There are people who say they hate baking. That it’s too time-consuming, it’s harder to improvise, they don’t like measuring out ingredients. I am not one of those people. I love the semi-science behind baking. I am always looking for a new great baked good to whip up and send into work with my hubby, or take to my church small group. I love the smell of bread rising, of sugar and butter combining in the oven. The sweet, doughy scent of a good scone crusting up to a golden brown.

While it’s true that baking has a few more constraints than cooking – I’m a believer that anyone can be a great baker. What’s the worst that could happen? You burn  a batch of cookies? You don’t zest your lime properly and end up with key “chunks of lime” pie? Um, yeah…I did that one. Chuck it and try again. Baking should be fun! If you think a recipe might be better with a different ingredient – go for it! You figure out pretty quickly what works and what doesn’t. And when you discover the perfect way to make your soon-to-be signature brownies, well…I don’t think there’s a better feeling around than tasting something that’s pure perfection knowing you created it.

Then there’s cooking. It’s true. Cooking and baking are not the same. I cook because, well – my family has to eat. I enjoy seeing my husband and kids gobbling up dinners, asking for seconds. I really love it when my kids look at me after a meal and say “Thank you mommy for such a wonderful dinner!”. That’s pretty awesome. I don’t have the same love for cooking that I have for baking, but unfortunately, we can’t live on baked goods alone. Drat! I like finding new recipes to make because, as a stay-at-home mom, there tend to be certain meals I make over and over if I’m not careful. Blogging about dinners helps me keep some excitement in the nightly meal planning. I have to admit though that some of the stuff my husband likes best is what he calls “thrown together” – it’s even better if it’s “thrown together from across the room”. It’s something his dad used to say when a meal was awesome, but obviously just put together on the fly. Those are the best!

I share my baking and cooking adventures at mybakerlady.com. Home of deliciousness with a side of spunk! If you’re looking for amazing appetizers, bomb breakfasts, luscious lunches, delicious dinners, and divine desserts, head over and take a peek! You can also follow me on Pinterest.