Days 94-96--Nothing Done.

I don't feel like getting out of bed or doing anything so nothing accomplished....Bon Appetit!

Day 93--Bonus: Dad's Birthday Cake.

Well we celebrated my dad's birthday tonight at Norman and Leeanne's--my poor mom was sick so could not be there! We had a good time though and dad was happy with his cake. Everyone really liked the cake, especially Noah lol :) He likes sweet stuff just like his Aunt Kim! This cake was originally an acoustic guitar pan but now an electric guitar. Wilton has awesome ideas on how to use their pans many different ways! Cakes are alot of work but I enjoy doing them! I am struggling tonight but I have Little N here who begged to come home with me so nothing else matters at the moment :) Happy Birthday Dad!! Bon Appetit!!

Days 91 and 92-Nothing Done

Work, work and more work plus added work!! No time for baking :( Until I can bake again, Bon appetit!

Day 90--Chocolate Chip-Peanut Butter Bars.

Now these were awesome :) This was also a very simple recipe...took about an hour total to make them including baking time. They did not last long....were gone quickly! I definitely have to make these bars again!! They do contain peanuts and peanut butter so probably not good for a party unless you know noone has a peanut allergy! Baking has been my source of comfort...no matter how bad the day...it always helps!! Well have a great day and Bon Appetit!!

Day 89--Cleaning Up from the Party.

Well nothing done...at least with baking...cleaning, cleaning and cleaning!

Day 88--Mexican Wedding Cakes.

I made these for my fiesta...they worked out great because they were quick and simple :) I forgot to take a picture and they were gone before I had a chance at the party!! My mom said instead of a cake this year for Mother's Day...she

wants these cookies! Easy enough for me!

I made these cupcakes which are not in my recipe book...they were just a box mix and the icing I made myself from a Wilton Recipe. I bought the sugar designs off the internet which added a very nice touch!! It was a great time :) Bon Appetit!!

Day 80-87--Nothing Done.

Well still nothing done....I need to get on it!! Until then, Bon Appetit!

Days 71-79--Nothing Done...

I apologize for the delay in blogging. It has been crazy the last week or so. It was my birthday and I got my icecream cake :) Then I have just been out, out, out, babysitting the "boys" and enjoying being out with friends! I hope to bake something tomorrow before work, that is my goal at least....until then...Bon Appetit!

Day 70--Brown Sugar Shortbread Puffs

Well I forgot to take a picture of these and they are gone!! I admit I ate probably the most, they are really good :) It was the simplest of recipes--mix a few ingredients and thats it and they were delicious!!!! Have a great day and Bon Appetit!

Day 69--Chocolate-Hazelnut Breakfast Ring

Well no class for me so that was a huge bummer!! So...I decided late last night to make this Chocolate-Hazelnut Breakfast Ring. I toasted my own hazelnuts and used my new chopper so that was fun!!
It didn't turn out into a ring as I have not quite got that concept down yet as to how to do that!
I am not a hazelnut fan so I didn't really care too much for it. I will be sharing this one with my friends :) Oh and note to self: The pastry brush does not go in the dishwasher lol--will be getting a new one of those!! Hope you have a great day and Bon Appetit!!!

Day 65-68--Nothing Done.

Well I am not quite like Julia lol, I don't just come home every night and bake. I love to bake, don't get me wrong but I love to spend time with my friends also!!! I don't just sit home anymore, I'm always out doing things and I'm loving my life :) Goodnight and of course Bon Appetit!!

Day 64--Easy Cheese Batter Bread.

Well this was a looong recipe! It didn't work as well as I thought it would! I mixed the batter as directed, covered it with saran wrap and then with a towel. I waited the forty five minutes and it never rose or doubled in size. So I let it sit another forty five minutes, still nothing....so I put it in the pan and covered it again as the directions said and still nothing!! It baked okay but the top kind of popped off so I am not sure what happened??? I made it for my awesome friend for Easter who said it was delicious so thats all that matters lol :) As the saying goes, it doesn't matters what it looks like on the outside, its the inside that matters!!! Have a great day and Bon Appetit!!!

Days 55-63--Nothing Done!!

