I've always preferred baking to cooking, probably because I am far, far better at it. I can follow directions, can measure, and can stir. I can even fold! And it results in a damn fine chocolate cake, a reasonable pie, some lovely muffins. Brownies, they elude me (but I like the ones from a mix better, anyway. I have no explanation for that). Preheat an oven, shove in a baking pan, and wait for science to make me some cookies. Baking is all about directions, chemistry and patience. Those are things I am reasonably skilled at.

I'd like to bake more. It is meditative, it results in my favorite kind of deliciousness, and it is so lovely to succeed at something. And it occurred to me, today, when I was thinking about how I'd blow up the kitchen for dinner, that maybe I could combine something I was okay at with something I fail at, and in that way, achieve some kind of edible mediocrity! A baking component would at least give my chance at not failing utterly a boost up, right? So, what do we bake for dinner? On my list, so far I've got, uh, chicken pot pie. Am I missing anything? Besides Shake n' Bake, I mean.