Sockfoot Contessa - A Baker is Born

First, let me give you a little background on how this story evolved. When my husband Frank and I married, I was a successful career woman who did not cook. In fact, you had to dust my stove and had only darkened the door of a grocery store to buy coffee and cream to put in it. I was happy with this arrangement due to the fact that it let me be efficient - I could combine a social activity with the required eating one must do to sustain life. Worked for me but life has a funny way of standing you on your head.

I meet Frank, we fall in love and, after a bit of time, the talk turns to marriage. With marriage comes being a step-mommy to Nick (Frank's son who lived with him) and with Nick comes a healthy appetite and plenty of friends who love to hang out at his house because of the pool. With plenty of friends and a teenage son comes.. yes, dare I say it... the necessity of grocery shopping and COOKING.

Frank's mother identified her son and grandson were at risk when during one of her visits I burned the boiling water. When we announced our engagement, she sprang into action, purchased an airline ticket and spent 2 weeks with me teaching me how to cook. I got the basics down - spaghetti sauce, toast (buttered sides together please!), cereal (you have to keep milk in the house for cereal I learned), and lots of grilling. I am so grateful to that woman for teaching me enough to keep my family from starving. After all, in a proper Italian family, the Grand Matriarch is responsible for the meals. Frank promptly forgot everything he knew about cooking including how to turn on the stove. I did not, however, forget how to make reservations in case of emergency.

In the interest of time (and space allowed by Google to blog), let's fast forward to today. I have become a foodie and I love to cook. Little did I know that cooking involves all of these cool gadgets whichs feeds my inherent tech geek personality or I would have adopted this hobby long before I married Frank. Fueled by the mentoring I have received from my friend Jan and the continued observation sessions at the feet of my mother-in-law, I think I have become a relatively good cook. Of course, watching an episode of The Barefoot Contessa every day doesn't hurt either.

Speaking of "Barefoot" (my pet name for my idol), I lusted in my heart for a KitchenAid mixer with every episode that involved some sort of baking. I stalked, and shopped, and watched and pined until I finally found them on sale at Home Depot for an incredible price. The angels sang when I walked down the aisle and there was my little baby sparkling and gleaming in the spotlight. Frank and I had gone to buy tubing for the icemaker and walked out with my brand spanking new, white, lovely, KitchenAid mixer.

I am finishing this post on Thanksgiving and so far have created cupcakes with Marscapone Cream Cheese icing and a Banana Nut Cake with buttercream icing. Yum Yum!!! My confidence has soared and I am thinking about entering the Next Food Network Star contest. After all, I have my own name now... my family calls me "The Sockfoot Contessa." Life is good!