This is Matthew's last week of school. Then he's off for the next three weeks. I've spent the day baking today. I started at 7 AM and finished around 6:30 PM. I was trapped in the kitchen. I made two loaves of banana bread, two trays of brownies, chocolate chip cookies, sugar cookies, oatmeal raisin cookies and shortbread cookies. Total count on cookies- about 400. I've packed up most of the shortbread cookies for the holiday party at Matthew's school tomorrow. The kids will frost and decorate the cookies. Everything else will be going to Tony's office. I often send platters in during the year when I bake and the locals love it. They've gotten used to seeing something sitting in the pantry from me. The locals don't bake at all. The traditional Chinese kitchen does not have an oven. Most of them would rather buy it at the local bakery. However, I've tasted the local baked goods and it's not suited for the American palette. We bake with real butter, lots of sugar and most of all, chocolate. Good chocolate. That is something that is not replicated by a local Chinese bakery.
Of course, right after I was done with all the baking, I had to turn around and start dinner for us. Roasted chicken with vegetables. So, the oven was on for a record 11.5 hours today. I don't care to see another cookie, brownie or banana bread for a while. I can't wait to see what my gas bill will be next month.
