I Have the Most Awesome Friends

Really. I do. I often times feel like the most fortunate person in the world. And I don't just have one or two. I have a lot. And they are all awesome. I never seem to be able to find enough words or occasions to tell them all how much I love them and how much they mean to me. So I hope some of you read this:

I love you and I wouldn't be complete without you. You are my family and I feel so lucky to know and share this wonderful life with you :)

I have a new VEGAN recipe to post but I'm feeling overly sentimental today, so that will have to wait...

These are some of my friends.

They often times taste my baked creations first. Thank you Acorns for your tummies and taste buds!

Now check out these two.

They got married last weekend. My vegan cupcakes were perfected and presented at their welcome bbq (no, not the ones in these pictures). Aww, aren't they cute?

I think the key to having awesome friends is to only surround yourself with relationships that truly matter. Those based on shared values, shared respect, and shared fun. I think this pair works because they are best friends.

Ha! Obvious, no?

Now go call a friend you haven't talked to in a while. Or make a new one. It will make your day. Promise ;)

A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

Sheep come in a variety of shape's and sizes. They can present themselves as calm, warm, and comforting. Sometimes fluffy. Baked goods also fit this description.

Wolves (the stereotype, NOT the intriguing Canis lupus so often regarded as something it's not) are complex, tricky, and conniving.

A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing = Sweets!

They just look so good and make me feel like once I eat them, the present moment will immediately be better. What is WRONG with me? Am I addicted?! Multiple baked goods per day, boxes of candy, bowls of ice cream (I don't really even LIKE ice cream) and terrible guilt are PLAGuing me. So good for the heartbreak diet and blossoming yoga practice. My appetite is insatiable. I'm still too lazy to bake and have moved on from apathy to crazy person anger but all of that aside and lucky for you, this leads to more reviews.

The regionally famous WaterCourse Bakery Scout Cookie = sheep in wolf's clothing.

It looks like one big bad cookie but guess what? It's not - it's vegan AND gluten free! For those of you who say it tastes like a Girl Scout Samoa, you're wrong. Those cookies are gross and this one is WONderful. I feel like I'm eating something healthy (even though I'm not) and I get to lick chocolate off my fingers :) You can find them at my favorite coffee shop and other fun places around Denver.

No need to tell you about the Crushery's ridiculously amazing chocolate chip cookie again because the last time I went and had one, the 5 doctors I was eating with came to the same conclusion SO, case closed. Go get one. Next stop? The Pajama Baking Company just down the street. It smelled like cinnamon rolls as we walked up so after having lunch I shared and smapled 3 of their try-it sized treats with some VOC peeps.

Our taste tests revealed that the Chocolate Chip Macaroon was the best, followed by a yummy Peanut Butter Brownie and then a disappointingly mediocre Chocolate Brownie. They each cost a dollar or less and my group of 6 was able to have a taste of each one. SUPER deal. Check 'em out.

Later that same day I finally had the pleasure of experiencing the Denver Cupcake Truck.

Jamie had the Red Velvet but said the frosting was better than the cake. Isn't that always the problem with red velvet? I had the Denver Snowball and loved it. Almond cake, chocolate buttercream, and coconut. Mmmm, delicious.

And I almost forgot Flour. How could I? I returned to my beloved bakery while on an escape to Boston last month and tried 2 new items. The Maple Walnut Scone won out over the Granola Bar packed with cranberry-apricot-apple jam only because it had more sugar. What can I say. I am addicted.

Maybe this should have been several posts. Maybe I should stick to baking instead of publishing a blog full of feelings. Maybe tomorrow the reality of wolves in sheep clothing won't bother me so much. Maybe wolves should just leave the disguises behind and admit to themselves and everyone else that they have been deceptive. Deception = dishonesty. Being dishonest is the same thing as lying. Lying is wrong.

Happy Monday

I have neglected my blog. First because I was too busy. Then too sad. Blogging and the associated forms of social media have a history of igniting a great variety of emotions in me. Previously honest generosity. Recently hate. Currently somewhere in between. Maybe apathy.

Happy Monday? Questionable. But whatever.

Onward? I suppose. I have been saving pictures to share with you so alright, let's start by revisiting February.