Well that has been alot of days with nothing done, yikes, and I have a ton of recipes to do! It has been crazy busy but it's all good :P I am excited to take the "C is for Chocolate class" next monday. Art, the teacher, sent me a gift certificate to take any class I wanted because I missed the other class because of sad circumstances. I am soo looking forward to taking classes from him, he seems really cool! :) Well I'm off for now, hopefully will get one recipe done later today. Have an awesome day and Bon Appetit!!

Day 54--Basic Yellow Cake.

Well I didn't sleep well last night again, finally by 7 a.m. I gave up on the idea and decided to bake. Little N was asleep....like a little angel! I decided to make the Basic Yellow Cake Recipe since I had the leftover icing from the cupcakes a few days back. The icing is awesome, the cake was okay. I thought it was a little on the dry side :( Not sure what would make it better...so as an extra project I am going to try some different ingredients to see if I can make it better :O I am struggling with hurt and some days it really gets to me. I got to hang out with my brother and sister in law tonight to watch movies which was alot of fun and I took Little N to the Easter Egg Hunt which he is my buddy and always makes my day!! I took some goodies tonight...nothing better than sugar and a good movie!! I was going to give Little N some cake but he was set on eating his chocolate he got today in his eggs!! I am trying to keep moving forward, which is hard right now but baking does help!! I am going to try to get some sleep, Goodnight everyone and Bon Appetit!!

Day 53--Busy Day!

Well I didn't sleep well. Then went to see Nate for awhile in the hospital, then did some scheduling work for my unit, then watched Little N and Noah. Went out to eat with my brother and Leeanne and the boys. Came home bathed Little N and put him to bed. Too exhausted now to even think of baking....maybe tomorrow...though looks to be another busy day!! Goodnight and Bon Appetit!

Day 51 and 52--Not a good day...

Well today is not a good day for me, I really don't even have much to say. I should bake as it may lift my spirits but I had to stay at work real late for a meeting and I'm exhausted! Have a beautiful day and Bon Appetit!

Day 50--Too Tired to Bake!

Well I ran errands all day--got alot done which was good! Too tired now to bake though :( Goodnight and Bon Appetit!

Day 49--Applesauce Cupcakes with Browned Butter Frosting

Well I got to bake two days in a row!! I was very upset tonight and frustrated and angry, so I decided to bake since I couldn't sleep! I am not a big applesauce fan so really did not think I would like these very much but I had all the ingredients and the recipe seemed simple enough. I was surprised to find that these muffins were delicious :) I made the icing though and had alot left over so I kept it to use with one of the cake recipes next!! These muffins took about two hours because of making the muffins and then the icing. Plus there was time in between waiting for things to cool before the next step. They were well worth the time!! Hopefully I can sleep now....Have a great night and Bon Appetit!

Day 48--Candy Cane Coffee Cake

Well I finally got to bake tonight!!! :) I made this Candy Cane Coffee Cake which at first seemed like it was going to be a disaster because I wasn't quite understanding the directions on how to fold the dough! Once it came out of the oven, it looked fine and it tasted sooooo good!! In fact, if you want a piece to try I suggest coming to my place tonight lol because I don't suspect much to make it until morning!! It really lifted my spirits to accomplish something and to be able to sit and enjoy it as well!! I love baking, even when you think its not going well, it turns out great! Have a good night and Bon Appetit!!!

Day 45, 46 and 47-Nothing New :(

I am really struggling today! Still haven't had time to bake and/or blog, really need some time!!

Day 43 and 44--Nothing Done :(

Well I am feeling really stressed and its hard. I really wish I had time to bake and blog, I really miss it!! Right now I am too tired to write much. Have a great day and Bon Appetit!

Day 42--Nothing Done.

Well I did not get anything done today! I worked saturday night, slept, went to the movies and then back to work ugggh :( I did see "Alice in Wonderland" and it was awesome, I LOVE Johnny Depp!!!

Day 41--Nut Bread.

Well I have finally accomplished a recipe :) I was so angry this morning and done in from a week of nothing but crap!! It was relaxing to bake in my kitchen!! The nut bread was so easy to make and sooooooo good!! I may not share lol!

