A Peine For Your Thoughts

I learned a lesson yesterday. If you are of child-bearing age, and you are married, and you have an as-yet empty, echoing womb, do not tell the Internet that none of your work pants fit. Actually, don’t tell anyone your pants don’t fit. Don’t even go shopping for new pants. And certainly don’t tell your husband your pants don’t fit, because he’ll be all, “Hey! You sew! Why don’t you add one of those elastic expander thingys to the waistline!”

Sidenote: This is what happens in a marriage when you prove yourself to be the least bit competent with a needle and thread. Suddenly, your spreadsheet-loving husband thinks neither of you will ever have to buy a single new article of clothing. Ever. It can all be “re-purposed” by you, somehow. Never mind the particulars. Just turn that old pair of pants into a shirt! It’ll be amazing!

But, I digress. My point is, I wish there was a biological excuse for why I can’t button my work pants. But there isn’t. Or wait, maybe there is. And my first child is going to be a giant slice of apple pie.

I always gain weight this time of year. It’s cyclical. Something about my body padding on the layers to prepare for hibernation. Because it gets so very cold in Houston. I don’t want to be the only one in this town not ready for winter, so I help things along with fall baking.

My new most favorite baking  blog is Joy the Baker. Baking brings me more joy than just about anything in life, so I wish my name was Joy the Baker. But it’s not. But hers is! And she deserves the name. I want to bake just about everything she does. Last night I baked her “Sit and Stay Awhile Apple Crisp” because it looked so delicious. And she said it has a history of making men propose. It’s been forever since someone proposed to me. And I thought it might be nice. Sure enough, when Drew was all done, he handed me a ring. It was his ring, and he only handed it to me after I told him I baked it for him so he would propose again, but still. My point is, it worked.

Not Without Salt is another of my favorites. I was drawn to it initially because of my own love affair with salt. I have her Stuffed Bread recipe all printed out and ready to try. I love to bake bread, and it never occurred to me that I could stuff it full of dinner. I’m not sure if I have the guts to start out stuffing mine with a hard-boiled egg like she does, but maybe pepperoni? Maybe mushrooms? And cheese? Wait. Is that a calzone? Anyway, she’s pretty much the reason I have suspended food photographs until Santa brings me a new camera. Her photos are amazing. And mine? Come on.

Finally, there’s Brown Eyed Baker. I made her Italian Sausage, Red Pepper and Mushroom Risotto a couple weeks ago and it was tremendous. I realize that’s not a baked good, but wait! Check out her 100, which is a list of all the baked goods she’s challenging herself to try making. There’s plenty of good stuff already crossed off, and you can read as she figures out what she’s doing. She’s pretty adventurous, I think. I don’t know that I’ll ever have the nerve to try bagels…

So there you have it. Those people are the reason I can’t fit in my pants.

What have you been baking lately? Does the arrival of October 1st fill you with a longing to stuff your kitchen full of pies and tarts and crisps and breads the way it does me? What are your favorite baking blogs?