A Life Decluttered: The Bake & Send

One morning I woke up and I wanted to learn how to bake the perfect chocolate chip cookie. I'd baked Christmas cookies with my mom growing up - an annual tradition. And that, my friends, was the extent of my baking knowledge.  Looking back, my budget, my locale (away from family) and (my newfound) minimalist living were the instigators. Living in New York as a struggling artist, a) I was far away from the majority of my friends and family, and b) I had limited funds to shower them with gifts when major life events happened (births, birthdays, the random "I love you, grandpa" moments). On top of that, I had embraced minimalism and didn't want to add clutter to anyone's life. 

SIDE NOTE: I love a good gift. Who doesn't, really? My minimalism does not discount the act of gift-giving. Last month, I got my five year old niece a faux fur vest because it's something every five year old should own. (Right?) But when it comes to minimalism and gift-giving -- my mother-in-law recently nailed it for my birthday. A Starbucks gift card = perfection. She knows my love of caffeine AND my love of coffee shops. Tune in next week when I blog about other non-stuff gifts that I love. 

So back to baking. I called up a friend - known for her baking skills - and she generously dished her secrets and gave me a tutorial. With that, I began gifting my loved ones via what I like to call The Bake & Send.

Baking for others is a little act of service. I like to think about the people I'm baking for whilst I bake. I'm in Indy now, so my man and some family members are close by. But many are still far away, and I miss them. One of my nephews just turned five, and this week, whilst baking my chocolate chip cookies, my favorite memory of him popped into my head. I was visiting my brother and his family in Charlotte, and my nephew wasn't even a year yet. Oh was he a cute baby. The Oscars were on, so obviously my sister-in-law and I were stationed on the couches (Red Carpet fashion is serious, guys). And I held my nephew, cuddling him on the couch long into the ceremony. Is there anything better than cuddling a sleeping baby, I ask you? I don't think I'm alone when I say it is the little moments in life that I treasure the most. These days I'm pretty sure he is going to be a professional athlete. But maybe I'm biased... and getting ahead of myself. 

Baking is tied to many memories in the seven years I've adopted it into my life. I remember sending my grandpa a batch when he got sick towards the end of his life. He couldn't eat them so he shared them with the nurses taking care of him. So I got to thank his caregivers in my own little way. I remember the first time I sent my boyfriend (now husband) a batch. It was a long distance relationship at the time, and this was my way of saying, "Buddy, whoa am I into you." I remember all my friends - who'd been just little girls when I first met them - having their first babies. I imagined them filled with love but perhaps exhausted and overwhelmed with this new infant - so maybe cookies would be a comfort? I hoped so. Because I was sending them.

What's more, I get a lot out of The Bake & Send too. The act of baking is similar to cleaning out a closet (for me... stick with me here). The writing life can be stationary - me at my computer, sitting sitting, sitting. And sometimes to move the process along, I need a long walk - I need to move and work things out in my imagination. Away from the computer. And then sometimes, I want to move, but I want to stay really close to my computer in case I figure something out and need to jot it down. So indoor activities that get me busy - they are my perfect outlet. 

ANYWAY, the point is, I started out baking because it was a gift I could afford - I could give people my time to let them know I was thinking of them. And now -- I just still really love doing it. So why stop? 

Recently, there has been a plethora of first time moms in my life. Plus let us not forget the five year old nephew. So late one night this past week - restless about a rewrite, with the five year old's birthday looming before me - I went to town in the kitchen.

The key to The Bake & Send is the packing. I don't just like packing for trips, guys!!!!! I like packing cookies too. I've learned over the years that the more snug the package, the more likely the cookies will arrive intact. As I like to say, it's not brain surgery over here at A Serene Space. Tupperware is a safe bet for cookies - what good are they stale, right? These circular containers are not ideal for packing, but I had them left over from last Thanksgiving's turkey broth so I used them. I'm a minimalist so I'd rather use what I have.

I use parchment paper for the cookies to cool on, then I cut the same sheet into squares to separate the layers of cookies. I line the inside of the tupperware container with plastic wrap (again: I want these cookies arriving as fresh as if they'd just come out of the oven). Between the top layer of cookies and the lid, I pack a sort of stuffing - this time I used aluminum foil and it fit the bill. 

The only drawback this week - the extra time is takes to wrap an odd shaped container. My solution? Turn on a podcast and/ have the TV on in the background. Boom, the time flies. Last week I mentioned my favorite use for brown bags. And packing cookies to send to loved ones is it. It's a fun little arts & crafts for a grown-up. 

And just like that, the cookies were out of my kitchen and heading towards my loved ones.