The "Friday Baking Club"

In May this year I hit a really big flat spot. The last 4 months had been busy starting the New Year, planning a wedding and a honeymoon. Then the Big Event happened and Neil and I we’re married and off to the Coral Coast of WA for our honeymoon. Good times indeed. But then reality hit like a thump in the middle of May, I was back at work, it was getting cold and I didn’t have anything fun to plan and do. And those FIVE solid days at work just really hit me hard. I was Blue!

One evening Neil took pity on me and rented “Julie and Julia”. I’d previously read the book and had been intedning to see it at the cinema but never got round to seeing it. I loved the movie just as much as I loved the book. It got me inspired about baking again. Although my focus is on gluten free baking not “Mastering the Art f French Cooking”.

Around the same time I’d also been putting together photo albulms via an on-line photo publishing site which was helping me re-live our wedding and honeymoon. It was so easy. And as I sent off our two on-line phototbooks I thought about other types of books you could make on-line. What about a cook book? Easy right – just a mixture of text and photos, with my husband’s photographic skills and my passion for baking it should be a marriage made in heaven right? But where would I find the time?

Driving to work the next day, I was pondering this challenge, TIME! Well my current boss was only working four days a week, with Wednesdays off to mind the kids while his wife worked. My old boss took Monday’s off to write a book and another friend also took Mondays off just to have fun! Geeze there certainly is some advantages to working for the public service and their dedication to a flexible work hours. So I thought surely I could take a day off to bake, couldn’t I?

So after a big chat with my boss, a quick review of my finances and consulation with Neil, the “Friday Baking Club” was born. Fridays are now going to be dedicated to baking, cooking and socialising with friends over food. I’m going to focus on testing and adapting existing recipes with a focus on gluten free baking. And at the end of the year, I only got an approval for one day a week for up to 6 months leave without pay, I’m going to make a Meg’s Tasty Treats cookbook. Let me know if you’d like a copy for Christmas!