Sunday Dinner and Baking

It is fairly known that I've given up baking and cooking since moving into my new apartment. I want to blame the fact that it is because of a messy kitchen, but since two of my roommates have moved out, it hasn't been as bad as it was. And I want to blame that I haven't been grocery shopping for over two months, but I actually did go and pick some things up yesterday. So... I guess it's time to pick it up again.

I kicked off my new cooking/baking practices today with Colin. He has been introduced to my mom's chicken enchiladas before, but we were totally able to top what I made last time into something even more delicious. You see, at home, there is little we can eat by way of flavor: no onions, no peppers, no spices, etc. Not because of my mom, oh no, but because of the pickier eaters living under the roof. (Imagine what my life was like five years ago when I discovered green peppers and spices and herbs! A bloody miracle, that's what.) But it doesn't matter - my mom is a GREAT cook. And her food, even if it could be considered bland, is DELICIOUS.

But...that doesn't stop me from making my own tweaks when I make those familiar meals for myself. So I took her regular chicken enchiladas: tortillas covered in cream of chicken soup with chicken and cheese in the middle and more cheese on the top, and I added black beans, green peppers and tomatoes on a fresh flour tortilla. Instant culinary masterpiece! They were seriously the best enchiladas I have ever made.

Afterward, Colin and I took our skills to baking and made some cherry chip cupcakes. While making Mom's dinners with a little more pizazz seems to work out for me, for the LIFE I can't get her frosting right. Mom, what does it mean when the color and everything starts to separate? I always make the frosting just a little too runny. Sigh. It doesn't matter.... Colin and I had fun decorating the cupcakes and in the end, when I tasted them, they were so rich and moist and delicious that it didn't matter that the frosting had been too soft. * shrugs shoulders* I guess I'll figure it out eventually. The truth is, I'll never have the patience to be as amazing as my mom, so I don't know why I even bother.

The worst part about doing all this in the kitchen is the clean up. It's an absolute wreck out there, and I really do not want to go and clean up. In fact, I'm feeling the need to go to bed on time tonight...which means getting ready in eight minutes.

Sigh.