Kitchen Pre-Season.

I can't believe how much I enjoy a day alone to cook and bake. I don't even mind all the dishes, which is truly a shocker. I call this time in my life, my kitchen "pre-season". This is where I try out recipes and make notes, with Ryan being my guinea pig taste tester, before the "big game" or in other words, before I invite you all over for dinner.

I love deciding what I will make, and heading to the market, list in hand. I come home, don an apron, crank up the A/C and some beats and get to work. It's quiet, well, aside from the Michael Jackson or Stevie Ray Vaughn, blaring through the speakers. Yesterday, it was all Michael, all day. Lately, the only thing better than a baking day alone is a baking day with someone else who likes to bake and date night with Ryan. Well, any night with Ryan actually.

Sooooo...I am officially addicted to the bread machine. It is trouble. Big trouble. But is is so fun! Honey Wheat bread on Saturday and cheese bread sticks on Sunday...

And for the record I am not ignorant to the fact that this blog should really be titled Lauren.Love.Food. Please don't mind me and my food posts.

Anyway, bread sticks...

The farmer's market had some great deals on strawberries today, so I thought I would whip up my first pound cake.

I had been dying to try out our new bundt pan that the lovely McGurgan's gave us for our wedding. They are dear friends of the Kelly family and are just about as sweet as any fine confection. I will never forget at our engagement party, my dad and I were lamenting with Mr. McGurgan about the anxiety of walking daughters down the aisle. In a comforting tone, in his lyrical Irish accent, he told my dad and I an old Irish phrase that had brought him comfort. He leaned in like he was telling us a secret and whispered, "you know, a son, is a son until he meets a wife, but a daughter, is a daughter for all your life". So tender.

And at our wedding, as I danced with Mrs. McGurgan she lovingly recalled our wedding vows and told me that I was the only person she had ever met that could smile and cry at the same time. I will never forget that either.

So this cake was for them...and us.

There were also some beautiful heirloom tomatoes at the market this morning. And they were just begging me to take them home with me and make Mr. Kelly's favorite: blue cheese dressing. How could I say no?

I thought that Mr. Kelly would appreciate something warm to eat when he got home, so I decided to make Ina's Parmesan chicken...I am telling you, in this kitchen, when it's not one of Colette's recipes, it is all Ina, all the time.

And of course, what is a meal without some spuds for my strapping Irish lover.

And who am I kidding, I am a fan of the spud too.