That's why it's in my garage.

[cassy1]

I bake when I am "nesting", when it begins to get cold out and I just feel like making the house feel good. Cakes, brownies, cookies, pies I pull out my cook books and make things that I never have before. I've come up with some new favorites. Hence, I now have to exercise all the winter weight off!

[Cattknap]

For those of you without a stove, you can buy a microwave/convection oven that does a nice job of baking and fits on the counter.