Baking Day
“What a better world it would be if we all, the whole world, had cookies and milk about
three o’clock every afternoon and then lay down on our blankets for a nap.”
- Robert Fulghum
I think our great-grandma’s were on to something when they set aside a day a week for their homemaking duties (Monday: wash day… Tuesday: Ironing… Wednesday: Sewing… Thursday: Market Day… Friday: Cleaning Day… Saturday: Baking Day… Sunday: Rest). Of course we all need to adjust ours to our own schedule and needs, but I’m finding that it really helps. I started a baking day every Wednesday a few weeks ago, and its really simplified my life. I make my kitchen a gigantic mess and bake 3 or 4 different things for the week. Then I clean up, put everything in the freezer and we’re set. Then I don’t have to buy the preservative-filled things at the grocery store. I am trying to develop healthy recipes for muffins, cookies, breads, etc, so if you have any good ones, let me know. My mom has been teaching me how to substitute healthy ingredients in my recipes… I’m still working on cleaning out the junk from my pantry and replacing it with organic, nutritious ingredients. If anyone has some good health tips for me, let me know!
Here’s a cookie recipe that mom and I adapted, and they turned out really good. Mark really likes them, too, because they are soft and chewy.
Now I just need to pick out my days for laundry… gardening… grocery shopping… cleaning… sewing… and the list goes on and on… 
This recipe sounds fabulous…can’t wait to try it. Thank you. Have you tried Blue Agave syrup yet? It looks somewhat like pancake syrup. I use it in place of sugar – and it tastes great in coffee/tea. Don’t ask me all the health benefits (I’m sure there are some great ones) but I know I feel better not using the table sugar as much. That’s my latest find.
No, I’ve never heard of it… I’ll definitely look into it, though, because I need a good substitute for my morning coffee! Thanks for the great tip. I’m looking for ways to cut out the sugar that creeps into my diet throughout the day (which has been often!) I’m trying to fit into a smaller bridesmaid’s dress for the wedding! Let me know if you have more tips… Thanks, Ruth!
Sounda like a great cookie recipe. I also have the blue agave syrup and it is pretty good. I have some at work that I add to tea every now and then. Still prefer table sugar though!
I’ve used agave nectar too. It can be kind of expensive, but it works just like sugar. I’ve found that I can easily cut the sugar in half in most recipes and substitute half the flour for whole wheat and things usually come out just as good. I also substitute canola oil in some recipes for butter. I feel like I’m always trying to improve the way we eat, but it’s hard to break some old habits (especially sugar). Your recipe looks good!
Thank you, girls, for the tips. So do either of you use it for baking, or is it too expensive to use it like that? Or is it mostly for coffee and tea and things? Alison, I thought it was interesting that you are able to cut the sugar in half and it tastes just as good… I’ve never thought of doing that, but that is a great idea. I’ve also been using half whole wheat flour in recipes and it works well.
Thank you, friends, for your comments and tips!
I make all of our cookies and cakes out of whole wheat and they are a little grainier if that is a word but after a few times it tastes normal. But now we are gluten free for potato and rice flour is our new recipes.