One of my most therapeutic powers is baking. Ever since I was younger, the scene of a countertop crowded with ingredients and dusted with flour has always called to me. Measuring out ingredients, then mixing and nudging them towards a finished product brings me a sense of peace and contentedness. I’ve used this baking savvy as a way of saying thanks or bringing comfort to the people around me.
The best way I know how to help a friend who’s feeling down is to don my oven mitts and whip something up in the oven. Just the gorgeous smells of baked goods are enough to make anyone forget their worries for a minute.
Baking is also another thoughtful way of saying “thanks” or “sorry.” When you taste a homemade cookie or roll, you can glimpse the hard work and passion that the baker put into it. It’s the kind of gift that brings people of all backgrounds together, and gives them each a bit of happiness.
My personal favorites are homemade cinnamon rolls and blueberry muffins, but I’m just as happy making sugar cookies out of a Betty Crocker mix. What matters most to me is that the end product offers some joy to whoever is eating it.