baking

this week i devoted an entire afternoon to baking. i have been slacking in the kitchen since henry arrived in january. i have made meals, and dishes for parties, but i have not spent time cooking for enjoyment lately. in fact, for a while i was feeling like cooking was a chore, when i used to enjoy it so much. henry is getting older (as i type that a tear trickles down my cheek), and so it is easier for me to find time to spend in the kitchen, it's not as stressful as it was in months past. and to celebrate this fact, ella and i spent an afternoon together baking. i'd like to mention that my timing for this baking day couldn't have been worse...i chose one of the hottest days of the year to keep my oven on for hours in a house that is cooled by two window units. it was totally worth the heat, but i might wait for my next baking afternoon until the temperatures are less than 90degrees outside!

we made:

~ 28 banana chocolate chip muffins (stashed them in the freezer for school lunches). very tasty, but thinking next time i will try peanut butter chips or butterscotch chips. the kids love them! thank you meal makeover moms.

~ 2 loaves of zucchini bread, and for those who are wondering, i took a poll, and apparently you leave the peel on the zucchini when grating it. this bread is delicious!

~ 2 snickers pies. heaven in a crust.

~ a batch of chewy granola bars...also very yummy, and filling. my cousins gave me these granola bars the night henry was admitted to the hospital with rsv (when he was 1 week old). these bars sustained me that very long weekend.

~ pizza for dinner: fresh tomatoes & basil from the garden with olive oil, garlic & mozzarella...yummmmmmm!

what have you been baking lately? please share some links for your favorite recipes!