Month of Chocolate by Awkward Baker

I am the awkward baker.

Work has become very intense and for the month of March (excluding Sat. & Sun. because I don't have super powers) I am making a new chocolate creation and documenting my stumbling attempts at cooking/baking.

To follow my rocky, chocolatey journey go and Like this page: Just For Women Magazine.
You can be a guy and still like it. There are plenty of male members and you can always hide it from your profile if you're that scared.

Here is the first blog post from that page:

A friend showed me the Chocolate Issue of Food Network Magazine and I simply fell in love.  Chocolalte, to me, is the best thing you could ever taste (a close second being sweet tea, of course) and there were so many wonderful recipes in the issue that I thought "there needs to be a month to hold all of these." Thus, the idea of Month of Chocolate sprung. 

Women, in my mind, are the only truly smart people when it comes to chocolate. Not only do they usually like it, they appreciate it. Now, I realize that I'm on the very extreme side of loving chocolate but I thought it would be wonderful to make each dish with a running commentary attached.

Why? So you all could make your own versions and learn new very yummy recipes. Also, to be quite honest, I'm a very awkward baker. I grew up with a single father who did all the cooking and didn't always have the time to show me the ropes. I've baked exactly three things ever: two ugly, but yummy simple cakes and an intense amount of 10-minute muffins. This Month of Chocolate exersion has been approached with equal amounts of excitement and trepidation! 

But oh how I would love for all of the treats to turn out wonderfully and for people to also try out these yummy recipes!

So please follow an awkward baker on Just for Women Magazine's Page for this Month of Chocolate. Feedback and encouragement are greatly appreciated and encouraged

Boutiques vs Retail Chains [Written for Just For Women magazine]

If you are an avid shopper then this article won't sell you on boutiques--it will only reaffirm a fact you learned long ago--boutiques trump chain retail stores.
Why am I singing boutique-related praise?
Because small is beautiful folks; let me elaborate.
When you walk into a retail store looking for, let's say a summer dress to wear to a neighborhood grill-a-thon, you have the option to swim through a sea of replicated fabric to find that perfect outfit.
Then, after trying on three or four looks-better-on-the-hangers, you have that ah-ha moment where you find "the one."
You immediately imagine Kathy, a woman you like simply because she's your neighbor, give you compliments with an underlying tone of jealousy while your husband steal glances at you while talking sports with the guys.
You see yourself for the next few weeks getting compliments and soon your "the one" dress becomes the talk of the neighborhood and even slightly snobby Kathy will finally ask you where you got it from.
Congratulations, you've become the leading lady in fashion in the land of suburbia.
So, wasting no guilt on the overpriced item, you quickly purchase it and wait anxiously for the "grand unveiling."
The day finally comes; the air is thick with the smell of hot dogs and hamburgers.
You twirl infront of the mirror--knowing you've won--and head out to meet your fashionable fate.
However, to your immense horror, Kathy is clad in a dress so similar to yours that you swear it's the same.
Then you realize it is.
You will not be Queen of Suburbia--you are just a woman who is wearing the same dress as another.
Why go through the pain of writing this analogy?
Because things like this happen all of the time when shopping retail chains.
They have copies upon copies of the same outfits, so the chances of buying something a friend (or enemy) already owns is high.
That's the biggest reason why I love boutiques.
Usually they carry one or two of the same outfits, so chances are you will never run into the woman who owns your favorite violet dress with the beaded neckline or the sunhat that you just can't live without.
Boutiques help you avoid those awkward fashion faux pas by giving you the wonderful option of being unique in your wardrobe.
The other reason I'm over-the-moon about boutiques is the owners.
They simply care.
They have made this store because it's what they love to do and it's what they are passionate about.
Also, they work harder to make you happy.
Usually the owner works there everyday ready to meet you, talk with you and help you find exactly what  you want.
What more could you ask for?
So, basically, I am a boutique shop-a-holic.
I'm all for unique clothing options with personalized passion.
Next time you want to purchase that oh-so-special outfit, just remember Kathy and the hundred of others like her, all swimming through the retail chain's sea of mass produced clothing.

This has been written for Just For Women Magazine in Huntsville, Ala.