Back In Business

Between a computer that doesn't want to work properly and keeps having to be sent back to HP and life situations, I've not had the ability nor desire to blog. But today's baking project had me pulling out my 

camera :-)  After all, who can resist such a colorful subject.

I like to shop "scratch-n-dent" stores. A few months ago I bought 3 or 4 bags of flour for .25 a bag.  I'd be silly not to pass that up right. Well!!! Sometimes the old saying "you get what you pay for" is true.  Took me several baking attempts to realize the flour was my problem. I seriously thought I was losing my ability in the kitchen. Not that I had much of one to begin with :-p. Once I narrowed the problem down to just flour I threw out what was left and bought the real stuff from good ole Aldi. 

Last night Mr. Z gave some pretty strong hints that he would like to see some cookies show up in the house. I had bought some pre-bakes over the weekend and they had wet his cookie appetite. Even though I was pretty sure the flour was my problem I hadn't any desire to waste more ingredients to find out. So today was my 1st attempt.  I did not have any chocolate chips in the house so a trip to the store was in order. A scratch-n-dent store just opened up 1/2 mile from my house (I'm tickled silly over that) so I made that my stop. They didn't have chocolate chips or any flavor of chips. Yikes! Now I'm going to have to pay full price. Low and behold in the candy isle was bags upon bags of M&Ms. HA! Who says one must use chocolate chips.

They turned out perfectly!! And pretty :-) Which makes me a happy baker. 

Summer break started the end of last week. I've been enjoying slower mornings. Coffee on the patio rather than in the van. I love the feeling of not being rushed :-) Last summer was crazy with selling a house and having no garden. I intend to enjoy every moment of summer this year - relaxing, gardening, canning, making fruit jam, shopping at yard sales, a little fishing, some golfing, walks through the woods, warm warm sun shine. Ah!! It don't get much better than that :-) All it needs is a tall, icy glass of mint tea.