Note to self: Buttermilk sounds good, but tastes horrible by itself. In bread though, its super yummy!! I feel somewhat better now at least! Have a good day and Bon Appetit!!

Day 39 and 40--Nothing Done.

Well someday I may get to write something done.....someday! I did get out to dinner with my friend and Norman and Leeanne. Then my friend and I went to the mall which it was soooo nice to get out and do something fun!! It's been awhile! I got an Alice in Wonderland bag that has Johnny Depp's character on it :) I appreciate so much the support of my friends, family and coworkers through this time---it has meant alot!!!

Day 37 and 38: Nothing Done.

Well it has been two more days...nothing done. Alot has been going on for those who do not know! My nephews were born early and Nigel did not make it. He will forever be in our hearts and is truly missed!! Nathaniel had to have heart surgery yesterday and did well so I am very happy about that. Baking has become a luxury. It is hard with checking in on Nate and watching his two older brothers (Norman and Noah). So hopefully I will get back to it soon as I miss baking and blogging very much :( and I think it would really be a help to me at this time to cope!! Goodnight and Bon Appetit!!

Days 31-36: Elmo Cake

Well my life has been a blur lately with everything that has happened. It has really been tough, I can't even put into words how I feel at this moment. Blogging and Baking feels like a lifetime ago...I made an Elmo Cake for Noah's 1st Birthday. It doesn't count as one of my recipes, just an added project. Goodnight and Bon Appetit!

Day 29 and 30--Baking Blog still on hold.

Well I am hoping to get back to my blog soon. I did make a cake today for the luncheon after the funeral and will post a picture of it when I'm done. It is just a really sad time...thanks again for the continuing support! Bon Appetit!

Day 28--Baking Blog on Hold.

Well nothing done today, been running around all day. Little N is asleep so I am heading to bed too as I am exhausted!! Thanks again for all the support!! Goodnight and Bon Appetit!

Day 27--Baking Blog on Hold

Well my baking blog will be on hold due to recent events :( Will try to keep posting at least everyday...Thanks to everyone for their support at this time!! Goodbye for now and Bon Appetit!!

Day 26--Nothing Done.

Well I worked last night and slept all day. Tonight I went to the musical "Annie" so I was unable to do any baking. Still not feeling well...so heading to bed. I am super excited about tomorrow :) I am going to a Cooking School in Paoli to do a class called "Dreamy Desserts". It is a three hour hands on class. I will let you know how it went and post pictures of course lol! Have a great night...Bon Appetit!!

Day 25--Nothing Done.

Well still not feeling any better but attempting to work tonight, at least it is only one night. I slept most of the day :) Hopefully, tomorrow I will be able to make it home. I plan on making Nut Bread next. Have a great night, Be safe and Bon Appetit!!

Day 24--Preparing for Snow AGAIN...

Well does anyone know the color of the MAC truck that hit me?? Lol...Yes still feeling like crap! No baking got done today :( Slept alot of the day and then did some errands to prepare for the upcoming snowstorm tonight and of course I have to work tomorrow night!! Have worked EVERY snowstorm this year, really, give me a break....Oh well, hopefully I can get home friday and do some more baking!! Thanks for all the comments, they were great :) Be safe and Bon Appetit!!!

Day 23--Pumpkin Streusel Muffins

Well I am not feeling any better today and slept most of it!! But...I did make Pumpkin Streusel Muffins. I was in the mood for something yummy and they were exactly that, deeelicious!! They were fairly easy to make as well, took me a total of about 45 minutes and the best part is the filling....cream cheese of course :) Well I am off to bed again! Bon Appetit!!

Day 20,21 and 22--Working and now Sick :(

Well I was feeling okay but working saturday and sunday night. Monday morning started feeling bad and now feel like three day leftovers in a stained tupperware container with recycled saran wrap over it!! So needless to say my bed is my friend and no baking has been done. My mind is willing but my body isn't.

One of my next recipes is going to be Scones. My poor friend had no idea what they are and when I came to work on Saturday wanted to know why I had not made sconces yet. I informed her that I do not make candle holders for the wall :p So I must make them so the poor thing will know what they are!!

