the joy of cooking.

Sorry about the hiatus. Since I am sans job these days, it's been hard to fit in blog updates in between all my busy afternoons of watching Grey's Anatomy reruns and wandering around Target looking for things I can't live without. Hey, you play the hand you're dealt, right? However, my abundant free time has allowed me to discover a little something in life that I had previously avoided at all costs: cooking!

You see, I come from a line of women who are fantastic cooks. My mom can take chicken breasts and garlic and turn it into something heavenly. My grandma could get even the pickiest skeptics to enjoy exotic treats. Even my sister inherited the gift! Not me, though. Before my married days, I had happily survived on Captain Crunch, pizza rolls, and take out. And then I got married. Turns out the way to my man's heart is through his stomach and the way to his stomach is not a dinner of Toaster Strudels...

So, armed with way too much time and a hungry man to feed, I have been cooking. And baking! Along with the burgers I conquered a while back, here are some of my other masterpieces.

Cinnamon Streusel muffins.

Chocolate Chip cookies. (Psst...These are from today. I'm going to eat some right after I finish this post...)

Cinnamon Raisin bread. Particularly exciting because I have never made anything I had to knead or rise. Most of my baking adventures were usually found in a box with the words "Funfetti" on the front.

Coca-Cola Cake. A little treat my sister introduced to us. R requested it after passing a swim test a while back. Also my first non-box cake. Very decadent.

Today's dinner in celebration of Bastille Day; Croque Monsieur with green beans. It's basically a fancy ham and Swiss sandwich.

I know from these pictures it looks like all I feed R is baked goods, but I swear I make real dinners, too! I've made a yummy rigatoni with spicy Italian sausage, homemade pizzas, chicken enchiladas, a cheesy salsa skillet... I think they're just so mouth watering when they come out that we can't bother to take out the camera! I guess this post is just my way of assuring R's family that I'm not making him live off Lean Cuisines and Oatmeal Cream Pies. He's being taken care of by a wife that loves him enough to master the kitchen for him!

Cari Crocker, out.