Bake to de-stress

Today's total production (using the new oven TY and I recently bought for mom): over four dozens of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and walnut chocolate chip cookies, eight huge blueberry muffins and an eight-inch quick bread. Not from scratch, certainly. Call me a phony baker - I am no Martha Stewart or Ms K K Tan - but I seriously don't mind spending a bit more money and a little less time on a nice-to-taste and easy-to-make fix.

Eons ago when I saw the need to feed my fellow ushers, I bought Betty Crocker's ready mixes to bake for various occasions. Subsequent years later I still do the same, just for different people in my life...

I figured it is because I could use some simple efforts (in shopping the simple ingredients and putting them together), put in some sunshine (while thinking of the faces that are going to enjoy them), literally see my product grow into edible form (in the oven), and watch people I love eat them. Plus the cleaning up and washing, I probably flushed some of my negative energy down the sink.

I could SEE the benefits. I needed that! The business that I do takes a long time to harvest. Guess I am feeling slightly discouraged from that for the moment... It is no wonder I can bake to de-stress.

Yet I am glad I baked today because people I love are hungry for what I made.