Well I am off for now, Goodnight and Bon Appetit!!!!

Day 19--Nothing Done Again!

Well its 2 a.m. and I just got home!! I was busy all day doing errands and then went out with my friend tonight in Wilmington. We had a blast :) Tomorrow I hope to get some of the ingredients I need for future projects. Baking will be on hold for a few days as I have to work again!! Goodnight and Bon Appetit!!

Day 18--Nothing Done

Well I did some things this morning that needed to be done, then I spent most of the day out with my friend at the mall! We had a good time :) I got my favorite muffins from the store My Favorite Muffins, they are so delicious though I can't think of them right now...I did not bake tonight because I am feeling extremely nauseous and not so good :( Here we go again....hopefully tomorrow will be better! Have a great night and Bon Appetit!

Day 17--Little Jack Horner Pies

Well last night was a bad night at work! Grant it most nights aren't great, but last night I thought 7 a.m. would never come!! I wish I could stay home and bake all day...have I said that before lol...Then I slept today and I woke up with a horrible headache and just feeling lousy, if you are a girl you probably know how I felt! So I was going to stay in bed and say phooey with it all but...my mom called. Little N is staying with her and had been saying my name apparently all day, she asked if I wanted to go out to eat with them and of course I did!! When she drove up he yelled come on Kim in his little voice....awww I love that little guy!! So of course my heart melted and nothing else mattered :) We ate dinner and then went to Walmarts. My mom was so great helping me try to find Nutella and pizza dough for a recipe I was going to make tonight, it's a Chocolate Hazelnut Ring. So we got all the stuff and they left to go home. So I must say my inspiration for baking tonight was Little N, hence why I posted his picture at the top of my blog tonight!! So I got out the recipe book to look over the recipe I was going to make, and yes you need hazelnuts to do a Chocolate Hazelnut Ring!! (duh Kimberly!) Guess I forgot to buy those plus they needed to be toasted after I bought them...So I decided to make the Little Jack Horner Pies instead. I was going to be lazy and use the refrigerated crust but it was expired! So I made the dough from scratch from a recipe in the book. It actually isn't hard to make and it tastes good! I used peach preserves for my filling (*Note to self* Peach preserves while harmless in the jar are freakin hot when coming out of the oven and I have the burn mark on my finger to prove it! LOL) The hazards of baking! I did not try them as I don't like fruit as mentioned before so I will leave it up to my friends and family to comment!! Today turned out to be a good day after all :p I am ready to head to bed now though....Goodnight everyone and Bon Appetit!!!

Day 16--Slept Most of the Day!

Well I was rather lazy today...slept most of the day! Now off to work :( Hopefully I will get in gear tomorrow and get something done, just need a kick in the butt. I just want to note on here that I do not post the recipes that I do out of respect for the Pillsbury Baking Company and their copyright laws. The book I use is Pillsbury Baking and can be found on Amazon, Ebay and most bookstores. The information for the book is on one of my first blog entries. Thanks for all the comments!! Have a great night and Bon Appetit!!!

Day 15--Baking Powder Biscuits with Cheese

Well today I made Baking Powder Biscuits with Cheese. They were very simple to make. I used my pastry cutter which I absolutely love!! The whole recipe took about an hour with baking time included. They were delicious, I ate two already lol!! Today was a good day to bake as I was extremely frustrated and it helped to relieve that frustration plus talking to my friends :) I am off to work tonight and tomorrow so baking will be on hold for a few days plus more snow....ugghh!! Good day and Bon Appetit!!!

Day 14--Out all Day :)

Well I am sorry but no baking got done today but I did have fun today!! I was going to try to bake tonight but I partied too hard this weekend lol and can barely stay awake :) Goodnight and Bon Appetit!!

Day 13--Day Spent in Lancaster :)

Well I spent the day in Lancaster as previously mentioned and had a great time :) We shopped and shopped...I bought a bundt pan, an egg separator and apple butter for my baking projects. Little N got to eat the Ooey Gooey Candy and Chocolate Bars. He took a bite and said, "Mmmm...good" lol so I am thinking he liked them! Norman and Leeanne liked them as well! I had one too and must say they were awesome, definitely ooey gooey :) Well I have a busy day tomorrow but hope to fit in another recipe, goodnight and Bon Appetit!

