Hi everyone! To remind you guys of my inquiry I am focusing on developping healthy habits. I have begun to implement the habits I focused on in the past couple weeks into my daily routines and most have them have stuck. Some of them I have enjoyed more than others, but in general each of them has contributed in helping my mental health or physical health and has left me with a good feeling.
This week I wanted to try to bake something for me and my roommates. I always see everyone’s food blogs and I get so jealous because the stuff they are making looks absolutely delicious! I wanted to try to get into the habit of making more homemade stuff and I thought baking was a great place to start. According to https://www.timesnownews.com/health/baking-and-mental-health-heres-how-this-cooking-method-can-cheer-your-mind-article-90090449 Baking can help mental health by producing theraputic effects, help social skills by offering friends treats and eating and smelling baked gods releases endorphins that release stress!
I decided to bake chocolate chip cookies because they are a classic and also definitely a comfort food. The recipe I used was from Betty Crocker, I thought that this recipe was super simple and could be easy to replicate. I am not that talented at baking so I didn’t want to start off with a recipe that was so complicated!
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
After putting the cookies in the oven and the house started to smell so yummy I can totally see why people love to bake and use it as a release for their stress at the end of a long day or week. The cookies turned out pretty good, especially fresh out of the oven. Overall, this was a super fun activity for me to get away from school and work and take some time for myself. I definitley want to expand on this idea of baking to becoming a regular habit as it is a fun and relaxing way to destress and produces great rewards!
Resources:
Digital, T. N. (2022, March 9). Baking and mental health – here’s how this cooking method can cheer your mind. TimesNow. Retrieved November 4, 2022, from https://www.timesnownews.com/health/baking-and-mental-health-heres-how-this-cooking-method-can-cheer-your-mind-article-90090449
Kitchens, B. C. (2004, January 1). Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies. BettyCrocker.com. Retrieved November 4, 2022, from https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/ultimate-chocolate-chip-cookies/77c14e03-d8b0-4844-846d-f19304f61c57
November 5, 2022 at 12:30 pm
Hi Lexi!
Gosh, I haven’t had time to bake in so long. I used to make time for it all last year but honestly this term has been so busy. Anyways, your cookies look like they turned out awesome! Such a great reminder that I need to make cookies soon.
November 5, 2022 at 10:37 pm
OOO yum! These look so good, I am such a sucker for chocolate chip cookies. I love your blog idea, we get so busy that time to ourself can be so limited, so it is cool that you are able to take time each week to focus on yourself (even if it is for a blog.)
Baking was such a good idea, and I bet your roommates appreciated it too! Next time, you should bake for the cohort … wink wink.
November 6, 2022 at 12:04 pm
Hi Lexi,
Those cookies look really good! I can’t say I am much of a baker, but I agree that cooking can definitely help with mental stress. I find that when I am cooking I forget about the homework that I have to complete and I just get to enjoy making food. Thanks for sharing!
November 7, 2022 at 11:23 pm
Lexi!
Your chocolate chip cookies look DELICIOUS! My favourite is eating them right after they get out of the oven when they are still warm and soft and then drinking a glass of milk with it! For my inquiry, I have done so much cooking I feel like I should add some baking into it! I will definitely try to use this recipe over just buying the premade pilsbury chocolate chip cookies I usually do haha!
Thank you!