GrowingOlderHopeWiser

I’m a good cook. My friends and family agree. Still, the first time I try something new with baking, it often becomes a disaster. My first baking disaster was in 5th grade when I decided to contribute a cake to a school bake sale. I enlisted the help of my best friend and neighbor, Nena. We got a box of cake mix. It’s straightforward, right? Wrong! we came out with the hair-brained idea to use only half the mix for the cake. What I got was a pancake! I had already committed to the bake sale so I added extra frosting.

Precision and Patience in baking

My later attempts have not been much better. This is because baking is an exact science, and I do not have the patience it takes.

This was my first try at cherry pie this week. My second try turned out better, and I hope the third try is even better.

Indeed, I will not try homemade pie crust again, at least not for a while.

My cake flavors have been good in the past, but my decorating has been a hysterically funny disaster.

My greatest success

Still, I did succeed in one of my attempts to create a delicious “Turtle Chocolate Cake.” I followed Betty Crocker’s recipe, and it turned out fabulous! Chocolate Turtle Cake Recipe – BettyCrocker.com . I was glad because I baked it with a lot of love for the Buddhist Center.

Bread Baking in Retirement

My new retirement hobby has been bread baking. So far, I have made home made Cuban, Italian and Artisan breads. My first attempts at bread baking have been better, but they have also had their share of faux pas. I have to master the art of kneading. Again, it is a matter of precise measurements and patience. You would think that someone who can meditate for 20 minutes without falling asleep would have the patience. I hope to master baking one day. I won’t give up on baking because it is bound to get better with practice. Next, I will try cherry hand pies.