baking

Been thinking a lot lately about my kitchen skills. Namely how they haven't been being used lately. For the 13 months I didn't have my own place and my own kitchen cooking was hard at best impossible at worst. Now that I have my own place I rarely cook because I bring things home from work plus tend to eat at work so don't even make dinner for myself very often. I love cooking creating things in the kitchen but mostly I really like baking from scratch not boxes. SO I decided that I am making my favorite cake for my birthday. It is a yummy complex white chocolate cake with white chocolate icing. It is a recipe I found years ago in the Southern Sideboards cookbook. Don't remember who gave me that cook book maybe my Aunt or my Mom? But it has many great recipes in it. I haven't made the cake in years because it is a long process, worth it for sure but long. So this year I am going to make it and take to work as there are three of us with birthday in one week with mine falling smack dab in the middle of the three. I am also going to be making some banana creations because we had several (over 30) bananas that I got to bring home tonight because they would be rotten by Tuesday. SO I mashed and measured and labeled them to freeze till I can get to making banana bread, muffins, and cakes (another recipe from Southern Sideboards). Since I labeled them not only with how many cups but how many bananas i should be able to take them out of the freezer as needed and have fun with them. Oh that reminds me I have some pureed pears too in the freezer...hmm...need recipe for that too...
Of course all this baking doesn't exactly fit my diet so it will be for giving away mostly. I just want to sharpen my baking skills again. For some reason having not baked in a while I have some apprehension about it. I shouldn't but I do. I am also going to do some substitution experiments to lighten up some recipes. NOT for the birthday cake mind you that will remain as decadent as all get out.
BUT am going to get the cookware I like not the cheapest but the ones I like. Nothing worse than baking with crappy cookware you hate. I am NOT saying I am going to get top of the line stuff just stuff I like. I do not like the cheap box store crap. I hate my cookie sheets but needed them quickly and had no choice they do the job but... for my cake pans and such I am getting ones I like. Of course for the banana loafs I am getting mini foil ones so those don't matter. I may go with silicone for the muffin pan and the cake pan or maybe a spring form one...not sure yet ...and I want a good sifter ( need one for the cake requires sifting the flour like I said long complex cake but yummy) one that actually gets more in the bowl than on you or the floor and counter. Oh need a double boiler too ( got to melt the chocolate) maybe I can borrow one or find another pot to create one...
I will take pictures of course of all creations.