Why Do You Bake?

September 28, 2009

I had a thousand things to do last night.  You know how it is on Sunday night.  There are things left to do and the weekend is running out.  I know that people think single people have oodles of spare time on their hands, but it doesn't work out that way for me.  Besides a stressful full-time day job, the bills have to be paid, the animals need care, the house needs cleaning, the laundry needs tending to, the car needs maintaining, meals needs preparing, and errands need to be done.  Oh, yeah, and then there is BigSisLilSis, exercising, and maybe a tiny bit of a social life, if I'm lucky.  But, that's just life, right?  We're all busy.

So with all of that going on, what did I do last night?  I baked cookies, of course!  😀  What the heck!  As I was stirring up a big mess in my kitchen, I started thinking.  Why do people bake?  Why am I baking?  Now I'm wondering…why do you bake?

  • To alleviate stress? Some people, like LilSis, would say that baking is a stress-inducer, rather than a stress-reducer.
  • To fill a need to fill tummies? Do you bake because your family needs food, and whipping something up is the easiest way to feed them?
  • To save money? Depending on the ingredients, it definitely can be more economical to bake a batch of cookies or a loaf of bread from scratch than it is to buy something at the grocery store.
  • To carry on a family tradition? Lots of families have vintage recipes that have been passed down for generations, so baking them and teaching them to children and grandchildren keeps the tradition alive.
  • To have fun? Baking can be fun, when things work out right, and mastering a challenging recipe is really rewarding.  Spending time in the kitchen to me is just plain fun!
  • To show your love for people? Lots of people, me included, love to bake something that pleases people.  For me, baking isn't just a task, it's something I put my heart into.  I want it to be perfect, and for people to know I did it for them because I care about them.

So, now that you know I bake for fun and love, please tell me.  Why do you bake?

~BigSis

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8 Comments so far

  1. Posted by LilSis

    September 28, 20097:53 am

    You’re right about that! I don’t know why, and I wish it wasn’t true, but baking is stressful for me. I just don’t like exact measuring and precise baking times. You and SisMama are the bakers in the family.

    I don’t want it to sound like I don’t cook at all, because I LOVE to cook! Baking just does not come natural to me. 🙂

    I’m not giving up though; I’ll keep trying!

  2. Posted by BigSis

    September 28, 20094:32 pm

    I know you’re a superb cook, LilSis. If your guys lived with me, they’d have to exist on hummus, cookies and brownies! Or cat food! That wouldn’t make for very healthy men! 😀

  3. Posted by Maryann

    September 28, 20099:23 am

    I started baking and cooking to feed my boyfriend but now I do it more as a stress relief. Although it can be stressful at times, usually it helps release my stress. I also enjoy being able to make something that will bring a smile to the faces of the people I care about.
    .-= Maryann´s last blog post … NEW CAMERA!!! =-.

  4. Posted by BigSis

    September 28, 20094:24 pm

    Hey, Maryann, welcome! I agree with you about the stress relief and the fun of pleasing other people! Thanks for coming by!

  5. Posted by noble pig

    September 28, 20095:16 pm

    I bake for fun, can’t help myself!
    .-= noble pig´s last blog post … Always a Classic =-.

  6. Posted by BigSis

    September 28, 20095:35 pm

    I’m with you, Noble Pig! It’s just fun…as long as there isn’t a nasty kitchen disaster, which I do have from time to time!

  7. Posted by grace

    September 29, 20094:23 am

    baking has a tremendous calming effect on me, when it goes right. when i goof up, things turn in the opposite direction pretty quickly. 🙂
    .-= grace´s last blog post … sigh. hello fall. =-.

  8. Posted by BigSis

    September 29, 20095:13 pm

    Yeah, me too, Grace. It’s like a big deep exhale to get in the kitchen and stop thinking about “stuff” for a while. But when things go bad…not so fun!

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