I like cake and most baked and homemade treats but not as much as I like baking them. I guess this may sound a bit odd, as I imagine that most people who bake do so with their appetite in mind! For me, it is more about the process of baking and the sharing of the end result.
I find the process of baking therapeutic and this starts right at the beginning when looking through a cookery book for something to make. I have a huge collection of cookery books that I have added to (and continue to) over the years as my interest has grown. Cookery books are my go to choice of relaxation. For me, there are few other activities that I find more relaxing and comforting than settling down with a new cookery book to pour over! I also find that it enlightens my creativity as I think of ways that I might adapt a recipe and make it more ‘me’. I am also left with a sense of excitement and anticipation of carving out some time to bake with an adapted recipe in mind.
The baking and making stage is a continuation of this relaxation. I usually bake (and tidy up afterwards) with the radio on in the background and I like to have the kitchen to myself. Both of these put me in the ‘zone’. Baking is the ultimate ‘me time’. It is time when my creativity can run wild and I am truly focused and uninterrupted in my pursuit. I am taken away from the everyday in a sensory mix of appetising smells, textures and tastes. It is therapeutic, relaxing, engaging, creative, absorbing, requires intricate thought processes and brings about a huge sense of achievement in a relatively short amount of time.
The final and loveliest stage of this process is the sharing of the baking. This gives me so much joy. There are family members and friends I visit who would be very disappointed if I didn’t turn up with something baked. They have become accustomed to the ritual! I love this. It is something that connects me with my own feelings of contentment. My baking is received with a smile and this makes me feel good. I hope that the sharing of my baking contributes to other’s feelings of contentment and contributes to their wellbeing in some way also.
By creating the 2026 recipe calendar for SYCLS I have been given the opportunity to indulge in this process in a big way this past year. It has been wonderful. It has proved to be massively enjoyable for me and provided me with all I have talked about above. I have also been inspired and driven by the hope that the calendar will encourage many, many people to experience the same that baking does for me. Even if a person doesn’t consider themselves to be a ‘baker,’ I would massively encourage them to have a go. I think most will find some elements of therapeutic value, relaxation, engagement, creativity, absorption and a sense of achievement. This is not to mention the warm feeling of sharing something baked and the connection this can foster.
Not only is it a calendar but also a collection of original recipes that you can keep for a lifetime. I truly hope you can share in some of the joys of baking with me by treating yourself or somebody you know to one of our lovely calendars.
Order your recipe calendar!
Price: £16.50 each | 2 for £30.00
Click HERE to purchase via eBay or email lydia@sycls.co.uk
All profits support SYCLS services
Happy Baking!
Ruth
