For the love of food.

(Vanilla Sponge with Vanilla Syrup, Mascarpone cream, and fresh berries.)

(Credit goes to Call Me Cupcake.)

I’m really, really starting to think that I’d be happiest in a world where ¾ of my house is a kitchen (I believe in small houses planned well), stocked head-to-toe with all the grains, sugars, spices, meats, fruits and veggies I can think of. And bakeware! Lots of bakeware. And lots of copper cookware. 

And a Kitchen Aid mixer. The biggest kind that has the word “pro” attached to it.

The very first thing I’d make is a wedding cake. Three tiers of chocolate and raspberry awesomeness, stacked just right. In spare moments between work and sleep (and sometimes work and work), I watch videos of Julia Child and Martha Stewart creating cakes with such great heights. It’s at least a 12-hour project, and I’m dying to tackle it. But the oven at home is less-than-desireable, and I haven’t manned up and purchased a 12” cake pan. But let’s be honest, I’d rather buy a cake pan than any item of clothing. I’m a nut.

After that I don’t think I could choose what recipe to try next. I’d have to just be satisfied to grab them at random, and make a new one every day.  But pies of all shapes and sizes would definitely be close to the top of the list. Pie is just about the most glorious creation ever. It’s comfort food at its finest, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream melting off the top is just the cherry on top. People think pie should be able to stand on its own, and it does, but there’s something magical about having a pie that’s hotter than -well, to quote Julia Child, “a stiff cock!”– paired with cold ice cream. It makes it edible, and cream just makes anything better, let’s be honest.

Mmmm…. pie. All I can do these days is dream about a blueberry pie. I think I must have pinned four on pinterest alone in the past couple of days. Pieeeee.

Ah.

In that very wonderful world with a kitchen that is ¾ the size of my house,  baking and cooking great food would be my life and my work from home:  bringing good food to people everywhere. I also picture babies (probably just one, and obviously a perfectly tempered child) playing on the family room adjoining the kitchen. Just happy as a clam. Probably with a goldendoodle just chilling there, too.  Because feeding people brings me serious amounts of happiness.   As do babies and dogs.

And as long as I’m talking about the perfect world, we should probably include dancing in there somewhere. I’m sure those two worlds could happily collide somehow.

Oh, the dreams.

Just in case anyone was wondering, that’s what I envision when told to go to my happy place. If you knew what’s good for you, you’d go there, too. Trust me.