Proud to be Green-- and Red!

Day five of spring break. And I've yet to get any  real accomplishment under my belt. Except I now have a wonderful monologue memorized (not from a play... oops) and a couple of articles for two papers I have to write in my health class. Never mind that I've only completed 10% of the 90% of work I HAD planned on doing, but we're just gonna focus on the positives here.

Like the fact that I have done quite a bit of baking: a batch of my WORLD famous (maybe exaggerating that a bit) Chocolate Chip Cookies, a batch of pumpkin muffins, and of course, banana bread. My mom was also in the baking mood and made a cake (boxed) with a homemade fudge frosting that totally made up for the Duncan Hines boo-boo.  You know, I really should work in a bakery with all the baking I do. I'm planning on getting a job (being a college student and all it's a tad overdue) so maybe I'll consider it...

Is anyone else out there experiencing a more productive break than I am? I'd loooove to hear about it! Maybe it would give me that extra "umph" to get up and DO some stuff!!

Oh, and before I go, I must say Happy St. Patrick's Day!!! My family and I all have Irish blood flowing through our veins and aren't ashamed to admit it. I even have the red(ish) hair and curls to prove it. Even though I haven't put on green today I'm proud to say that I haven't been pinched yet! Hopefully I can keep it that way.

Well, I guess I'd better get productive for a while.
.: Lena :.

One Of the Things I Love Most

  Yesterday I had to bake. Usually when I bake I make cookies, but this time I didn't care what it was, as long as it included flour, sugar, and an oven. While browsing through possible goodies, I noticed I had two rather large bananas that were on the verge of being inedible, their peels were so dark. My family is very picky about bananas and their ripeness factor. My sister likes them green-- almost to the point that there's a distinct crunch sound when one bites into it (ew.) My mom doesn't have a great passion for bananas in general, but she likes them just a tad more ripe than my sister. I, on the other hand, will eat them at almost any stage of ripeness, as long as the peel is more yellow than brown. The bananas from yesterday were past the hope for any of us to eat, so I decided rather than waste them entirely (especially in light of my family's recent new-and-improved grocery budget) I would bake banana bread. Usually I make muffins; they tend to stay moist longer and are easier for a grab-and-go snack food, but I found myself mixing the batter and pouring it into a bread pan rather than a 12 cup muffin tin. I also wanted to use the small toaster oven, because I felt too lazy to turn on the large oven and heat up the entire kitchen... but that's just a happy coincidence.

  Have you ever noticed that getting in the kitchen and baking is like stress therapy? Maybe it's just me. But when I'm looking at the recipe, life seems to simplify itself. Suddenly I know what I'm supposed to do: measure out two cups of flour. Add one cup of sugar. Beat two eggs in a bowl and combine with one teaspoon of vanilla and one cup of buttermilk. The guesswork is gone, and I can focus on one task: baking. Best of all, I know when I'm done. I don't have to worry that I didn't do my task well or that it's going to require my attention again. It's measured or poured into its baking device and, voilà! You pop it in the oven and can count on having a wonderful baked goody in less than an hour.
It's so predictable. And comforting. Sometimes one needs a bit of that in life.
So next time you're stressed, try it! Bake a batch of brownies. Or a three-layered cake. Even a batch of cookies. It doesn't have to be from scratch, but it needs to be something that you love. Find the joy of baking.  I guarantee you won't regret it.

Happy Monday!
Lena

Introduction!

If you're reading this, chances are you have at least a slight interest in cookies/baking/sweets... and if that's true, then we're going to get along just fine.  you might be wondering, what's with the blog title? I'm so glad you asked! :)

1. I have a passion for baking. Particularly baking cookies, and everyone who has known and loved me for long enough is in love with my Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. ( I also have a passion for sign language, ACTING, reading, singing, laughing, and many, many other things. But that's a story for another day...)

2. I've learned that through the highs and lows of life, if all other 'happy fixes' fail, the comfort of baking cookies has never let me down.

3. Baking cookies puts unmistakable and irreplaceable happy in my heart. It brings me joy, no matter how stressful, grumpy, or sad I get. Thus, the blog title: The Joy of Cookies.

I guess I should also tell a little about why I started this blog, seeing as this is  the beginning to a (hopefully) long and satisfying blog life. I started this blog because:
1. I looooove to write!
2. Having a platform to speak my mind on issues is important to me (probably because I usually am not brave enough to speak up in groups)
3. I want to let people see the writer in me
4. Connecting with others in cyber land is a undeniable aspect of my generation, and... well, if I can't beat 'em, I guess I'll join 'em.


So. There you have it. A very condensed introduction about the Head Blogger of The Joy of Cookies.


Yours truly,
Lena ><>