Hobby Discussion Day 3: Baking

Now, don't go assuming I'm actually a good baker. I can follow a recipe with about a 75% success rate, but it's not like I'm inventing all kinds of baked goods of my own or decorating all kinds of adorable sugar creations. But I do like to bake.

I like to bake because it distracts me from all of my other petty problems. I can't tell you how many times I have been mired in a bout of depression or anxiety, subsequently decided to bake something, and then realized a short while into measuring flour and sugar that I'm surprisingly calm. I think just the feel of flour and sugar is calming. (Also baking bread is good for anxiety. You know, because of the kneading. The waiting to rise part is not good for anxiety, though.)

And you have to measure stuff out precisely when you bake, which not only contributes to the distraction, but also appeals to my anal side. I am not one of those people who can make recipes with "a pinch of this and a dollop of that." I need to measure things out. I mean, I'm not level-off-the-measuring-cup-with-a-knife precise, but I like to measure things out. (And it's kind of a necessity to measure on Weight Watchers. I think at the end of the day, every single measuring cup and spoon I own is in the dishwasher.) I don't like to improvise. And with baking, you have to follow the recipe to a T.

I like how baking makes me feel all warm and gooey and nourishing. Everybody is happy when there are baked goods! And the house smells pretty good, which is something that even a Weight Watcher can enjoy.

Here's the problem: baking leads to eating. What person on Weight Watchers would be stupid enough to actually create baked goods in her very own home? And even though I really try to give my baked goods away to my local friends, I often feel obligated to at least have a taste of them to make sure they are edible.

I know, I could still get the benefits of baking if I made some low-fat, Weight Watchers-friendly recipes. Now, I don't about fellow WWs is, but in my opinion the portion size of most WW baked goods is too small to be actually worth the points value. Like, this one tiny muffin is 3 points?!

Anyway, I think the positives of baking far outweigh the negatives. And until my local friends tell me to stop, I'm going to keep baking and giving away my creations.

Now I am going to post some photos of things I have baked, arranged in a very haphazard manner, because I spent a long time trying to fix them and it just stressed me out.