It's been a while since I've posted here. But I've just had such a horrible week in baking, I figured it should be documented!!

It all started last Sunday, Father's Day. I was pre-baking a pie crust for my dad's coconut pie. When I pulled it out of the oven, the hot pan touched my arm, so I threw the whole thing on the ground! Huge waste! Same day, I baked a birthday cake for a family friend using a yellow cake recipe I've used before. For some reason this time it was awful! The cake was terrribly gummy. I can only think I must've messed up somewhere when adding the ingredients because, like I said, I've made this cake before and it was delicious the first time. The next day, I tried making another yellow cake to redeem myself. This time I made a hot milk sponge cake. Now, I know sponge cakes are supposed to be "spongy," but it is my understanding they should not actually resemble something you could wash your dishes with. In my dad's words, "the cake was horrible." The score so far is 3:0 if you're following along. Then earlier this week, I made meringue kisses. Surprise, they actually turned out perfectly, even though I made the right before a rain storm! Score is now 4:1... Fast forward to yesterday. I made my favorite recipe for honey wheat bread. I've made it twice before, and both times it was soft and delicious. Yesterday I forgot the salt in the dough and added too much water. The bread was tasteless and dense. Today, I attempted to redeem myself once again. This time I FORGOT THE YEAST!! I added it to the dough afterwards, and it's currently doing it's best to rise in a warm microwave next to a cup of hot water. I'm not holding my breath for this one.

Final score 6:1 (maybe 6:2, but only if the baking gods decide to create a yeast miracle today)

Hopefully, I'll be able to pull myself out of this hole soon. Especially since opening a bakery may very well be just around the corner!

easy... flourchildbakery.blogspot.com

So far for breakfast I've eaten 2 homemade marshmallows and a GIANT hot cross buns smothered in icing... OMG!




Yep... Easter is officially my new favorite holiday!

PS: Johnny Cupcakes is coming to my job tomorrow for his Suitcase Tour!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Josh and I are buying a house! Yep... a real house! Stay tuned for TONS of updates, pictures, and documentation of the entire cleaning up/moving in process! :)

Soooooooooo..... my dad just randomly told me to grab my keys because he wanted to take me somewhere and show me something. Halfway there he tells me we're going to look at a house for sale. It's about 5-6 minutes away from the house I grew up in and currently live in. It's going for HALF of it's assessed value. It's been in the same family for a very long time. It has a detached garage. The kitchen has old brick walls and a window over the sink. There's an adorable little loft upstairs. The bathroom is in nice shape. The whole house needs some major cleaning, and some minor cosmetic and electrical help (painting the walls, new carpet in the living room and loft room, a few light switches need to be repaired. I am totally in love with it. Josh isn't sold on the neighborhood because it's the neighborhood he lived in when he was a kid, and he thinks it's bad for some reason. But we both live in somewhat bad neighborhoods. It's Portsmouth! Good neighborhoods are hard to find. Anyway, I'm very excited about it. I can't help but picture my things in the kitchen, and imagine what our couch will look like and what color we'll paint our bedroom. Wishful thinking right now.............. :) :)

...lost my day off AGAIN tomorrow.

there goes my bread pudding........................

ugh =/

- i have to go to work on my day off tomorrow
+ i need the money, so i guess it's okay
- i really don't feel like making dinner tonight
+ josh doesn't mind eating Fruit Pebbles for dinner
- i'm trying to lose weight, but i'm craving Hardee's biscuits like mad lately
+ i haven't given in to that craving yet
- i've also been craving a Philly cheesesteak from that place in Waterside, a Five Guys little cheeseburger with lettuce/tomato/pickle/ketchup, Golden Crisp cereal, and bread pudding, none of which classify as "healthy" foods
+ i only ate ONE tiny bite of a cupcake at work today
+ i love my new haircut
- i really want to buy a new Spring wardrobe, but i'm trying to save $$ to buy a house w/ Sir F-tron
+ Sir F-tron is on his way over right now
+ i'm beating all my Facebook friends on Ponzi
- i haven't blogged in almost a week
+ i'm gonna go make some cinnamon hot tea

<333333333333333333333333333333333

lately josh and i have been talking pretty seriously about starting to look for a house. we both feel more and more ready with every day that passes. finances are going to become very important very fast. i know josh is confident with his paychecks, but my schedule at work is somewhat unreliable because business fluctuates. hopefully we'll be really busy this summer, and i'll be able to stash some extra cash. we're just not sure how to set our price range. i'm going to talk to my parents tonight about them co-signing for us to help lower our monthly payment. i'm not sure how all that works, but i'm hoping that things will go smoothly during our house hunt! *fingers crossed*

btw, we're planning our wedding for september 2011. more on that as the time gets nearer (more near? dunno). :D

Jazz.
Because of this song - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuE3lmqsErY