I try...

I am seeing something happen within me that has slowly but surely been coming on for awhile now.

When I met Lee, I didn't cook. Ok I cooked - mac-n-cheese, frozen pizza, and a Stouffer's Lasagna if it was a special occasion.
Once we moved to Houston and I was a wife, well I had to cook right? And we were broke and couldn't eat out all the time. I slowly tried recipes from church cookbooks and such.
But when my obsession began, I am not entirely sure.
I cook all the time now. The renovation of my kitchen has pushed me over the edge and now baking is becoming an obsession. My Sunday's have become "Kitchen Day." and you will find me with my mistress (what does a woman call her man on the side? lover is just gross) - my red kitchen aid. My mixer is never clean. There is always flour dust or egg white reside. I try but it just gets all dirty again the next day. I do need help adjusting it because my paddle attachment isn't getting to the edge of the bowl. That's another day.

My friend, Sara Riddle the fabulous, innocently emailed me the other day about thepioneerwoman.com.
Guess what?
Obsessed.

I try to take pictures now and then when I cook. Problem is, I just have a plain digital camera. I can't adjust the focus or any of that. So my pictures are just what ever they are.

Where is this going?

Today I made cupcakes (after I ventured out in the scary world).

And for the first time, I used a flour sifter. (I know!)
And mainly because Pioneer Woman did and talked about how important it is so of course I couldn't ignore her!! (she may leave that ranch and become the next stranger on my porch - beating me with her flour sifter after all!)

(I like parentheses)

The cupcakes are currently cooling and waiting on icing but I was enamored with my flour sifter.
There is a wonderful place here in Houston (and on the internet) called Penzy's. Amoung my cooking obsession, I am now a spice snob. i would say about 60% of my spice cabinet is now Penzy's. I refuse to buy spices anywhere else now.
My next focus will be on my cook-book. Now when I say "my" i mean - my 3" 3 ring binder with all kinds of recipes put in sheet protectors. Whether it be Pioneer Woman, Sara, Rachael Ray, Giada, or something out of Real Simple or Martha, it is all in there. Being OCD, I would like all my recipes to have the same format so when I am flipping through I can easily identify.
This may mean hours of me typing, but I think it would be worth it.
After my adventures today I now know 2 things:
When baking - don't wear your new black cardigan. Remember that new flour sifter?
When you take happiness in putting all your cleaning products away back under the sink, you know you have gone over the edge on organizing.

Pictures of finished cupcakes later.
What, you want instant gratification?