Since I was a kid, homework has been synonymous with baking.
Growing up, both my parents worked, so my grandma used to pick me up from school.
My mom’s mom is not a baker. My dad’s mom is the grandma of the pies. My mom’s mom is the grandma of the meatballs.
But my grandma has a sweet tooth. So she would pick me up from school and then ask me if I wanted to “help” her make brownies. Being 6 and naive, I thought I was a big deal, helping make brownies then sitting at the table and doing my homework while the kitchen was filled with the smell of warm chocolate.
But no.
My grandma just really hated baking and really liked brownies.
But what happened is that baking and homework have become linked in my mind. The time it takes for brownies or a cake to be baked is the time it takes to write a five page paper or read a twenty page article.
So, now, twenty years later and back in school for a graduate degree, I’m still baking while doing my homework.
Maybe because of the connection at an early age it has become part of my thinking process.
See, that’s not just a box of a cake mix and a mixing bowl below; no sir. That’s my brainstorming and rough draft.
And this bowl of homemade buttercream frosting, it’s me formulating a thesis statement.
By the way, I see no problem with boxed cake mix cakes. They’re delicious and they remind me of childhood. To jazz it up, just make your own frosting. This one’s a snap.
- 1/3 cup butter, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1-2 tablespoons of milk
Whip the ingredients together with your hand mixer and voila, homemade frosting.
Scoop out the frosting and cover the cake when it’s cooled. Think about your introductory paragraph as you spread the fluffy white frosting.
And then, let the cake sit while you finish the paper. The frosting will get a touch of hardness so there’s a bit of crunch when you bite into the cake.
Speaking of which, the best part of this whole baking and writing thing?
There’s a beautiful cake waiting for you.
But only when you’ve finished your paper.