Any baker that can produce fluffy cake at 9,500 feet deserves some credit so check out Rocky Mountain Cupcakes the next time you're in Breckenridge. I sampled four of their creations while on the Kiriakos family's annual ski vacation a few months ago. This is what I remember:

Mint Chocolate chip? Meh, I don't think mint flavored buttercream is my thing.

Red Velvet? Great presentation but no flavor.

Chai latte? This one was a hit all around. Unique and deliciously spiced.

My favorite was their signature, the Rocky Mountain Cupcake. It was a rich chocolate cupcake with a divine cream filling. I think I ate a whole one myself.

I'm Back!

Wow, that was a long break, sorry friends. I was sick for a whole 5 weeks. Gross.

But now I'm back! I did attempt to bake while ill but it wasn't pretty. My first chocolate bundt looked pretty but the cake wasn't moist or rich enough for me. Oh well. Check out a pic on Kristin's cooking blog here.

Then I attempted some gluten free baking with Claire. That was a joke. After almost burning down the house with failed churros, we resorted to an ever-simple Mexican wedding cookie recipe. Based on Linnea's expression, can you guess how those turned out?

But don't despair, this past week included two, almost great cakes! The first was Amanda's birthday cake. I ran out of frosting but the cake was delicious and was still being eaten 3 days later. Still tasty after 3 days = success!

I also served it on this lovely platter Rachel got me for my birthday. I forgot to show it to you so I'm glad I finally remembered. Isn't it a perfect Jenni plate?

Last night was another adventure with Claire in the trendy cake mold department. We decided to make Fletcher a Doughnut Cake for his birthday today, since he loves doughnuts. We had some issues with the oven used but it looks exactly like a doughnut!

It also snowed while I was sick. It snowed a LOT. So tonight I'm heading to the mountains. Riding the steep and deep with my best snow peeps is what I live for in the winter months so my famous iced sugar cookies will have to wait until Sunday. I'm hoping I'll be able to blog about them in time for you to try them out before Vday...

Wish List

Happy New Year friends! I hope your holidays were warm and filled with love and sweets :)

After an unexpected extended stay in the midwest, I am back home in Colorado and ready to bake with the help of a whole bunch of new, fun things. Christmas came early when Kristin and Tyre got me a white, ceramic, scalloped pie plate and these pie birds.


Don't know what a pie bird is for? It's okay, I didn't either! Find out here.
Then Amanda and Casey got me these. Not only was I surprised by the gift in general, but each item was on my wish list!


Next is this delicious collection of recipes, but it's not to keep. Brett's Mama is loaning it to me because it's her favorite.


Brett gave me this beautiful apron! It's from my favorite store!! I LOVE it!!!


I opened up this present from Sissy on Christmas morning. I don't have a picture yet because I couldn't fit it in my carry-on suitcase. I will have to wait for it to arrive by mail (sad face) but it's another item I can check of my list!

Mama shipped some of Christmas back home ahead of me and when I arrived, I had a package filled with all sorts of baking goodies, including these.


When I'm done trying out all of my new tools, I'll start reading the top book on the stack next to my bed. Rachel sent it to me with a "seems right up your alley" note. Thanks Rachey!


It came as a bit of a shock when I didn't get one of these, so I'll go ahead and leave them on my list. If someone could please take a bit from the French Country, Napa Valley, and Craftsman designs and build me my very own, that would b great. Thanks ;)

What did you bake over the holidays?

So Much Baking, So Little Blogging Time

I have a growing backlog of baking experiences to blog about. I go out of my way to make room for baking but not (gulp) blogging. In case you didn't know, it's really time consuming. Sometimes I stay up 'till midnight to take things out of the oven. Sometimes I wake up before 6, get ready for work, run out of buttermilk, run to the store, finishing baking, and arrive late to meetings. This week I tried 4 new recipes in 6 days. This is how it went:

Saturday - Didn't go to bed until 1am due to Annah's arrival and Fab Four holiday visit. Woke up 7 hours later. Talked for the next 4 hours straight. Realized we hadn't eaten anything and were starving. Ate Chocolate Chip Scones at noon. New recipe. Moderate success. They looked pretty much perfect before going in the oven.

Sunday - Woke up at 9 am after going to bed at 2am. Talked for a few hours and then made biscuits with brunch. New recipe. No picture because they were flat and unattractive.

