Getting back up to speed!

So I've been on baking hiatus of sorts since Kendal was born and it....has......been TOUGH getting back into the swing of things!! By the time I get home with her, we play, eat dinner and then it's time for little girl to go night, night. I MYSELF, am all tuckered out by that time! Needless to say, getting back in the kitchen has been quite the challenge.

When I was pregnant, I just KNEW I'd quickly get back up to speed after delivery; I had this master schedule in mind and everything would be beautiful!  HA! I didn't take into accout the energy I'd expend taking care of my princess! Getting up and trying to get TWO ppl dressed in the time I did ONE!  NOOOT!  Getting  her to bed successfully (that means no fussing in the first 15 mins after putting her in her crib), cleaning up after her, and then trying be productive with MY goals has been a bit like climbing Mt. Everest!

Needless to say, Sweetly Savory has been on the shelf for a while.  But, I'm ready to pull it off, blow the dust away, put on my Chef coat, crack my knuckles, turn on the oven and get back to being creative!! This, for me will be NO simple task and I give a rousing standing ovation to Mothers who hold down careers, take care of families and STILL successfully pursue other time consuming passions! These women are my SHEROES!!!

I have prayed and hoped that God would help me move forward one cupcake and truffle at a time. It is time and Christmas Season proved that my hypothesis is correct! I baked oooooooohhhhh over 1000 cupcakes since Mid-December, DOZENS of chocolates and a few cakes - LOL. It is time!

I'm also ready to stretch my writing muscles and start blogging and writing more often. I would LOVE to write a column for a magazine newspaper. Maybe I could do some travel food writing; I could start with Barbados or Italy :-)

This being a new Mommy is TOUGH, but experiencing the world through her is THE most awesome thing ever!!!! Watching her particularly with food is worthy of a book in and of itself! She's a girly girl eater! LOL; She doesn't just pick it up and say...'oh...this must be food'. NO - she MUST hold it herself, inspect it and THEN taste it.  If it ain't up to snuff...OUT it comes...like a polite 'pardon me, but blech!  this is not to my liking'! If it's something she likes, weeellll then, we get an eyebrow raise, maybe a smile and DEFINITELY a whine and reach for more. With the added look of...'Heeeeey....I want Moooooore. Come Oooon, no faaair!

As a baker, one of the things I TRULY look forward to with her is, of course, cooking and baking. I TRULY hope she has a big sense of kitchen curiosity! I have visions of her cracking her first egg and beating batter; getting her hands covered in flour and creating her first bread. Seeing the look of satisfaction on her face as she presents her first cookie or cupcake! Like most parents, I want her to be and do whatever she wants. Alas, there is that place in my heart for the kitchen - LOL.

I am TRULY praying for a banner year with Sweetly Savory.  I'd love to go more in depth with chocolates. I dunno, maybe I'll become a World-Class Chocolatier! :-). 

There aren't many classes offered country wide, but I've found two; One in Chicago and the other here in MD.  I will do some more investigating, but I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE  to go and really roll my sleeves up and become great at chocolates.  I REALLY would also love to have a guitar (an instrument used to perfectly cut chocolates and candy - not the one you play - lol), but their rather expensive...so maybe there's a fairy chocolate person somewhere :-) (batting eyes...coyly smiling).

This getting back to me thing is quite honestly one of  the toughest things I have EVER had to do and I have a TON of work ahead of me.  I wish (like all of us - LOL), that I could be the recipient of a financial windfall, take a month to get stuff back in line and then start fresh with a clear head, renewed spirit and hands ready to work!

So what WOULD that look like? Well - I'd put allll my passions together into one BEAUTIFUL career!  The chef, interpreter, traveler AND writer would be stirred together with some Barbados sugar, Madagascar Vanilla and Cinnamon Bark; Poured in a souffle pan; Baked to perfection and served En Masse for the world to enjoy! THAT would be me!

I am reminded by my favorite quote: "God can dream a bigger dream for you...far beyond anything You can imagine' - Oprah.

OK - God, there's mine....what's yours?