Little Black Book

I have very few pet peeves, well mainly three. The first two are fairly basic: lying and gossip. But the third, oh the third!!! No sin is as great as this, in fact it should be on par with murder and ... what are the deadly sins again? Well anyway, the third doesn't have a nice neat name like murder. It is actually an event that I despise. "The unappreciation of the gift of food". Now I know I am no Martha Stewart, Paula Deen or Nigella Lawson (in all her goddess- like glory), but I can cook well enough that my food is edible and, for the most part, down right delish. So would it be too much trouble to say thanks?

This little rant comes from an incident that happened over the weekend and it started with me doing something I naturally do: I give away food. I give it away because I bake and cook so much that hubs and I would be a 1,000 lbs and dying of swollen arteries if I didn't. I also give it away because many - no most - of my family and friends do not like baking or cooking, other than what comes in frozen form from the store. So I figure that in the best interest of both parties (I can feed my addiction to the Kitchen Aid and they can be saved from a slow death due to chemically altered grocery store baked goods) I will bake far more than I need in a household of two and then give away all of the extras. Now normally I find this very rewarding and fun. People are usually pleased to receive and I am equally pleased to hand over my latest creation.

Cut to this weekend where I spent quite a bit of time on my aforementioned banana cake and oatmeal cookies. We were invited over for a party of sorts and I, in my naivete, assumed that a food hostess gift would not go amiss. Half the cake was wrapped lovingly in foil and 2 dozen of the cookies were baked minutes before we left the house and were almost still warm when I arrived at said party. I excitedly handed my offering to the hostess and announced "Banana cake and oatmeal cookies. Your favorite." To wish I received an "oh, ok" and my baking was whisked off into the kitchen and unceremoniously plopped on the kitchen counter. I was shocked, I mean who doesn't at least say thank you? (I have received some terrible gifts, some of them food, in my lifetime and I have never, never, not at least attempted a bit of a thank you and even a tiny compliment.)

It is because of this, and a few other incidents, that I began The Black Book of Unappreciative Baking Receivers. This is for the people who leave my Christmas baking on tables to dry out in their withered plastic wrap, people who expect certain desserts when you offer to bring something and don't allow for any creativity, people who tell you that it looks good but they don't eat sweets so don't bother bringing anything over again, and now the new group: the non thankers. Don't get me wrong, I am not looking for praise or for them to gush and gush and ask for the recipe. I am merely asking for a thank you or a "that was yummy" just so I know my time and ingredients and thoughtfulness did not go to waste on their Nabisco crumbed counter. Is that too much to ask? If I had brought over a bottle of Merlot would that have been honored with a thank you? Maybe it is that people do not like homemade food. Such is their permanent loss because I do not forgive this sin so easily. Poor Rosie is still trying to work her way back out of the pit after a baking event which shall remain nameless.

So there is my rant and I shall now let it go and continue the baking this weekend, only this time I will bestow it upon much more eager recipients - namely Matt and Justin.

Ciao