Monday - Didn't start making cookies before Caitlin arrived for dinner with brownies in hand. If you're ever in a pinch and need some brownies stat, I recommend those at your local Safeway bakery. They are pretty incredible. I think the secret ingredient might be marshmallow. Or a whole lot of corn syrup. Delicious still today when I ate the last one. No picture.

Tuesday - Was going to make muffins for a Wednesday morning meeting but got home late and decided that making fresh scones in the morning was a better idea.

Wednesday - See reference to waking up before sunrise above. Blueberry scones. New recipe. Success.

Wednesday part 2 - Naomi came over with wine. I promised dessert. I decided to make an apple pie from scratch. It took 4 hours. Naomi didn't get her pie until today. I will blog about this more later because it's 11:29pm. The pie was awesome :)

How do you like the new blog look? Festive and season appropriate, no? I think a bit of sparkle may be a requirement from now on. Goodnight!

Memories and a Challenge

Soon after writing blog entry number one, fond baking memories flooded back into my mind and caused an instant desire to revisit each one. I spent hours on the phone, emailing, and going through every photo I could find to make sure everything I was remembering was correct.

My very first baking memory involves my Mom's chocolate chip cookies. She made them in a standing, mustard colored mixer on the faux marble counter in the house I grew up in. We lived outside of town in "the country" where my Dad meticulously cared for an enormous garden that provided more than enough fresh produce four our family of four. Whenever there was extra sweet corn, zucchini, or pumpkins, my sister and I would set out with our wooden Radio Flyer wagon and give them all away to our neighbors. Did your family grow their own food, can their own vegetables, and bake their own bread? Mine did. It has been said I did not consume store bought bread until the age of five... BACK to the cookies! My Mom always let my sister and I help. This early memory involves me sitting on the counter watching the bowl spin round and round and MOST importantly, sticking my fingers in to sneak tastes of delicious batter ;) I was probably around this size.


My second memory is of my Grandma Mullins who lived on a farm in south central Illinois for the majority of her 98 year life. The following, vivid memory is one I do not believe I'll ever forget. When thinking of her, this is exactly how I see her, no matter the actual time of the full memory I'm recalling. She is at the kitchen counter, left of the stove, in the house at the farm. She is wearing a long old apron and her hair is short or pulled back. I can see loose strands floating free in the sunlight that bathes her, coming from the south window over the sink. She is making her famous homemade bread. I loved visiting my Grandma Mullins because she was a tall (like me), strong and smart woman who always had a smile on her face. She was exactly what a grandmother should be. On this occasion I got to visit her all by myself and assist with the large batch of bread she was baking. I remember kneading the dough and poking holes in the top with a fork. EVERY single time I go down to the farm, I gorge on Mary Mullins's homemade bread. My Aunt Marilyn continues this legacy with a modernized, healthier version. This bread recipe is my challenge for the summer!

It took a long time for me to realize and appreciate how much I value the childhood and life I've been given. I was again inspired to blog about these memories this week, as a cold front and unusual period of rain left Colorado green and steamy. Smelling the damp grass and seeing moisture hang in low lying fields took me right back to my Gilberts and Butler oases. Learning to plant and nurture, bake and share, cherish the people I love and ground myself every day are some of the values my family has passed down to me. What simple pleasures are you thankful for?

And So It Begins!

After starting a photo album on Facebook to document everything I bake, I started considering a blog. I thought it might be fun and useful to those of us looking for advice and recipes tailored for baking at 5,000 feet. Next I thought, “That’s silly. I find crackberries, Twitter, instant communication and the associated lack of verbal, interpersonal conversation incredibly annoying.” But I soon found myself posting more and more on Facebook because it’s a wonderfully convenient way to keep in touch with my family, all of whom live at least 500 miles away. I also receive many requests for recipes and advice on baking techniques in Colorado. I decided I wasn't that good of a baker, and a blog might require a lot of time and energy, so the end. Then, this morning I realized several things:

1. I actually do post a lot on Facebook and am just waiting for an extra few hundred dollars to purchase a Driod.

2. I am terrible at following through with recipe requests so this may make things easier.

3. After acquiring several extremely helpful cookbooks, I do know a trick or two.

4. I am, more accurately, an intermediate baker.

5. There are a kagillion cookbooks, websites, and blogs dedicated to baking, but VERY few with adjustments for high altitude.

So, here I am, typing my first blog post because I would very much like to share with other bakers and baked good enthusiasts!