An east-side welcome

Greetings from sunny Bradenton Florida!

As Meghan explained in her previous post, this is our new blog to cover all things baking. I post recipes on my other blog (the one that follows the exciting and death-defying escapades of my husband, Tim, and I), but this is going to be a much more central hub for those baked goodies. And Meg and I have some different interests in the baking world, too, so you'll get a taste (get it - a taste?!) of a little bit of everything.

For me, baking has always been an outlet. I work full-time, and my coworkers are often the beneficiaries of my latest creation. My husband's coworkers also often receive "there's-no-reason-for-these-my-wife-just-bakes" desserts. I mail my baked goods to family and friends outside of Florida. I am taking classes to pursue a certificate in Web design at a local college, but my classes are all online and I have no interaction with my "classmates," so they lose out.

When I'm stressed, I bake. When I want to cheer someone up, I bake. When I feel like it's been too long since I've baked, I, uh, bake. But for the last two months, I. Have. Not. Baked. Why? It was my Lenten sacrifice.

And what a sacrifice it was. I have been itching to use my KitchenAid stand mixer. Longingly staring down the baking aisle at the grocery store. Heartbroken when there was a birthday, potluck, etc. that I could not bake for ... but now, I will make up for lost time.

I have several reasons to bake this week, and you'll all get to come along for the ride. And someday, when Meg and I live in the same state and own a bakery, you can all say "Oh, those famous women with the super-successful bakery in *insert town name here*? I have followed their baking blog since 2009 - they are pure geniuses, and the sweetest people ever!"