Just an added thought....

So throughout these postings I have been having a good think about what cooking / baking really means to me. The most obvious reason I cook is to eat, which is rather essential for life. However, I do not just cook for myself. When I cook I am also providing my family with food, so I am also looking after them. This feels rewarding for me as it means I am able to contribute to the household, and provide for those who have had a busy day. It is especially helpful for Mum, as she finishes work a little later and when she gets home she is completely exhausted, so its a comfort for her knowing she doesn't need to get food on the table when she eventually gets home.
I also find being in the kitchen rather relaxing. If I am feeling stressed or have had a bad day, I find it comforting to bake something yummy - my specialty is a lemon syrup loaf which all the family love. It fills the house with the delicious smell of home-baking which immediately puts me in a better mood. I love this quote from the movie Julie and Julia, as I feel I can relate to what she is saying about how being in the kitchen makes her feel. "Chocolate cream pie! You know what I love about cooking? I love that after a day when nothing is sure and when I say nothing, I mean nothing. You can come home and absolutely know that if you add egg yolks to chocolate and sugar and milk, it will get thick. That's such a comfort." (Julie Powell, 2009).
If I am feeling particularly creative, baking or cooking gives me an opportunity to play around a little. Decorating cookies or cupcakes is always fun. I love making different coloured sugar to top belgium biscuits with, a bit of a change from the original pink colour. Chopping and changing recipes is a habit of mine, if I don't like something that is included in the recipe, I will try to substitute it with something I would prefer, or if we don't have the required ingredients, I'll hunt down something to fill it's place. Sometimes these changed recipes work out a treat, other times, not so much.
So besides cooking to eat and therefore survive, I enjoy being in the kitchen to provide for others, to de-stress, to feel a sense of belonging and achievement, and to release my creativity. Wow, who would have thought I would get this much out of cooking a simple meal!

Ephron, N. (2009). Julie and Julia. USA: Columbia Pictures.