I hope you have all had a happy and healthy holiday season. You may recall from our last full post back in October that we introduced the new look of our blog, and also talked about moving to a more free form, less rigid posting schedule. Apparently we took the free form concept so far to heart that we really haven’t posted much of anything since then! It certainly happens to the best of us in the blogging world, and while I didn’t necessarily plan to be away for so long, it is what it is and I’m happy to be back.

I’ve spent some time thinking about my top three New Year’s resolutions for the blog, or perhaps I should say goals. I don’t like the New Year’s resolution concept. I think it gives us all unnecessary pressure to achieve them and to feel like failures if we don’t. The concept of setting goals seems more hopeful and more attainable to me.

My first goal is pretty simple, to get back to doing more writing on the blog. Second, I would like to work on more savory types of recipes this year. That is often more in my wheelhouse, and yet I have spent much of my time on this blog making desserts! Third, I would like to get out and have more real-life food experiences again. One of my favorite posts from some time ago was writing about the fun foods we ate at Hersheypark during one of our visits. I’d love to be able to share more of those types of things over the coming year.

Wherever we go, and whatever we do with the blog this year, we’re always happy that you stop by to check in from time to time. We truly do appreciate it!

Here’s to great and exciting new adventures for all in 2023!

– Ray

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Yes, we have been playing hooky! For quite a while now.

I would certainly say I was suffering from a case of burnout, and lacked focus, so I cut blogging and escaped into my garden for a long time, but as the cooler, wetter weather came rolling in, I thought I’d be able to pick right back up in the kitchen, but I was wrong. I’d purchased several new cookbooks, but didn’t make anything much. I tried a very complicated time consuming recipe not once, but twice, only to be dissatisfied with the result. I even made a recipe that has never failed me only to find it very lackluster in flavor. What had happened to me? Had I completely lost my MOJO in the kitchen? Why was the silent track playing in the back of my head Barry Manilow’s “Trying to Get the Feeling Again”?

I was at a loss. Then something positive happened. Late one night I was scrolling through the Amazon site, and saw there were some bargains to be had amongst the Kindle Ebooks. There was a book called Small Batch Bakes: Baking cakes, cookies and buns for one to six people by Edd Kimber. Why did that book seem familiar to me? After doing a little research, I realized that this was the November/December selection for the RainyDayBites cookbook club, and that Edd Kimber was TheBoyWhoBakes, a blog I’d been on many times. He is also the winner if the inaugural season of The Great British Baking Show, which I didn’t know as that is the only season that has eluded me. Between the one day only price and my digital credits, the book would cost me nothing. Easiest decision ever!

There were only two challenges left from the cookbook club for December, so I decided to participate. I’m so glad I did. The first thing I made was the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies. These cookies are adapted from the famous Ovenly Bakery recipe, which I’d made before. They turned out beautiful and delicious. Next was the more complicated Everything Bagel Morning Buns, which uses a brioche dough, along with scallions, cheese sauce and everyone’s favorite seasoning! And just like that, I’m back with renewed interest and confidence! Cheers!

-Karen