Stress baking

I don't know if y'all have noticed, but I've been stress baking.  I've always liked to bake, and there's just something so comforting about gathering ingredients and methodically following instructions to transform them into something warm and delicious.  Bread baking is one of my very favorite scents.

I brought the friendship bread starter out, which we previously established cannot really be called friendship bread, so instead we call her Shirley.  I made English muffins, of all things.  They were pretty easy.  And one of the kiddos said they actually tasted good, as opposed to the store bought ones that don't.  I hadn't known, up until that moment, that this kiddo didn't like English muffins.  This week's planned addition to the stress-baking repertoire is brookies.  That's brownies + cookies, y'all.  I say planned addition, because you know there's going to be more unplanned additions.  Probably lots more.

I mention the stress-baking thing, because you might be looking at what I'm making and thinking, wow.  She's got it so together, she can make decorated sugar cookies, and a royal icing transfer for a cake, and a cake.  She can keep a friendship bread starter alive, and make things like biscuits from it.  She can make donuts and cinnamon rolls from scratch.

All true, except for the she's got it all together part.  The baking, that's part of what's holding me together right now.  It nurtures and sustains me. I'm sure you have something like that, too.  Something that, if I knew you were doing it, I would be super impressed and think you have it all together.  Something that, however, is actually nurturing and sustaining for you, and right now feels necessary.

Y'all.  This thing is affecting us all differently.  That doesn't necessarily mean it's easier or more difficult, just different.  And just as we're all being affected differently, we're all using different means to cope.  For me, that's baking.  What is that for you?