This weekend I hosted my second annual Cookie Craziness...err...Exchange Party. I decided to try a new cookie. That was a big mistake. It looked real cute in the "Santa's Favorite Cookies" cookbook. Cookie candy canes. Simple ingredients. Simple directions. Or so I thought. Except that when I started to roll out the red and white ropes to twist together, I realized that the dough has to be cold or else the cookies get all gooey and lose their shape, becoming sloppy messes. And while I tripled the recipe, I still did not have enough cookies for everyone in the exchange.
So, I made another batch and put it in the fridge. But the longer the process took, the shorter my patience got. I tried to make a couple of cookie sheets with each kid but the process seemed to take more effort and my frustration level was escalating as the cookies turned to goo. I have come to realize that I am not going to be the cookie baking kind of Mom. I have already realized that while I am learning to enjoy cooking and baking, I much prefer them as solo activities.
I think some people have natural abilities with cooking and baking, to where it is almost second nature, so teaching and working with their children is fun and enjoyable. However, for me, it takes a great deal of concentration and sustained effort to cook. It's not that easy or natural for me, so my frustration level increases. I should accept that about myself. I have other gifts and abilities. There are other things that I can teach with far more patience and ease.
It does not mean I am a bad mother if I don't like to cook with my children. I will teach my children how to cook but individually and maybe small things. And I will choose cookies that are not as complicated. I seem to do this to myself in other things...I choose the hard patterns to cross-stitch...the hard quilt patterns...complicated scrapbook pages with fussy details. But I think with cookies...I should stick to the basics!
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