BAKING WITH INEZ 2021 TOUR begins....

Current COVID related deaths: 691,562

COVID deaths as of Friday: 688,488

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Michael was up and out by 8 AM for golf here at SCCL on Friday (9/17). I got chocolate raspberry oatmeal bars:

out of the oven before heading out to the eye doctor for a routine visit. The doctor was VERY pleased with how I was doing...and I don't have to go back for SIX MONTHS....HOORAY!!!! Usually it has been every 3 months. I headed out from the doctor's and onto the airport for this:

YES…THE BAKING WITH INEZ 2021TOUR STARTS TODAY!!!!!

When we got home we just sat in the kitchen talking and talking and getting all caught up. I did cut up and package the raspberry bars so that Michael could take them to a Pod "D" meet and greet at the Lake House Pavillion. And I did get a special call in the afternoon...remember those raffle tickets Paula and I drove to get? Well...I WON!!! Inez and I headed on over to pick up the basket:

I won the golfing basket.....and Michael was thrilled. We also got several gift cards that we will be parceling out to a couple of friends who use those stores much more than we do!

Michael did chicken on the grill for dinner, while I sautéed onions and butternut squash for a side. My friend Jerri gave me these really cute butternut squash from her garden:

and Michael got them peeled and cut up for me and I finally got them cooked up. Inez and I continued to talk all through the evening until she finally fell into bed…having been up since 5 AM!!!

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On Saturday (9/19), we finally got started with our baking. We started out with a Mississippi Mud Cake. I have been looking for an intensely, chocolate-y cake to make...and had started to hear about Mud Cakes, so that was first on our agenda.

-look at the thickness of that ganache on the top of the cake!!

After that we made 2 different recipes of Ginger Cookies. The wife of a golfing buddy of Michael's sent some over last Christmas and I really liked them....so I asked her for the recipe and put them on our baking list. Coincidentally, Inez also got some from a neighbor at Christmas and really liked them, so her recipe when on the list as well!

We had a taste testing at 4 PM, and everyone voted on the cookies:

and also tasted the mud cake...which was a big hit!

Michael and Inez ended up getting small pizzas from PAPA JOHN's for dinner....I wasn't hungry so just had half a chicken sandwich finally around 9 PM. All three of us enjoyed watching ''cake week'' on another episode of THE GREAT BRITISH BAKING SHOW.

And this one is especially for Inez....who's been talking about balanced meals ever since she got here :~):

*** Some days you eat salads and go to the gym. Some days you eat 20 tacos and drink margaritas. It’s called balance. ***