Baking and such
I used to consider myself somewhat of a food snob. Not in a bad way… I just really preferred homemade goodies over things bought at the store. I think most people do. I don’t really understand how/why some people are terrible bakers either because as long as you follow the recipe, you won’t go wrong… I enjoy baking more than almost anything and I got started by making those Betty Crocker boxed cake mixes. Everyone used to tell me how good they were and I’m always a little hesitant to accept a compliment from something I made from a box, because it really doesn’t require any skill (so I thought), just water, oil and eggs. Easy.
Baking from scratch is my true love. Making delicious cakes from butter, sugar, eggs and flour will always be amazing to me. Once, I made some brownies for some kids in my friends (baby’s Godfather) after school program and I heard two guys talking. Conversation went like this:
Boy 1: These brownies are good. I want her recipe.
Boy 2: They come from a box, I make the same kind at home….
I didn’t say anything, but I was slightly offended. How dare that little fat boy say my brownies came from a box! I am more skilled than cooking boxed food.
Yeah, I was a little snotty.
Fast forward to the present day: Nadirah with a baby.
First thing I noticed is with a baby, most things have to be done differently. At least with a baby like mine. Amar’e is the kind of baby who like to be held 90% of the time. Like right now, it’s his bedtime, but he’s awake. He had his bath, we read some Dr. Seuss and he had his nighttime nursing session, but he’s still awake. I had him in his blue bounce/lounge seat but he started to fuss and cry so now I’m typing this with him in my lap. I’m probably spoiling him but whatever, the point is he likes to be in arms and that makes cooking and baking difficult.
Yeah I have an infant carrier but I’m only 120 pounds & I have scoliosis and he’s +15lbs. It’s a lot of pressure on my back and I don’t like it very much.
If I’m baking while he’s awake, what would normally take 20 minutes to prepare could take an hour. Once I made some oatmeal cookies and I had to stop every few minutes because he didn’t like being in his chair. The last 5 minutes I just let him sit there and cry. It was the most stressful cookie-making time of my life.
Then one day I’m in the grocery store with the baby in my arms and I see box cake mixes on sale. And I pick one up. It was a spice cake*. When I get home, the baby is sleep so I immediately begin to make the cake and as I put it into the oven, the little boy wake up. And I think “If I was making the cake from scratch, I’d still be in the “Creaming” part of the process and here I am, all done.”
A light bulb goes off in my head and I realize… I’m the target audience of box cake mixes. Well, one of them. I’m a mother, who likes baked goods but just doesn’t have the time to do everything. Box cakes let me still make homemade desserts but much, much easier. Thank God for them!
Tonight, I made cookie brownies and they are delicious!
I say all that to say, sometimes you just have to do the best you can with what you have. boxed dessert or not, it all tastes delicious in the end.
Sidenote: I’m eagerly awaiting the days when my son is old enough to bake with me in the kitchen! I cooked with my mom (RIP - Breast cancer awareness…) and I think that’s probably why I love cooking so much. I’d love to pass that onto him.
*I still made from scratch frosting though… canned frosting is just disgusting whether its “home-style” or not.
Baking from scratch is my true love. Making delicious cakes from butter, sugar, eggs and flour will always be amazing to me. Once, I made some brownies for some kids in my friends (baby’s Godfather) after school program and I heard two guys talking. Conversation went like this:
Boy 1: These brownies are good. I want her recipe.
Boy 2: They come from a box, I make the same kind at home….
I didn’t say anything, but I was slightly offended. How dare that little fat boy say my brownies came from a box! I am more skilled than cooking boxed food.
Yeah, I was a little snotty.
Fast forward to the present day: Nadirah with a baby.
First thing I noticed is with a baby, most things have to be done differently. At least with a baby like mine. Amar’e is the kind of baby who like to be held 90% of the time. Like right now, it’s his bedtime, but he’s awake. He had his bath, we read some Dr. Seuss and he had his nighttime nursing session, but he’s still awake. I had him in his blue bounce/lounge seat but he started to fuss and cry so now I’m typing this with him in my lap. I’m probably spoiling him but whatever, the point is he likes to be in arms and that makes cooking and baking difficult.
Yeah I have an infant carrier but I’m only 120 pounds & I have scoliosis and he’s +15lbs. It’s a lot of pressure on my back and I don’t like it very much.
If I’m baking while he’s awake, what would normally take 20 minutes to prepare could take an hour. Once I made some oatmeal cookies and I had to stop every few minutes because he didn’t like being in his chair. The last 5 minutes I just let him sit there and cry. It was the most stressful cookie-making time of my life.
Then one day I’m in the grocery store with the baby in my arms and I see box cake mixes on sale. And I pick one up. It was a spice cake*. When I get home, the baby is sleep so I immediately begin to make the cake and as I put it into the oven, the little boy wake up. And I think “If I was making the cake from scratch, I’d still be in the “Creaming” part of the process and here I am, all done.”
A light bulb goes off in my head and I realize… I’m the target audience of box cake mixes. Well, one of them. I’m a mother, who likes baked goods but just doesn’t have the time to do everything. Box cakes let me still make homemade desserts but much, much easier. Thank God for them!
Tonight, I made cookie brownies and they are delicious!
I say all that to say, sometimes you just have to do the best you can with what you have. boxed dessert or not, it all tastes delicious in the end.
Sidenote: I’m eagerly awaiting the days when my son is old enough to bake with me in the kitchen! I cooked with my mom (RIP - Breast cancer awareness…) and I think that’s probably why I love cooking so much. I’d love to pass that onto him.
*I still made from scratch frosting though… canned frosting is just disgusting whether its “home-style” or not.