Comments and references

Judith

Knitting is a lot like baking - Recipe vs pattern, Ingredients vs wool. However the difference lies within being able to leave your activity. Being able to walk away from a cake in the oven is not a good idea. Both these activities follow specific guidelines. I really enjoy recipes as I like order in my life. Im a very concrete person and like control. I enjoy baking because once you start this activity you have to be there with it from start to finish, constantly checking the project. When reading this post I keep thinking of the fact that knitting is something that can be left and finished later (with later being minutes, hours, days, months, years). I enjoy starting and finishing things in one go especially when it comes to assignments etc. Are you the same? or with other things in life do you start them and go back to them later? Is this activity a parallel to how you like to work?

11 October 2011 14:04  

Lauren

Wow, tear! Imagine what it must be like to be deaf. To never be able to hear. I have heard you play and everything you mentioned here is right. I’m not sure if you realize but when you play you look relaxed even though you are so engrossed in your music. It’s amazing how by exploring your sense of sound you can tell so many stories of which only you know the meaning. Is this your way of communicating your inner self to the variety of people who are so keen to listen? To communicate those thoughts and feelings that is sometimes just too hard to speak?

10 October 2011 17:54

Janine

When i read this i started thinking back to when i was a child. As far as i can remember we always had a dishwasher. Dad always did the wash up (ie wash roasting dishes and really dirty stuff) after dinner as mum always did the cooking. Then i thought about our familly summer hollidays. We would go camping hence no dishwasher. Dad as usual would do the washup however me and my younger brother would tag along and as we got older took over this job. There was something about the communal camp kitchen. The 'cool' older kids used to hang out their and do the dishes. I always wanted to wash but as i got older changed to prefer drying because i didnt want to get dirty. My dad is one person that actually likes doing dishes - he finds it relaxing. Often he is left alone at home because like you said nobody else want to clean up.

I think there is something relaxing about this activity, perhaps its being alone or having your hands in water? Perhaps maybe its communicating with others?

Also what does this tell us about some of the 'affordances' technology is taking away from this mundane task?

11 October 2011 14:26:00 GMT+13:00

Rachael W

Lovely pictures!

When I read your blog I feel that you have a special talent that not many people have. Photography allows you to be able to view the world in a different light, one that makes the most mundane things appear beautiful. Photography can allow us to see the real beauty in the world. I keep thinking of the film American Beauty directed by Sam Mendes, you could link in with the character Ricky Fits and his use of photography and reasons for capturing images. (Also a great movie)

Happy picture taking!

October 5, 2011 10:53 AM

References

Haley, L. & McKay E. A. (2004). ‘Baking gives you confidence’: Users’ views of engaging in the occupation 

of baking. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 67(3), 125-128

Porter J, Capra S, Watson G (1999) Food skills of people with chronic mental illness; the need for intervention. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 62(9), 399-403.

Bruce B. (2007), A taste of history the stories behind our favourite foods. David Bateman LTD. Auckland New Zealand.

Ephron N. Julie and Julia. (2009).

http://tvnz.co.nz/20-20/2020-s2011-e24-video-4415698 - received Saturday 24th September.

Bryant, W. & McKay E. (2005). 'What’s cooking? Theory and Practice in the kitchen. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 68(2), 67-74.

Stewart, D. Law M. (2003) The environment: paradigms and practice in health, occupational therapy ad inquiry. In: L Letts, P Rigby, D Stewart, eds. Using environments to enable occupational performance. Thorofare, NJ: Slack, 219-34

James Sunderland, Occupational Therapy lecture notes, de Lore, 2000. Received 22 September 2011

Campbell, S. (1980) Cooks' tools: The complete manual of kitchen implements and how to use them. William Morrow and Company, Inc: New York

Visser, M. (1986). Much depends on dinner. New York: Grove Press

Bon apetit!!

When I think about what the need for baking fulfills within my life, I find it difficult to think of just one. Baking has become a way of giving gifts, of being connected to people, and a way of developing skills. When I read my reflections around baking many of my decisions were influenced on what would impress others. What does this say about me? When I bake and share the food with those around me I get most satisfaction about receiving the positive feedback on how delicious my baking is. The fact that I am able to create something to heighten people’s taste buds is a skill and ability I am proud to have. Acknowledging all the elements that baking holds I think the greatest outcome for me is the ability to satisfy and please others.

Bon apetit!

The muffin story

Whilst studying this morning I felt I needed a break. I really am enjoying this course as I have developed a passion for baking. Baking today gave me an excuse for having a break. I had didn’t have a lot of baking ingredients today as making the cheesecake seemed to take a lot of it – especially my butter! I did however have a can of fruit salad in my pantry, so decided to make the almighty muffin, quick easy and doesn’t take a lot of ingredients. As I went to begin baking I found a variety of dishes in my kitchen which frustrated me as my newest flatmate does not believe in doing his dishes straight after he has cooked! (I think every female can sympathise with me here). So my baking day began with cleaning. I always find whenever I bake I need a clean and organised environment to do my best work. 

