Live next door to an annoying Martha Stewart mommy type that creates to die for quiches, 7 layer cookies, or pots du creme? Who also has an ultra-clean house with no visible toys or sign of kid-life? Who is dressed in long jeans, high heeled boots, cashmere sweater, and a face perfectly made up at morning school drop off? I don’t have a next door neighbor like this but am literally surrounded by these Stepford mommies in my neighborhood. How do these women do it? Ahhh…the nanny and housecleaner, perhaps? Then there’s me sans makeup, in track pants and a baseball cap, rushing my kindergartner to class, thinking about takeout for dinner. You tell yourself (maybe during your afternoon shower if you had time), that you could do better. That you could get it together this year. Get organized. And then your reverie is shattered when your kindergartner, the one who has to do everyth ing for herself says: “Let me pour the milk, Mommy,” and yes, it ends up all over the kitchen floor but luckily you have a corgi cleanup crew to help you out. Impossible, you think, my world can never be this as organized and praiseworthy as that lady’s. Not that I’d want to be perfect, right?
What’s a girl to do? Baking is the answer! You may not be able to produce a 6 course gourmet dinner between diaper changes, the grocery store, and walking the dogs as your little one screams the entire time. You can’t be “perfect” but you can bake…Okay, baking is not the answer but it’s not hard as you think and has almost instant results. You can feel like you accomplished something for once in your hectic day. I’m lucky, my husband loves my baking (this might be due in part to the fact, my mother-in-law’s idea of cooking includes potato bud-tuna casserole, microwave chicken dishes, and Velveeta grilled cheese sandwiches. Here are a few baking tips to make your family cheer:
1. Quick breads are quick, yes, and easy, so stock up on canned pumpkin, zucchini, bananas, and nuts. These can be whipped up while the baby is sleeping and if you have a light sleeper most can usually be mixed with a spoon rather than a mixer.
2. Experiment. When a recipe calls for cinnamon, might it taste better if you added cloves, nutmeg, and ginger as well? Or instead of just oregano, throw some basil in etc.
3. Don’t always be in rush. Let the kids help. This makes you instantly feel like Mommy of the Year. Who cares if it adds to the already big mess? From toddlers to high schoolers, kids love to bake and sample the dough. If you are really a Mommy of the Year, you can use this golden opportunity to teach the kids about measuring and fractions.
4. Don’t make cookies at 5 pm. Kids always ask when your defenses are down, when the day has crept up on you. But no one will touch their dinner, believe me, I know.
5. Pies. Okay, I hate pie crusts! I’ve never been able to perfect them. Always have a store bought one just in case your crust goes haywire. Just tell yourself it’s the interior of the pie that counts.
6. Invest in a good mixer. Not for the status but for the results of course. I splurged on a KitchenAid mixer a few years ago and haven’t regretted it. Okay, the lady next door will have the Viking oven and the top of the line mixer from Italy but who cares, right?
7. Don’t be afraid to try a yeast bread. You can’t beat homemade bread! The trick is in proofing the yeast. You add the yeast package to some warm water and sugar and if it foams, your good to go. Also, bread making is great fun for the wee ones. They can knead it and shape some into their very own loaf. Think Mommy of the Year again!
8. Non-stick cooking spray. Great as an alternative to getting the hand all greased up and it never completely washes off method.
9. Homemade buttercream frosting. Stop! Do not buy the artificial crap from the grocery store. Cake mixes are good, but prepared frostings are not! You can have homemade frosting made in five minutes, it’s worth it. All you need is powdered sugar, milk, butter and vanilla. Easy!
10. Baking sheets. Have dark brown baking sheets and cookies just as brown? Have at least one cookie sheet just for cookies. No tater tots! Your cookies and kids will thank you.
Bake, be a real woman, right? Nah, but it sure tastes good trying to be one!