Have No Fear Baking is.....EASY!

http://www.texascooking.com/features/oct2009-fear-of-baking.htm

http://www.piedesigns.co.za/pie-baking-articles/tackle-your-fear-of-baking.html

Above are two articles that two different women have written about their fear of baking and how they overcame their fear and have become great in the kitchen.

Many people are afraid of baking because it is always described as an exact science and one mistake can be fatal to the final outcome. In both of these articles the women focus on how at some point in their life they have screwed up in the kitchen and were turned off by baking for a while. However, they overcame their fear and began baking again.

It is important for amateur bakers to understand it is okay to screw up when you bake. You might be wasting food but baking is a learning process like any other thing you are trying to learn. Baking is all about trial and error not an exact science.

So, if you are attempting to bake for the first time or have already attempted to bake and things didn't turn out the way you wanted....DON'T WORRY! It will be okay...baking can be easy and fun you just have to keep at it. Don't let one mess up get you down. Get back in that kitchen and bake again!

Two more go to sites

Last week gave you the link to the pillsbury website for great recipes and tips on baking. This week I have two more links for you but they not only provide recipes and tips on baking but they also have a blog you can go to to ask questions and also provides tips on hosting parties and holiday events.

The two websites I have chosen are www.BHG.com (Better Homes and Gardens) and www.foodnetwork.com. I chose these two specifically because of the other articles, blogs and tips they provide for people who are into baking, cooking, throwing parties or just want to make their house feel like a home.

Better Homes and Gardens is best used if you are looking to make something special for the holidays or if you are the one hosting the holiday festivities. They provide event specific recipes and give tips on how to make things from what you have around the house. They provide easy to follow recipes which make it easy for first time bakers or cooks. They also have a free newsletter you can sign up for to get the latest updates on recipes and decorating tips.

Food network is the website based off of the televisions station. They provide links to the shows so you can get the recipes you saw the chefs make on TV that day and they also have an online blog where you can go and ask questions about cooking and baking. Like Better Homes and Gardens, they provide holiday specific recipes and tips on how to make things out of what you have around the house. Food network is very friendly toward first time cooks and bakers and even provides a place where they can go to ask for professional help and tips.

These two sites are not only informative but reliable because they have been around for years and are places our mothers have resorted to for help over the years.

The Holidays are coming!!!!

With Thanksgiving only a few weeks a way and Christmas just around the corner I am beginning to plan what I will be baking for the family gatherings.

Every year for Christmas I bake a variety of cookies and wrap them up to give as gifts to family members. I usually make 6 to 8 different types, some traditional and some original recipes I have come up with.

To help me get new ideas I visit the website www.pillsbury.com. This website has a wide range of recipes and is not limited to only desserts. You can sign up to get a newsletter that is emailed monthly. It is filled with cooking and baking tips and recipes.

So if you are ever stumped or looking for something new to bake I would suggest going to pillsbury.com and you'll be sure to find your answer there!