By Caroline Somers
With all this free time on our hands and a lack of fun activities to enjoy, people have turned to baking for entertainment and comfort.
Among other desserts, simple mug cakes, scones, and banana bread have been extremely popular.
"I made mostly red velvet cupcakes and brownies because they are my favorites," said Mabel Qiu, a Great Valley High School freshman. Freshman Anya Patel loves making her snickerdoodle cookies.
"One important reason why I am making these cookies is that it makes me feel more in control with what's going on in life,” said Patel.
Culinary Art Therapist, Julie Ohana realizes how important activities such as baking and cooking can help our emotional well-being, mental health and stress levels.
“Since right now so much in the world is unknown and out of our hands, it is important we find other ways to have a say in our lives,” said Ohana.
The mental benefits have made many psychologists recommend for people to spend some time in the kitchen when they feel stressed or sad. Baking can help you feel mentally and emotionally stable and give you a feeling of control. Unsurprisingly, many people decided to test out this theory for themselves! Searches for cookie recipes increased by 83% and cake recipes increased by 53%. Not to mention, #homebake was used on Instagram 40% at the end of March than it was in early March. The site also showed off the yeast and flour that was sold out in most stores.
Patel also mentioned that her cookies remind her of her friends because she always makes snickerdoodles for them. Sometimes it is refreshing to do things that make you feel nostalgic, and the quarantine gave us plenty of time to do so. Although it may have been quite melancholy considering we could not be with the loved ones these things reminded us of, we could replace their absence with some homemade connections, and it does give you some practice in the kitchen with all those warm memories.
Though quarantine has restricted us from doing many of the activities we love outside of the home, it has given us lots of free time to work in the kitchen to perfect culinary skills or learn new ones!
“I have learned how to precisely measure ingredients properly so as to make meringue,” said Qiyu.
So, while you are busy staring out the window waiting for everything go back to the “old” normal, get in the kitchen and start whipping something up NEW!
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