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Monday, March 19, 2012

The Dark Side of Baking: An Opposing View

Today, I bring you a guest post from the DH, who blogs at PaulLarosa.com
As many of you know, my wife has a popular baking blog called A Cake Bakes in Brooklyn, a blog so popular she was recently featured in the Ladies Home Journal magazine. I get a lot of comments from people about how lucky I am because I get to try all these delicious treats, and that’s true but, let me tell you friends, it’s not all buttercream frosting and 7-layer cakes — there is a dark side of baking!
First off, there is the temptation. I am constantly being asked if I want to lick a spoon or a spatula to the point where I believe my wife thinks of me as a human dishwasher or perhaps a cat.
Then there are the constant taste tests. Do you realize how many calories one can consume just trying alittle bit of this cake or that cookie? I’ve spent a fortune having my Facebook photos digitally altered so they fit on the page.
Then there is the noise associated with baking. I came down to breakfast the other day and it sounded like a jet was taking off in the kitchen but, really, it was only the unbelievably noisy Kitchen Aid mixer. Do they make mufflers for those things? So I sat there with my morning coffee pretending I was aboard a 747. “Only five more minutes to wheels up,” my wife said sweetly.
And finally, ladies and gentlemen, there is the mess. I cannot tell you how often I enter the kitchen thinking the house has been ransacked. Pans, bowls, dishes everywhere, not to mention the sprinkling of white flour over every conceivable surface. I guess there’s a good reason not so many people bake from scratch anymore — they know of the dark side!
 http://www.paullarosa.com/ 

6 comments:

  1. I am SO sharing this with my husband! I know he can relate. And probably my dad, too. Dad and I often reminisce that my mom baked from one end of the kitchen to the other (and sometimes beyond).

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    1. Funny! Hope he'll cut you a bit to slack! I'm like your mother, why clean as you go, when you can do it all while the cake (or whatever) is baking? Much more efficient!

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  2. Paul, I feel your pain. My weight has reached an alltime high and my wife seems oblivious to the recipe sheets and cookbooks scattered in every room of the house. Ken - husband of Nana Clare's Kitchen

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    1. Ken -- Paul loved your comment! A kindred spirit, at last. Thanks for writing. Of course, I remain firmly planted in your wife's corner. Bake (and cook) on!!

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  3. This is a wonderful blog... Love the recipes. I have a whole box of similar collected recipes and stories to go with, but baking really does pack on the pounds.

    I have a question for you. I noticed that you have the same refrigerator I have (the handles look the same -- is it a Fisher-Paykel?) Well, for the 2nd time in 7 years the handle has broken off. The handle alone costs over $100. This last time I replaced it myself. So do you have a similar problem with yours? I love my fridge -- both the simplicity and the design but the handle thing is driving me crazy...

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    1. Thanks, Anonymous. And yes, baking can get into dangerous territory. I just gave away an entire rhubarb bread, lest I eat the whole thing! My refrigerator is the Fisher-Paykel -- love the design and it fit perfectly into the space. I've only had it since Labor Day, but so far no problems. My wall oven is entirely different story -- the only time is works properly is when the repair service is here to fix it!

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