Day 12--Ooey Gooey Candy and Chocolate Bars

Well today was a busy day, I did not start baking until 11 p.m. lol! This recipe took me about an hour which was great. I decided to do this recipe for my Little N whom I am going to see tomorrow :) He is like his Aunt Kim and loves chocolate!! The only problem I had with this recipe was that the caramels were hardening before the cookie crust was done. I added milk which made it thin again so that I was able to drizzle it over the marshmallows. I am excited about spending the day in Lancaster tomorrow with Norman, LeeAnne, Little N and Noah!!! I am hoping to get some good ingredients to use for my projects to come. I will let you know how Little N liked the Ooey Gooey Candy and Chocolate Bars :) I am heading to bed now, goodnight and Bon Appetit!!

Day11--Nothing Done

Well I slept all day and am now getting ready to go back to work tonight :( Thankfully after today I will be off the weekend so I will have time to do some more baking :) Until then, have a great day and Bon Appetit!

Day 10--Blueberry-Lemon Tart

Well I made it home from work, big shoutout to Monica!! It was another perfect day to bake and blog, plus drink coffee :) Today I made a blueberry lemon tart. It was very easy to make and only took about an hour! In the movie, Julie and Julia, both of them loved butter. While butter is good, I must say cream cheese is THE most awesome ingredient!! Cream cheese makes everything yummy! Of course, cream cheese was in this recipe along with lemon yogurt and blueberries...



I am not a blueberry fan at all, so I will have to leave it up to my friends to let you know how it tastes! This Saturday I am going to Lancaster with my brother, Leeanne and my most adorable nephews! I am hoping to get some ingredients while I am there for my next recipes! I am really loving this project and am so appreciative of all the support and the comments!! Thanks so much for reading, goodnight and Bon Appetit :p

Day 8 and 9--Nothing Done.

Well I have to work tonight as I said so nothing is baked today! My friend and I went to the Kitchen Store this morning though and I got some things I need for future recipes :) I got a pastry brush, a round cookie cutter and a custard dish. I was looking for something to separate egg yolk from the egg, does such a thing exist?? I know you can play with the egg back and forth to separate it I suppose but that is too much work lol :) Well that is all for today, until next time....Have a great day, thanks for reading and the comments and of course Bon Appetit!

Day 7--Apple Cider Muffins

Well today was a lazy day! I finally decided to bake at 11 p.m. lol! I had looked through the book earlier for something simple and something that I had all the ingredients to complete. I decided to do the muffins. They took 45 minutes which was great :) The recipe was for just plain muffins but they gave you variations. I did not have fruit or apple juice but I did have apple cider left over from yesterday's recipe so I decided to substitute the apple cider for the milk. I ate a muffin tonight with some milk and it was yummy!! I was going to make coffee but I need to head to bed soon...busy day tomorrow and then I have to work so baking will be on hold for a few days :( Wish I could have my own bakery and not have to work lol!! For now, hi ho hi ho....goodnight and Bon Appetit!!!

Day 6--Braided Pumpkin Wreaths

Well I made it home from work today! Big thanks to Karen for dropping me off to my place today so I would not be stuck at work!! I decided to make the Braided Pumpkin Wreaths because I actually had all the ingredients to do so lol! Today was the perfect day to bake and blog :) This recipe was time consuming because I had to make the dough, then let it rise, then roll it, then let it rise again and then bake...whew! The dough was really sticky and I needed to add more flour than what the recipe called for. The recipe said to braid the three pieces of dough and form them in a circle to make a wreath. My pan was not big enough to make a circle so I just made it as a big piece of braided dough. Poppy seed and sesame seed were optional. I don't like poppy seed so I just used sesame seed. The bread was delicious!!! Another great recipe from the Pillsbury Baking Book!! :) I am tired now and heading to bed, goodnight and Bon Appetit!!

