freshly baked bread and other delectable edible products

sure, i'll admit it: i don't eat american bread anymore. i do enjoy the occasional white bread, but i can't really eat the store bought kind. i need the european stuff. i'm addicted. so yes, i bake myself wonderful rustic european breads each week. today, it's the French Country loaf; ah, there's nothing quite like fresh bread out of the oven.

this morning, my sister informed me of an atrocity, something that truly shook heaven and earth: someone told her that no one can tell the difference between a mix or from scratch. meine gute...how can anyone say such blasphemous words? OF COURSE you can tell the difference between the two--it's beyond obvious! yes, there is a place for mixes and they can come in quite useful at times, but i truly enjoy creating something people enjoy. i love to bake! i have a knack for it. and a passion, might i add. i love coming up with recipes and sharing these said baked delights with those around me. carrot cake (i make a pretty wicked carrot cake), chocolate pb cheesecake, cheesecake brownies, my chocolate cookies with my very delectable (and very secret) frosting...my, oh my...how i love to bake! i would love to open up a bakery someday. a very quaint bakery, similar to the one maggie gyllenhaal has in "Stranger Than Fiction." so delightful.

in other news: the King's Speech=AMAZING and i am the proud owner of all the Beethoven dvds featuring the Vienna Philharmonic, under the direction of Christian Thielemann. I've been waiting for these DVDs for 2 years! AH! i was there, my friends. i was there when they started filming the concerts. and it was amazing. ah, wien...