Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Baking, I have realized, is just like life. I know my stepfather would disagree but, to me, it's all about trial and error. Sometimes, following the recipe to the letter might not guarantee a perfect product but making some mistakes is what makes the experience worthwhile. Moreover, as you make these experiments (say, baking some cookies) over and over again might yield spectacular results. In life, the same principles can be applied.

Dealing with people is just like dealing with volatile ingredients such as baking powder. Pour too much into the batter and something horrible could happen. The same thing happens with people, say something wrong or do something that, in their eyes, is bad, and something just as terrible could happen. Let's face it, we're as complicated as a 7-tier, fondant-covered, sugar flower-decorated, chocolate and raspberry-filled wedding cake. See how difficult?

And yet, just like the brownies, cookies and mouse I have just prepared (God, I need a job), you can't go into projects with fear. You can't be afraid to tell someone something just for the possibly distant fear that it might upset them in the long run. We might not be as strong as hardened caramel, but we're built to overcome most of anything. You keep something inside too long and it might just make you collapse faster than a soufflé near too much noise.

Food analogies aside, the real lesson to this is that you can't, for the sake of simple sanity, allow yourself to become bottled up with emotions. People are indeed difficult but so is making a delicate checkerboard cookie. Toil and labor for your aims. Make a mistake or two! Who knows. Maybe you'll end up with a great result. A wonderful dessert for you to share.

Bonne chance!

Gabs