i'd rather be baking

If given the task, I’m really not sure I could calculate (or even guess) the number of granola bars I’ve consumed in the past ten years or so. Please don’t make me do it. Math has never been my favorite way to spend my time. And if you add in the handfuls of homemade granola I’ve snacked on just in the last five or so years, forget about it. The mind boggles. Let’s just say granola of some sort is pretty much a constant in our house.

Or at least it was until recently. There are reasons why we love it so much — it’s delicious, filling, and if selected/created properly, can be pretty healthy. These same reasons can make the store-bought varieties expensive. We don’t like that. We’d much rather spend that money on things like new shoes and dinners out. Four dollars here and there adds up. Just saying.

This is why every time I read a decent-looking granola recipe, I’m intrigued, despite the fact that I already have a perfectly good one that I’ve been making for years (and will share eventually, don’t worry). It’s simple, no-fail, and delicious, but yet I’m not satisfied. I know there must be other great granola recipes out there. Thankfully, I happen to be right (at least this once).

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In my quest to understand and adapt to high-altitude baking, I’ve done a lot of research and the general consensus seems to be that this book is genius, and the all-knowing authority on the subject. I’m now a proud owner of The Book, and I couldn’t agree more.

That being said, it took me a couple of weeks to get up enough nerve to actually try one of the recipes. I know; being intimidated by a cookbook is lame, but I can’t help it. I’m afraid of what I still-don’t-entirely-understand. But apparently I’m getting the hang of things, which is always reassuring.

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Although it’s been ridiculously warm in Northwest Arkansas this week, Thanksgiving is, in fact, only about a week and a half away, and that’s what’s on my mind pretty much all the time.

Every year we travel to my cousins’ house in St. Louis for the holiday and my contribution to the weekend is primarily pie-related, but I like to bring along some snacks as well. It’s a big family and well, we get hungry.

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About a month ago, my mom mentioned that her church was looking for a volunteer to bake muffins for their women’s ministry event. I thought it sounded like fun.

She then clarified that, oh yes, they would need about 200 muffins total. For some reason, I still thought it sounded like fun.

Perhaps it was the thrill of the challenge, or my ignorance regarding the fact that there is probably some baking feat I can’t accomplish, but I just couldn’t say no. So I tested recipes and come Friday night I found myself in a large, semi-industrial kitchen, suddenly and slightly overwhelmed by the task at hand.

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This blog is barely hatched and already I’m on my second breakfast-oriented recipe (although this one may as well be a dessert). What can I say? We are not morning people by any stretch of the imagination, so any time I can grab breakfast in one hand and eat it while driving to work I’m game. And if it’s something that I can somehow justify as befitting the most important meal of the day with real (or imagined) nutritional value, sign me up.

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