The oatmeal raisin cookie recipe that I use says, “Bake for 10-12 minutes”.
When I bake cookies, I play the role of efficiency expert. I carefully plan my paths (my cooking triangle is dysfunctional) getting out and putting away ingredients along the way. By the time I add the raisins, most of my ingredients are put away and much of the mess already cleaned up. I’m ready for the next stage of efficiency with scooping, cooking trays and cooling racks.
I only recently noticed this about my baking habit. I get quite a bit of amusement from both the determination my subconscious has contributed to my baking life, and the results of a fairly clean kitchen.
During a recent baking spree, my four year old was entertaining another four year old. They were having a difficult time getting along. So as I put one tray of cookies into the oven, I grabbed a compilation of Beatrix Potter and sat them down to read. We read Peter Rabbit, complete with voices, dramatic pauses, and conversation about some of the beautiful illustrations. Satisfied and settled down the girls were off to play, and I stood up to go check on my cookies which were surely ready to come out soon.
Six minutes remained on the timer. Six minutes. We had read, Read not breezed through quickly, a whole story. Not a Sandra Boynton (though I LOVE her), but a Beatrix Potter. And I had six minutes left.
As I have begun to use a timer for some of my other household chores, I have been continually amazed at how my perceptions about time are so askew. There are so many chores that I put off knowing that I ‘don’t have the time’ only to find that they are completed easily and quickly.
The Cookie Bake was another opportunity for learning the truth about time. How many times do I miss the opportunity to fully engage with my kids or husband because I perceive that “I don’t have enough time”. In an era of time consciousness and management, of boundaries and careful planning, maybe our premium commodity has become a little inflated. Instead of remembering the value of a penny, let’s remember the value of a minute, or six. Let’s stimulate our families, and start spending.
Now, pass the cookies.
by Emily Pitman
Photo graciously provided by the author, through a Creative Commons license, some rights reserved
Thank you for this reminder Emily. It’s quite a lovely illustration and I share your shock at the little bit of time it took almost to the point of not believing you at first).
I also want to applaud your choice of a book to settle and engage two children in the middle of your baking task. I fear we turn to other choices too often…the kind with cords or batteries.
I want to say too that I appreciate your writing style. It is an elegantly crafted piece and I was with you all the way.
You’ve given me much to think about. I find perceptions of time so fascinating. We are too prone to speed it up or slow it down, depending on our momentary needs.
There’s a lot more time in a day than we realize — thus we end up wasting it. Being more mindful — living in the moment — might be a remedy.
This reminds me of the GTD 2 Minute Rule, wherein if you chance upon a chore that would take less than two minutes to complete, do it immediately.
i love that timer!
great post – it reminds me of Flylady (you can do ANYTHING in 15 minutes) – it always amazes me how quick unloading the dishwasher (not one of my favorite chores) really is….fun to hear it in regards to the good stuff too!
http://www.flylady.net/
A great reminder. I tend to have my kids sit on the counter and “help” me bake. Often they will sit in front of the oven waiting for the cookies or cup cakes to rise and I can clean the kitchen.
We have a habit of cleaning the kitchen immediately after dinner. Inevitably my daughters start crying for a book the minute they finish eating. So, I’ve started cleaning up while everyone is still eating. It might see a little rude, but it frees up my time to spend with everyone after they are all done rather than laboring in the kitchen while they beg for a book.
I’ve left the kitchen in a Horrible Mess for years while I did bathtime and read the bedtime story! Now that the boys are older I can tidy up while they have a shower, and they still want to be read a bedtime story, which I love! Nothing beats snuggling up with a child who’s almost as tall as you, and reading to them! …. My sister in law has repeatedly said she “Doesn’t have time to read bedtime stories” so I gave them a storybook called “Three-minute bedtime tales”. Not sure if she’s been able to find those three minutes yet, alas!
This is such a great post! I love bedtime story time, but have also found other times during the day where it (or whatever other task I didn’t think I had time for) was squeezed in without even trying, really). But now for the important part (:))…if that’s your timer, where did you get it and how can I get one?!