Day 4 and 5--Nothing Done :(

Well unfortunately yesterday and today I have not been able to bake as I had to work last night and have to go back in tonight! I wish I could stay home in the snow and bake/blog but unfortunately duty calls! I hope to be able to get something done this weekend, will keep you updated!! I did have a piece of the strawberry fudge pie yesterday and it was good :) Until next time....bon appetit!

Day 3: Strawberry Fudge Pie and Homemade Crust

I am feeling much like Julie today from Julie and Julia. She used cooking as a way to escape from her thankless job much like I used baking today to escape from mine! I must say it works, nothing like putting together ingredients and knowing that in the end you will have a delicious dish :)






Today I decided to go to Walmarts with my mom to gather some stuff I will need for future recipes! Mind you growing up we NEVER used butter, always margarine. But...for these recipes they call for butter so I decided to buy butter today. Who knew it's not just butter lol, there is salted and unsalted. It was quite a quandry I was in standing there over the refrigerated section contemplating salted or unsalted. Thankfully, an Amish gentleman walked over (we were at the Parkesburg Walmart) and picked up 6 salted butters. Decision made! The Amish always make awesome baked goods so it must be the salted butter lol :)

Well I completed two recipes today, woohoo! I made a pie crust from scratch for the first time this morning and then used that pie crust to make a Strawberry Fudge Pie tonight! I used my pastry cutter again today and I posted a picture of it in case you aren't sure what it is. I learned from the book if you put too much water in your dough for the crust, it actually makes the crust crumble and tear! You want just enough water so that the dough sticks together. The pie is setting now in the fridge for an hour and I must head to bed so I will have to let you know how it turned out in the morning! Goodnight and Bon Appetit!!

Day 2: Nothing Done

Well my goal was to do another recipe tonight, however that was aiming a bit high! I had photography class tonight and had to finish my assignment for that this morning. Can I just say that Acme is the worst!! They are so expensive and they didn't have the stuff I needed, OK, I'm good now lol just needed to get that off my chest! I stopped there after class to get the stuff I needed but as I just told you was unsuccessful. Was going to try another store but because of the snow thought it best to come home and stay planted so I will just have to shoot for another day!

Oh and I forgot to mention that for yesterday's recipe I used a pastry cutter. I had no idea what one was but they are great. I ordered mine from Amazon but found that walmarts carries them for like four dollars. I used it to cut the shortening into the flour and it was awesome :)

Thanks to everyone for reading my blog and the comments, they are great!! I am really enjoying this project and I hope you are too :)

Day 1: Cheddar Chive Drop Biscuits

Well I have completed the first recipe of my project :) So the biscuits do not taste like Red Lobster's (sorry Norman). However, they were delicious!! I am not just saying that because I baked them because I am my own worst critic. I found the chives (thanks to my friend Kate who suffered going to the grocery store twice--forgot the shredded cheese the first time lol) and they look like grass but added a very nice flavor. I was going to try chopping them with a sharp knife but was told to use scissors instead (I washed them no worries). The scissors worked very well in chopping the chives into small pieces. It said to mix all ingredients until just moist which I did, that apparently prevents your biscuits from being tough. They turned out moist and soft and were very simple to bake!! I am going to pick out my next recipe and will let you know whats next :) Bon Appetit!!

The Eve of my Baking Project

Well tomorrow is the first day of my baking project and I am super excited :) My first recipe to tackle is Cheddar Chive Drop Biscuits. They kind of look like the ones that Red Lobster makes but we will see how close they are in taste! I need to go to the grocery store to get plain yogurt and fresh chives. My first adventure will be buying the chives as I have never bought them before or chopped them!!

Introduction to My Project

My inspiration for this blog comes from the movie "Julie and Julia". If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it! It is about girl who cooks her way through Julia Child's Cookbook and then blogs about each recipe adventure.

I plan to do the same, however, I am not a cook, I am a baker :) I have picked the Pillsbury Baking Cookbook. Published in 2006 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Hoboken, NJ. My brother was so awesome to buy it for me as an early birthday present!!

My challenge:

180 Recipes to be completed in 365 Days!

My starting date will be February 1, 2010 and my completion date will be January 31, 2011!

I will blog about each recipe I do when it is completed and provide a picture of the final result, I am very excited and I hope that you enjoy hearing about my baking adventures :)