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Thursday 4 June 2020

Happy in the Kitchen !


Over recent weeks some of us have found living with the many changes to our life that Covid 19 has made, stressful. For some, finding things to do has not been easy, where others have been discovering the delights of art, craft and cooking. Reading around a lot of blogs it seems many have been experimenting more with recipes, sometimes from choice, sometimes by necessity when items have not been available in the shops. But did you know cooking can help make you happy and can help with mental well being … read on to find out more.

"Why Cooking Makes You Happy

Is cooking the recipe for mental wellbeing?
Take mindfulness, creativity and a dash of focus. Fold together gently, bake in a slow oven and watch your spirits rise. Yes, your time spent in the kitchen can enhance your mood and promote mental wellbeing. While cooking is clearly a means to satisfy the body’s need for food, it’s increasingly being recognised as a way of nurturing the mind. A study in the International Journal of Humanities and Social Science looked at the therapeutic qualities of cooking as a hobby, including its reported ability to cause a dimmed sense of time and an altered sense of consciousness. The researchers found that the act of cooking improves a person’s wellbeing and is associated with life satisfaction. Additionally, they discovered that cooking was the best predictor of subjective happiness. For some, time spent in the kitchen engrossed in baking and cooking may be exactly the recipe needed for greater happiness and mental wellbeing.

Getting creative
The kitchen offers endless opportunities to express your creativity and find your flow. Ever noticed how two people can follow the same recipe and end up with different results? Part of why this happens can be attributed to the invisible element that is part of every recipe: creativity. If you suffer from anxiety or low moods, cooking could help increase your happiness. Spending time in the kitchen can ease stress and restlessness, and enhance mindfulness, the study concluded.

Make your cake (and eat it)
Not only does the process of cooking and baking improve moods, the feeling of satisfaction gained when seeing the end product naturally enhances happiness. You’ve created something tangible that can be enjoyed and shared, giving yourself a well-deserved sense of achievement. Psychological therapist Annie Gurton says the outcome of cooking goes further than a sense of accomplishment – it can satisfy the emotional need for purpose and meaning in our lives. “Cooking is a task that requires a combination of several skills – understanding and planning, attention to detail, using our memory and imagination, manual dexterity, creativity and style.”

3 steps to bliss in the kitchen

Find your confidence first: find something simple you enjoy making, and master it. Then move onto more difficult recipes. 
Grow your own ingredients: picking fresh herbs and vegetables and adding them to your dish gives an even greater sense of pride and achievement. 
Cultivate mindfulness: smell the ingredients, feel the texture, notice what happens when you mix different foods together. Take notice of all the senses."
The above from article here 

I couldn't resist sharing this photograph of two of our grandchildren. In the midst of home-schooling (due to schools being shut because of Covid 19) with school work done it was time for baking fun and some Little Mermaid Cup Cakes, a yummy treat. 

If you may be looking for a quick yummy treat why not try a low carb Chocolate Muffin - in a mug - you can microwave or oven-bake; more details here 


Dear reader, you will find a variety of articles and recipe ideas within this blog, not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

All the best Jan

21 comments:

eileeninmd said...

Hello,

Great post, cooking makes me happy. I enjoy trying out new recipes.
Have a great day and happy weekend ahead.

Tom said...

...thanks for sharing your grandchildren.

Valerie-Jael said...

Cooking can really be fun, that's true, and especially with willing little helpers. Valerie

CJ Kennedy said...

Sweets for the sweet. Your grandchildren are cute.

Sandi said...

"Cultivate mindfulness: smell the ingredients, feel the texture, notice what happens when you mix different foods together. Take notice of all the senses."

You know...that is good advice, but it's hilarious to imagine someone doing this mindfully. 😄

Louca por porcelana said...

Great post!Your Grands are just adorable!God bless you all.

Shari Burke said...

Nice post and some happy looking small bakers!

Carla from The River said...

I love those smiles. I needed to see those smiles today. Thank you dear.

Elephant's Child said...

The kitchen has always been the heart of our home. Of all our homes.
Love the smiling young bakers depicted here.

Jeanie said...

I've been cooking loads and loads and having fun with it. Rick and I cook together, too, and do it quite well. That has been one of the Covid blessings, good cooking and baking and camaraderie.

DUTA said...

Kids in the kitchen is a blissful sight.

Martha said...

Spending time in the kitchen is always a nice way to de-stress and be creative. Lovely photos of your grandkids. They look really happy!

happyone said...

I'd rather bake than cook! :)

Lowcarb team member said...

happyone said...
I'd rather bake than cook! :)

I think a mixture of both is good …

Cooking
A method of preparing food by using heat; involves manipulating the chemical properties of the ingredients

In general, cooking is considered an “art” because you are free to change the measurements or ingredients based on your preference

Baking
A method of cooking food by using dry heat, usually in an oven

Considered a “science” because it generally calls for accurate and precise measurements of the ingredients

https://difference.guru/difference-between-cooking-and-baking/

Many thanks for all your comments so far, they are appreciated.

All the best Jan

Conniecrafter said...

Hmmmm, I don't know if I can agree with any of this, LOL!
I never have enjoyed cooking the whole 36 years I have been married, now I do it because it is healthier and less expensive than eating out and I have done it more since the Covid, we went 59 days without getting take out at all, and I can reassure you that the first time we decided to go out and purchase our meal from the restaurant was the most relaxed I have had been eating since it all started.
My daughter on the other hand really likes it and it is enjoyable for her, I guess I just wasn't blessed with that gene.

Linda said...

Cute kids! I have found cooking to be more stressful because of shortages in the stores. Often they don't have the meat that I want or even my second choice.

Snowbird said...

Love your delightful grands! What a lovely post.xxx

sandy said...

those grandkids of yours are so cute!! I bet they have fun cooking and baking.

Teresa said...

Una buena idea. Un beso.

Debbie said...

cooking...baking, makes me very happy, i wish i had done more of it with my boys!! your grandchildren are so adorable!!!

pam nash said...

I enjoy cooking and specially enjoy baking. My goal is to keep my freezer stocked with prepared meals that need only to be heated up and fresh veggies added.