I haven't baked anything in quite a while. Not even at Christmas. It's been so long since I used the mixer, I had to wipe the dust off it before I could use it. I had to dig through the odds and ends catch all utensil drawer to find the beaters.
I could say it was because I was trying to eat better, but since I've been buying a box of girl scout cookies any time I'm asked, and before that I was buying a 50 count box of chocolate chip cookies (and freezing them!), that is not really the reason.
It's partly the reason, though, because there is nothing like fresh baked chocolate chip cookies, with their ooey gooey goodness, and when they are still warm, I eat way more than I should. And then the next day, I eat a few with my morning coffee. And as a mid-morning snack, and a before dinner treat, and an evening treat as I watch my shows.....
The other reason is it is a lot of work. After a day of work in the office, and coming home to cook dinner and cleaning up slightly, I'm usually too tired to do much of anything. But last night the call of the cookie was so great, I baked.
I baked, my daughter sat on a chair in the kitchen, and talked, and I felt like I'd found a piece of myself that I hadn't realized I was missing. I remembered baking cookies or brownies as an after school surprise for the kids. I remembered dinners that I cooked that were only so-so and I redeemed it all by whipping up a sweet treat. I remembered making and packing up cookies for so many camping trips, starting with the very first one my husband and I adventured on as still newlyweds. I remembered drawing a chair up to the counter and having one of the kids assist me, carefully measuring flour and sugar, and having huge grins when I turned the mixer over to their small hands.
I'm not going to start baking every day, but I have promised myself I won't let months go by again. There is nothing that says love and home like a freshly baked treat!
It is a lot of work, but I'm thinking that's part of why it tastes so good too? Perhaps. A bowl of icecream I haven't made myself definitely tastes delish as well, though, so maybe that previous theory is total bunk. Either way, here's to finding ourselves, sharing good stories, and eating yummy things.
ReplyDeleteThis post is so sweet. I love baking, thanks for putting this into words. :)
ReplyDeleteI was looking for an A to Z post. Are you still planning to follow? I am a minion for Tina's Terrific Team if you need help.
ReplyDeleteJO ON FOOD, MY TRAVELS AND A SCENT OF CHOCOLATE
Your post reminded me of one of my favorite parts about cooking in general and baking specifically--it feels tied in to such long traditions. I baked with my grandmother, with my mom (though not as much, she was way too busy and not much of a cook), with my kids, with my nieces and nephews, with all their friends and I look forward to those days with my brand new granddaughter. Each time I bake it is all gloriously tangled up in all the other times I've baked--and all the more so because I've inherited so many of my grandmother's utensils, pans and implements. It's as though she is right there in the kitchen with me sometimes. (Sorry to get all gushy--this one just got me in a soft spot.)
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