Here I sit on the couch. It’s the end of a long, productive and busy day – a good one! – and rather than channel my energy into housework or data entry or emails, I’m watching episodes of the Junior Bake-Off Show (see that, Pillsbury? we’re good, we’re good!).
This show is one of my absolute favorites. And it’s not just because I’m a baker at heart. It’s not just because the folks on the show are so delightful, charming, and kind to one another. I’m realizing (from my campsite on the couch) that this show – the kid version in particular – satisfies me on a deep, emotional level.
As I watch, I’m realizing that this show, and the kids on it, have lessons for me and my students to learn:
- Sometimes the bake goes sideways. Yep. Sometimes it’s the humidity in the tent. Sometimes the bread just doesn’t prove correctly. Sometimes there’s a missing egg, or salt, or an unset jelly. What are you going to do? Dry your tears and keep going. It won’t be so bad.
- Sometimes the bake goes well. Really, really well. And people will compliment you on the precision of your icing, or the rise of your sponge, or the level of flavors you’ve given them. Say thank you and know that you’ve done something well because this is something you’re good at.
- Sometimes time is not your friend. There are times you will be frustrated because your pie just doesn’t have enough time in the oven, or you’re behind because you had to restart your caramel, or perhaps your cake doesn’t have the chance to cool before frosting it. Or maybe time got away from you and the pancakes burnt, or your egg whites got lumpy. Reconfigure, rework, and improvise something. Maybe breathe a couple of times. You’re going to be okay.
- Putting something into the world is both an act of courage and a release of control. And maybe the people who taste it will love your flavor profile, or maybe they’ll think there was too much lavender in the mix, or maybe they’ll wish the pastry had been a bit flakier. You’ll still be standing at the end of the tasting session. Promise.
- There’s a reason why the hosts are comedians. Because when things are at their most tense, their most terrible, the most dark and dim, it’s sometimes helpful to have someone else remind you that a botched batch of biscuits is not a ten on the awful-meter.
- Compadres are a special thing. When all of the folks around you are as excited about your passion as you are, there’s a certain feeling in the air. Knowing you’re in the company of people who GET YOU is a magical, magical thing. And being able to craft and create together side by side is a thing of awe. Enjoy it. RUN with it.
There’s more learning to be had, but quite frankly, it’s time for me to get back to the show. The kids are about to make choux pastry self-portraits. Will all of this young talent astound me?
YOU BET.
