I have a small baking business. Before I was issued Cottage my license I had to pass a course at the health department and then inspectors came into my home, opened my cabinets, looked inside of my refrigerator, and asked me questions about my cleaning habits and baking protocols.
This decision was not made lightly and took years of coaxing and prodding from all 3 children to help me overcome the anxiety and fear of showcasing my baking vulnerability to others.
When the kids were little we baked together quite often.
For me it became a mission to master the tastes, textures, and memories of my childhood where family meals were often the only time we were all gathered together and at peace. I did not realize then how important and sustaining this simple practice was to me.
Italian cookies were at every special occasion and I often went with my dad to the Sapienza Bake Shop on Hempstead Turnpike to get them. I now hold those cookie trips in the center of a special place in my soul. So mastering those cookie recipes has taken some 40+ years, and with each recipe a part of my past as well.
It’s not just about whether or not the cookies taste good and if folks will buy them. For me, each taste is a memory that has opened up a rabbit hole of ‘the past’ that I have uncovered and faced. And with each moment of awareness I put a little bit of hope and healing and good vibes into the recipes.
I am discovering that sharing your vulnerability with others can be quite healing in the end. Just don’t bite off more than you can chew.
~Lydia Patrick
I can see that Baking is your soul companion. It’s interactive, It is enjoyed by people both inside your realm as well as outside. It marks memories through the aroma , the tasting the sharing. It is an artform with substantial benefits ! I know this, I have taken the Bite !