MichelsDailyDelights

Hello! And welcome to my new blog. I’ve never done a blog before so this whole thing is new to me. Please bear with me.

Almost a month ago I started taking a coaching course.  This time it wasn’t to become a life coach – which I did 17 years ago – but to learn something about what fulfills me.  In the course of that journey I realized that I love baking and I never do it.  I’m single, I live alone with a puppy, and I’m constantly trying to lose weight.  I know you’re thinking, trying to lose weight and baking?  Not the best idea.  And you may be right but nonetheless I decided to challenge myself to a year of baking. And join Weight Watchers.  I thought, who knows, maybe someday I’d get good at it and do baking competitions, or open a B&B and bake for people. Where will this lead? I guess we’ll see…

So I set off to bake something new every day.

I went online and gathered a bunch of recipes that appealed to me and started a Pinterest page of baking ideas to store them. Each day I choose one and I bake it. Sometimes especially for someone or some special event, but mostly just random choices.

In the first week I baked Chai Spiced Ginger and Date Tea Loaf, Savory Picnic Pie, Orange Raisin Tea Loaf, Tomato Parmesan Bread, Apricot Frangipane Tart, Funfetti Shortbread cookies and No Butter Snickerdoodles. Thankfully I live in a large high rise filled with maintenance men, garage attendants, a commissary, and door people, etc… Lots of folks to give goodies to!

It was so fun to create something every day! And then to give it to people who appreciate free sweets! I loved it.  And I was on a roll (see what I did there …)

Day 1The Chai Spice Tea Loaf was pretty and delicious. I made it in another kind of pan, but it worked just as well. It’s sweet and moist.  I gave it a 3.5 on my 1 – 5 scale. (1 = bad, 5 = amazing).

Day 2The Picnic Pie was savory and yummy. I brought it to my parents house and we ate it together with my aunt. Lots of veggies. I think you could put any kind of vegetables in there. I used feta cheese instead of Halloumi and I probably could have used more for flavor. Everyone was impressed even though mine looked nothing like the photos in the recipe! 3.75 on this one.

Day 3The Tea Loaf was like a regular loaf of bread in consistency but it had a slight orange?cinnamon flavor and it was really yummy. Perfect for tea, or a book group, or snack. I liked it a lot. I didn’t add the cherries and I did put more cinnamon in than they called for. I give it a 4. Will definitely make it again.

Day 4Unfortunately I don’t have a recipe for the Tomato Parmesan Bread. But you’ll probably be glad about that because I HATED it. I’m not sure what I did wrong but it was an epic fail. VERY salty. I threw it away.

Day 5After that salty mess, I made the Apricot Frangipane Tart. I had to look up Frangipane, it’s a filling made from almonds. I really liked the almond tart part, but I’m not wild about the halved apricots on top though they were very beautiful and really gave the tart color. It’s a festive tart, very summery looking. I give it a 3.5.  

Day 6Now, the Funfetti Shortbread was fun to make, so so cute and really yummy even though I don’t usually like shortbread. In fact I started with recipes that would challenge me but that I wouldn’t be so tempted by.  For me, if it’s not chocolate, I can take it or leave it.  I made them small.  A little bigger than dice.  I bundled them up in cellophane with a ribbon and gave them away to a guy in my office, my banker, and the couple who run the commissary. These are really fun!  I give these a 5!

Day 7People also loved the Snickerdoodles. They were pretty and tasty. I’m told they were uniquely yummy. And they have no butter! I’d make these for other people, for a party, for holidays.. they were easy to make, easy to transport and delish! For me they were a 4.

It’s really fun to whip something up out of nothing and have it be beautiful and tasty. At this moment in time I have a young woman living here while she does a medical observation at Northwestern. She’s a doctor from Argentina and of course she’s tall and skinny.  And thankfully she loves sweets and she eats everything I bake! That’s been really fun.  I get to have a gracious audience up close and personal for a couple of months. And she washes dishes to boot. I love making things for people who really enjoy them. It’s a perfect fit!

Anyway stay tuned, this is getting long and I have to go bake!

See you soon,

Michel