Why Cook? Why Bake? Some Answers Here!
Some of these answers will fit your idea of cooking and baking, and some not.
Ciao! One and All,
We’re taking a little turn today. We’re still talking about cooking and baking, but no recipes, just some ideas about why we cook and bake and how we should prepare to cook and bake. That last part is from my thoughts on the subject.
We will start with the basic reasons you may cook and bake.
The Health Benefits:
#1. Control the Ingredients: You can control the ingredients that go into each meal, such as fresh, whole ingredients, where you control the salt and sugars added, or canned and frozen packaged ingredients, where you cannot control the salt and sugar contents.
#2. Improved Nutrition: Home-cooked meals are more nutritious than restaurant meals; if you have dietary restrictions, you can control them. They are also more favorable to your diet.
#3. Reducing the intake of processed foods.
#4. Mindful Eating: The art of cooking can promote mindful eating as you become more aware of your ingredients.
The Financial Benefits:
#1 Cost Effectiveness: We all know about the increase in the price of fast food and the health issues associated with eating those foods. This is the biggest financial reason for cooking at home.
Other Benefits:
#1 Your Creativity Increases: Every time you begin to cook, the creative side of your brain tries to figure out and learn new things to make your meal taste better each time.
#2. Stress Relief: While you may get stressed at first when deciding what and how to cook something for dinner, the act of cooking itself, as well as baking, let’s say, a loaf of bread, provides a welcome relief from the stress of the day in most cases.
#3. Knowledge: Your learning curve jumps a notch each time you cook or bake something. You love sensing it; at least, it is for me.
#4. Emotional Well-Being: The aromas, textures, and flavors combine to give you a sense of well-being. As you start to cook, the focus on following or creating a recipe promotes mindfulness, helping you concentrate on the moment, not the entire day.
#5 Mood Enhancement: When you create your recipe or follow one, that creation gives you a sense of accomplishment. I know it does for Patti and me.
#6. Self-Esteem: How do you feel after cooking or baking a wonderful meal that your significant other or guests rave about? It’s a great feeling.
#7. Social Connections: If you are hosting a party or planning one, cooking, baking, and sharing that with others creates a social bond that makes all the work worthwhile.
In The End
Cooking or baking gives you control of your environment, even if it’s just for a moment. Think about this: When you're either cooking or baking, you have everything in your hands unless you have some help from a kid, significant other, or friend. But even with help, you’re still in control for that brief moment, or however long it takes to make things happen and feel great about it.
Prepping:
My Way
I don’t know if you have a routine for setting up before you begin or a time frame for when you start, but I have a few quirks that I have to have before I can begin.
My first thing is to decide if I’m cooking, baking, or both since that will determine what I wear. I have shirts and pants for cooking and baking, but some don’t go hand-in-hand.
If I’m cooking tomato sauce, I won’t wear a white shirt because I know I will get sauce on it. That’s a 100% guarantee.
When baking bread, I don’t wear blue jeans for obvious reasons.
I know this sounds ridiculous, but you need to be ready for your task in a way that makes you feel good about cooking or baking. Whatever it takes to make you feel homey is what you do.
I take out everything I will use, including spices, ingredients, and even the flour I get ready if I’m also baking, even though that comes later. I want everything in my vision before I get going.
For me, it’s about seeing everything from my point of view, so I don’t forget anything.
When using written recipes, I recreate them in a way that might fit our lifestyle. Not every written recipe is the perfect one for your family. Make it the way it fits.
Don’t be afraid to experiment. Take something and make it yours.
Remember, you don’t have to measure. Learn to use your senses to add; it makes the meal more yours than others.
Buon Appetito!
