The Ugly Truth

I am good at many things. I believe this, I do.

But there is one thing in life that I am clearly incapable of and utterly terrible at.

Baking!

I'm not really sure why I even bother to try anymore. I mean, I wish it could be different, but truly, it's a curse. I'm convinced and you know what….I've come to terms.

It's a sad circumstance in my case because I adore desserts. I see recipes every day and would LOVE to be able to create them myself, but if the directions ask you to knead, level, measure or let rise….it's a pretty sure bet that I will destroy it. I don't even wish to offend such amazing baked goods with the attempt.

Okay, so I am sure you all know where I am going with this.

If you haven't guessed already, the Vegan Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls….

MAJOR DISSAPOINTMENT!

Looks can be deceiving because they looked fantastic….

But tasted like crap.

They were dry, dense, and completely flavorless. I am sure that if you are actually able to bake, these are wonderful, but since I am cursed, they were not worth finishing.

So unfortunately, in the trash they went.

Oh well, beggars can't be choosers. I'll stick with cooking and let the professionals do the baking. Betty Crocker and Sara Lee will be the only ones taking credit behind any baked goods in my house.

I was quite upset that my dessert didn't meet my expectations last night. You see, I take dessert very seriously and when something sweet doesn't hold up to being fantastic, it just makes me angry. I don't think it's worth it to waste these opportunities on something that you are not in love with, so rather than eat a treat just for the sake of eating it is simply not worth it for me. I did give these rolls a chance with a few bites, but then decided I would be much more content with a sampling of ice cream that we had in our freezer.
Yep, Pumpkin Ice Cream made it all better!

Another reason why I am okay with my inability to bake is because I feel my passion and aptitude of cooking overpowers this. Thank goodness because for as much as I love food, if both of these skills worked against me I would be in trouble!

One of the best feelings going to work in the morning is knowing that you have a sensational lunch waiting for you to break up your day.

Leftover Grilled Salmon and Roasted Veggie Salad was the shining moment of my workday.

It was just as good the day after.

Another highlight of my day was meeting my BF, Jen after work for a lovely afternoon stroll. We spent a mile catching up on each others lives. We try to do this once a week but unfortunately, our schedules or the weather doesn't always allow us. Thankfully, today, both of these elements were on our side.

My husband was out working hard tonight to earn us some extra spending money for our extravagant lives that we live. Or, maybe it was more like, my husband was out gambling our savings away in hopes to at least break even so that his wife wouldn't kill him.
Any way you look at it, Toly spent his night playing poker with some friends so I had a night to myself.

A night to myself means dinner to myself, which also means an opportunity to spend time making something that only has to please me.

You see, I have a list of recipes that I want to make and every time one of these opportunities arises, I pull one of these recipes out.

Tonight, it was Squash and Chickpea Moroccan Stew (adapted from Aida Mollenkamp)

This recipe couldn't have been easier. I added a few "additions" to spice it up just a bit. A little coconut milk, some coco powder and other various spices made this stew go from good to great!

And the last minute finishing of chopped green olives and plain greek yogurt also didn't hurt.

This stew was very tasty and I imagine it only gets better with age.

Well, since I won't be enjoying any Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls tonight for dessert, I guess I'll revert back to my old faithful....

Frozen Fruit and Tru Whip. This never dissapoints.

Alright my dears, that's all for today.

See you tomorrow! :)