Compared to the cheesecake this recipe was a piece of cake requiring only 4 steps within the method. I did however adjust the recipe slightly and used a bit of cinnamon to complement the sweet fruit. 

Whilst waiting for the muffins to cook I managed to clean the microwave, do my dishes and sweep the kitchen floor. These muffins taste amazing and are definitely achievable on a student budget. I then sat down with a yummy muffin and a cup of coffee to continue my study. On a cold day, or any day as a matter of fact these muffins make study a lot more pleasant.

Fruit Salad Muffin Recipe

Ingredients
2C self raising flour
1/2C Sugar
100gm melted butter
2eggs
1Can of fruit Salad

Method

1) Mix all ingredients together in a bowl
2) Spoon into well greased muffin pans
3) Sprinkle a little bit of brown sugar on the tops for a crispy topping
4) Bake at 180 for 15-20mins or until golden brown and spring back when touched

BAILEYS CHEESE CAKE!!

Crust

• 1/2 cup toasted pecans, cooled and crushed
• 2 cups chocolate Oreo cookie crumbs
• 1/4 cup sugar 
• 6 tablespoons melted butter 

Filling

• 2 1/4 lbs cream cheese, at room temp
• 1 2/3 cups sugar 
• 5 eggs, at room temp
• 1 cup baileys original irish cream 
• 1 tablespoon vanilla 
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Coffee Cream Topping

• 1 cup chilled whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons butter 
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee powder 
• chocolate curls or Skor English toffee bit, for decoration on top

Directions:

Crust:.

Mix all ingredients.

Press into a 10" spring form pan and up the sides one inch.

Bake at 325 for 7-10 minute.

Filling:.

Beat cream cheese with electric mixer until smooth.

Beat sugar in gradually, and then add eggs one at a time.

Blend in Bailey's and vanilla.

Sprinkle half of chocolate chips over crust.

Spoon in filling.

Sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips.

Bake at 325 degrees approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes or until puffed, springy in center and golden brown. Place a pan of water on bottom rack of oven while baking to keep it moist.

Cool cake completely.

Coffee Cream Topping:.

Beat all ingredients and spread over cooled cake.

Top with chocolate curls or Skor bits.

*NOTE: Be sure to make and refrigerate at least one day before serving.

 

The story about a cheesecake.

This week I found myself engrossed online looking at recipes at any chance I get! I’m looking at recipe books when I go into town and searching though my mother’s recipe books when I visit home.  It seems because I am occupying myself with the activity of baking for 2hrs every week it is suddenly something I have in my head all the time although not always consciously, thus influencing my actions.

After looking at so many delightful recipes I asked a good friend what I should make. Cheesecake he suggested. That was it! I’d never made cheesecake before and due to the mishap of the fudge last week it was time to start something new. I googled cheesecake recipes (why not considering we are using the internet for this assignment) I came across a Baileys cheese cake recipe! I am a fan of baileys and had a bottle already. I was sold on this. The measurements were in pounds however and I had to convert them to kilograms this is when I started to doubt the possibility of the recipe as it required 1kg of cream cheese! Given the price of cream cheese this makes me reconsider this idea. I really wanted to make the cake especially for my friend to try (to praise me on my baking skills). I decided to halve the mixture. I went to the supermarket and bought the ingredients I needed, went home, and started with the base.

I found a food processor in the bottom of our pantry which would be excellent to crush the oreo cookies. However I could not get it to work. Instead I did the crushing the old fashioned way and put the biscuits into a bag, and hit them with a jam jar. The next problem I encountered was because id halved the mixture the base wouldn’t have covered the bottom of the tin I was using. O well. I thought 1kg of cream cheese here I come. I didn’t want to waste my fuel going back to the supermarket so I kindly asked my flatmate to do me a huge favour and get me some cream cheese – I would pay him in cheese cake. I them made the filling and put the cake in the oven to cook and were able to relax in the sun with a good book.

Once the cheese cake was cooked I let it rest at room temperature whilst I rummaged through my fridge to try and make room for the precious cake. I ended up cleaning and reorganising the fridge also which proves the activity of baking doesn’t just stop at making a cake. I then cleaned my dishes and the sugary mess I had created.

That night I couldn’t resist it. My flatmate came back from 4hrs of hunting and was ravenously hungry. I was feeling a little low and needed some praise. I cut the cheese cake which the boys were delighted to eat. I got the praise I was after. And the cheese cake was to die for! Although this was expected, due to the cost of the recipe. This could potentially be why people don’t engage in baking any more. It would have been far cheaper for me to buy a cardboard packaged cheese cake for the same price as 500grms of cheese. Although by baking a cheesecake, the pleasant aroma escalated around the house was amazing the taste of the product was excellent and the praise I received made it worthwhile.