Cakelove

I impulsively picked up this book at the library last week. I usually go in to pick up one book I have on hold and come home with 10 others. Topics usually rotate between health, fitness, parenting, organizing, sewing, vegetarianism, travel…and baking. I always come back to baking because secretly I wish I lived in a house with a professional bakery where I baked and decorated people’s dream cakes. I also dream of being a personal trainer out of a home gym. Kind of conflicting services. There also apparently wouldn’t be much room in this dream house for my family. Hmm.

Anyway, I get these books on baking and I ogle them but I never bake anything out of them. Why? Because I don’t keep sweets I enjoy in the house. Why? Because that is all I will eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner. No self-discipline. None. The only safe baking is oatmeal butterscotch cookies because I think they are disgusting. Conveniently they are Stephen’s favorite so I make dough, freeze it and he can feed his equally shameless sweet tooth for a month with no interference from me. We’re such a good match.

So I get this book and I’m ogling it and I run across this quote by the author that gives me hope about my unhealthy relationship with sugar (which I sometimes refer to as poison which oddly enough doesn’t prevent me from eating it). I aspire to adapt this healthy philosophy on sweets.

“I like cakes with heaps of butter, sugar, eggs and flour. And I don’t feel guilty about eating them either. In fact I think I eat less because of that fact. …I do so in moderation-I also exercise regularly. It’s only prudent that we allow for indulging in decadent treats because, let’s face it, we usually eat them anyway. Self-control breaks down from time to time-it happens to all of us. Rather than fight clawing urges for delicious sweets, I just accept it and have a small taste. When I indulge my cravings and eat something made from scratch, I am satisfied by the pure, natural flavors I can taste. Eating a slice might make you think you’ve died and gone to heaven, but it alone won’t kill you. So bake from scratch, eat to enjoy, and exercise often.” –Warren Brown

Is this in conflict with my new resolve to eat more whole, pure, plant based foods? Nah. It’s all about a healthy balance, right? In his book Food Rules, Michael Pollan suggests you allow yourself to eat junk food as long as you make it from scratch. Sounds slightly dangerous but does require more time and is therefore a little more difficult to get your hands on. And really is there anything more satisfying than baking something beautiful and delicious from scratch? If all else fails it makes a great gift.

Maybe I’ll try one of these cakes after all.