Chocolate Cake (or Cookies!) and Proof of the Power of Pursuits

Mexican Hot-Chocolate Cookies

"She broke out of a bout of self-pity and
grief by making a giant two-layer chocolate cake with
whipped cream cheese in the frosting."
from The New York Times, Ruth Reichl Recharges in the Kitchen

Whether you bake or not, there's great truth in that sentence.

Struggles. We all have them. Finding a way out, or at least some relief, can sometimes be the biggest challenge of all.

Ruth Reichl's new book "My Kitchen Year: 136 Recipes That Saved My Life," due out later this month is a response to losing her long-time job as food editor at Gourmet magazine which closed after a 69-year run. It's a story of loss and finding a way back. Get the cake recipe here and read the full article about Reichl in The New York Times here. 

I get it. My go-to recipe is oatmeal cookies . . . I like them with raisins, nuts, and chocolate chips. My husband prefers the classic oatmeal raisin.

It's in the gathering of ingredients, mixing, baking, and then sharing my baked goods that I find relief. And my go-to recipe is Quaker Oats Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (though I do prefer to leave out the cinnamon). 

If you're interested in giving it a go, the recipe is printed under the lid . . . you can lift the lid in the store without breaking the seal, check the ingredients, grab what you need, and go home and bake. Brilliant packaging.

Relief is not confined to the kitchen. You might prefer setting out on a bicycle, or knitting, treasure hunting, or baking a chocolate cake or a batch of cookies. Relief is found in the doing.

Focus on one thing or mix it up, but whatever you do, find the power of pursuits.

And if you want the recipe for Mexican Hot-Chocolate Cookies pictured above, here it is!