A New Year.... A New Beginning

It is a new year and I finally have an idea what other posts I want to make besides letting you know about my baking adventures.  I am planning on writing about different baking topics.  This topics could be about recipes, baking techniques, baking tools, or just fun ideas I come across.

This one is going to be a little mix of both.  

A very good friend of mine is turning 40 this May.  She is already starting to make plans for it.  She wants a red velvet cake for the party and of course she thought of me.  Why wouldn't she?  Well, we talked about it and she has a few requests about the cake.  They are simple things, but for me they could be a challenge.  Even though I have had made red velvet before, it is still a little foreign to me since I didn't grow up in the South.  So, for the next step I need to start looking for recipes and try them out.  My first try-out will be this weekend.  After a suggestion from B, I found a Paula Deen cupcake recipe.  The picture makes it look so good.....

Can't wait to try it!

Don't worry my faithfully readers..... I'll will let you all know about how they turned out and how they look.

But, this whole thing got me thinking.  I never heard of a red velvet cake before I moved to Texas.  I had no idea what it was.  A cake that was red?  I know I know you could make a cake any color with the magic of food coloring, but this wasn't a colored white cake.  It was its own thing.  Then it made me think.... 

What other desserts, sweets, and pastries that are out there that I never heard of because they are a regional thing?  

I need to find out.  I am truly curious about this.  One way to solve this problem will be to travel around the country or maybe even the world going from bakery to bakery.  Ummmm, no.  Not really a feasible idea.  (Very nice thought, though!)  Ok, I guess I can go with option 2.... surfing the web.  This will be my next step.  I going to do some research and let you know what I find.  This is going to be fun!

Until next time....... Happy Baking!

An Even Newer Adventure

About two weeks ago, my sister-in-law made a very interesting Facebook status update.  I had known she was working with a some people on a collaboration for a website.  What I didn't know was there had been some creative differences and the founders parted ways.  Well,  that didn't stop my spunky sister-in-law and her cohorts.  They decided to start a new collaboration.  And by some strange stroke of luck, I am now a part of this brain child.  Today is the official launch date of Off The Deep End. I think it is a perfect name.  I don't know all of my co-workers as of yet.  (I guess you can call us that.)  But, I know that will change very soon.  We all come from different walks of life and have different views on the world.

I hope you will come check us out over at www.off-the-deep-end.net. I will be making my first post over there next Monday.  I will have a post there every week. So, please stop by, roam around, take a look at things, sit for a spell, and enjoy yourself!  You won't be disappointed!

Until next time..... Happy Baking!

Finally Becoming Official!

This post is going to be a little different then my normal posts.  I have been trying not to say much about it, but now I feel like I can.  Up until yesterday it was illegal for home bakers like myself to make things in their home kitchens and sell them.  I was not aware of this when I started this adventure last summer.  A few friends informed me and let me now of a group called the Texas Baker's Bill.  Their sole job was to help get a bill passed into law that would allow us home bakers to do the one thing we loved doing.... baking and make some money from it.  When I first joined the group several months ago, there were actually two bills trying to make it through the process.  One of them never it out of committee to come up for a vote.  The second made it further.  It did make to the floor for a vote and was passed.  After that it went to committee that regulates the Health Department.  Unfortunately, the bill died there because of one city.... Houston.  It seemed that in this case money seemed to talk more then the best interest of the people.  All was thought to be lost until Rep. Lois Kolhorst added an amendment to SB 81 on May 24th, 2011.  This gave us hope again.  There were some hurdles still over come, but this time around there seemed to much more open support.  The amendment was approved and the bill was passed on to its final vote.  That final vote came on May 28th, 2011.  Then both the House and Senate signed the bill on May 29th allowing the bill to be put in front of the governor on May 29th.  Now the waiting begun.  Three things could happen.... One: the governor could sign the bill.... Two: the governor could veto the bill..... Third: the governor do nothing and the bill would automatically become law on June 19th, 2011.  Of course our main concern was that he not veto the bill.  I will admit for a person who studied politics and history in college, I never became very involved in the political process, but this time I did.  I wrote letter to the governor and actually called him also.  I want to believe my voice made a difference because on June 18th, 2011, Governor Rick Perry signed SB 81 into law.  Now all of those home bakers that have not been baking in their home kitchens (cough cough) can officially start on September 1st, 2011.  YAY!!!!!!!!!!!

I would like to thank everyone out there who has supported me and others like myself in our struggle.  I hope you continue that support and keep buying those HOME-baked goodies.

Until next time....... Happy Baking!

Tried Something New

I went out of my baking comfort zone with my last experiment.  I made cinnamon rolls completely from scratch.  It was actually a two process.  I had to make the dough and let it rise until it was double in size.  After that I formed the rolls themselves.  They were then set in the refrigerator overnight to rise again.  I made the rolls Sunday afternoon and actually baked them Monday morning for breakfast.  I will be honest they were pretty decent for doing it for the first time.  They were a little chewy and not very soft.  I would give them a 7 out of 10.  I know I am probably being hard on myself, but aren't we all our own worse critic.  Here is a picture of the end result:

YUMMY!

I tired to come up with a cool flier to advertise, but didn't have much success.  I want to have people think of the holidays and all of those home baked things.  I know I will think of something, some how I always do.  

I have plans a trying something really new this weekend.  I having a fun girls weekend and I was thinking of making Angel Food Cupcakes with White Chocolate Mousse Filling.  I know it will drive my girlfriends crazy.  I'll let you know the outcome.

Until next time.....Happy Baking!

First Day of a New Adventure

Today I decided to embark on a new adventure.  The idea came to me while I was outside early this morning mowing the lawn.  The only things out there was me and a few animals.  The neighbors who work were gone and the school bus had already been around to pick up the kids.  With "It's Raining Men" by the Weather Girls (I know, I know....I am dating myself) playing on iPod, I started thinking to myself how can I let people know about the baked good service I want to start.

You see I just moved to the suburbs of Houston, TX about 4 years ago after living in the San Francisco Bay Area for 5 years and before that growing up in Southern New Jersey.  Then to top it all off, I had the best thing happen to me.......I had my wonderful little baby girl.  So, I didn't make too many friends at first because my life was consumed with taking care of a baby.  But, as the little one got older and was able to do more, I rediscovered my love for baking.  I would make up any excuse to bake.  I would make and try anything.  Most of the time I would just bake and make my husband take them to work.  Many of his co-workers just loved everything and would ask him when he was bringing something else in.  When he would tell me that I would think to myself..."What if I did this as way to make money?"  People always said you should do what you love and I LOVE baking.

So, I would throw around the idea a few times, but never did anything about it until recently.  I had some things happen in my life and made me think I should start doing things I really want.  Now, here I am a new blogger and hopefully a new business woman.

I want to use this blog as way to let people know about how things going on with my new adventures and maybe just maybe get a few clients too.  ( What can I say, I am trying to be optimistic)

My plans are to post pictures of anything I bake and will be more then happy to have everyones input on what they think.  I want any and all types of suggestions.  I will not be able to do this with you.

Wish me luck!