Birthday Baking turned Epiphany.

It has happened...it has really happened. Yesterday, November 4th, 2010, I turned 20 years old and became a young adult. I know they say that this epiphany happens at age 18, but that really didn't work out in my case. Usually I make a big deal out of my birthday, (last year my close friends from college and I went to a sketchy club, but that is another story for another time hah!) but yesterday all I really wanted was to spend my birthday with the people I cared about, and that is exactly what I did. Happy 20th Birthday to me!

My roommates and friends, Gabby (Gabbers is my nickname for her) Julia (she is referring to herself as DJ Julia these days since she usually plays the music in our apartment and convinces us to join in during dance parties)surprised me at midnight by bringing out a piece of raspberry vanilla cake, (I'm not a chocolate person actually! Don't judge me! Hah!) with 20 candles lit and ready. The funny part about it was that Gabby was going to the refrigerator and getting all this done, while Julia was distracting me in conversation, and I didn't catch on to any of it! Obviously I was not meant to be a detective. Oh well.

The rest of the day went wonderful, and when my friends left for rehearsal, I decided that I was going to bake. Gabbers bought me a new apron with an ovenmitt because she knew I was doing this, so I decided to put it to good use by mixing up some stuff! I had chocolate chip cookie mix and peanut butter mix, and even though I don't like chocolate, the cookies for some reason always have delicious dough and a fabulous way of hiding the chocolate. So for you non-chocolate people out there, give it a try!

I have made cookies from scratch before, but when you're a college student, getting all the ingredients takes up a lot of time. So when baking, try this simple task:

Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter or margarine (softened, not melted)
1 egg
1 bag of cookie mix chocolate chip from the store (I got mine from Target, but other stores work too!)
Follow the directions on the back of the bag, and in 8-11 minutes, you have cookies!

A couple of tips: Don't microwave the butter or margarine for too long. It gets a little melty, which does not bring out the rich taste in the cookies. You would think it wouldn't matter, but it actually does. If you can remember to leave out the stick of butter/margarine to soften it, that'll work best. Secondly, parchment paper is a lot better then aluminum, so if you have that in stock use it. Aluminum should only be used as a backup in my opinion. The cookies stick to it too much.

I was on a roll, so I actually mixed up the other bag of cookie mix too:

Peanut Butter Cookies
1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil
1Tbsp. Water
1 Egg
1 bag of peanut butter cookie mix from the store
Follow directions and in about 10 minutes, you'll have cookies!

A couple of tips: Although it says that the cookies will be ready in 9 minutes, for this particular mix, in my experience was not true. Leaving them in the oven a couple minutes more would have been better. A light brown look to them adds a nice taste, but they obviously should not look burned.

After I was done, I went over to visit the boys next door (They're wonderful and we love having them as our neighbors!) and offered them cookies....in my apron hahahaha. Attractive right? Thanks Gabbers for helping me add to my wardrobe! I think they thought I was crazy, since I told them I was becoming the housewife of E203, but they got a good laugh about it! Tony, one of the boys that lives in the apartment, came over for a bit and we laughed over cookies and chatted about life before he went to the library to study with his friend Sean (Sean is an RA in my old dorm, but he pretty much lives next door too. He and Tony are pretty much dating hahahaha...only kidding, but they are pretty close. I respect the "bro" love hahaha.). After Tony visited, other people stopped by to wish me happy birthday and have a cookie, and I even brought some to my friends Ryan and Elenor who were glued to their seats doing homework. That's when I realized something. As much as I love baking for the craft, what I love most about it is how it brings people together. Cheezy as it may sound, people really do bond over baked goods. Maybe that is why we have birthday cakes at parties, or why we sit around the table and eat together for dinner. Maybe that is why food is a huge part of community, because gathering together is so rare, but when enjoying a meal, all are brought closer and appreciate each others' company that they might not be able to have usually.

                                              My friends that I spent my birthday with :)

                          I added this picture to show Emily, my other friend who made my birthday fabulous!

The Man Who I owe my Inspiration From - This will be the only time I will be this complimentary.

Last on food for thought, this realization reminded me of something. My friend Mark said in acting class the other day that he went out to eat with some friends at a super crappy, hole in the wall chines restaurant that people would usually be turned off by. However, what he really enjoyed about this outing was that it was not about the place that they were at, but rather the dinner with friends was really nice. I related this story to my birthday. I didn't go anywhere fancy except for a yogurt shop with three of my closest friends, and on top it, I baked and watched Snapped (mutual love for that show with Gabbers!) but I had a fabulous 20th birthday because of the people I was with. Thanks to Mark for sharing the story, I really loved it (but don't get used to the compliments, I don't give them out usually hahaaha). I'm just so blessed. Happy Birthday, Mollie Amburgey.