My Dearest FlyLady,
I’ve been following your emails and videos for some time now. This testimonial has to do with your concept of a little time spent today saves a whole lot of time later. My pleasure time is almost always spent in the kitchen. I love to cook and especially to bake, I used to love baking during the holiday season.
In the past before I worked full time I had time to be in the kitchen all day, but now with 12 hr shifts at the hospital and my back, I can’t spend all day in there anymore. I used to bake 10-15 varieties of cookies for my family, but now I’m an empty nester. I still like to make cookies but my figure can not handle the 3 dozen yield anymore.
The other day I decided to bake a batch of chocolate chip cookies. I scooped out a dozen then thought why not shape a log and freeze the dough for later. So I did. A few weeks later I pulled out the frozen dough and sliced off a few cookies and baked them. They were every bit as good as the fresh batch.
A few weeks later I did the same thing with my peanut butter cookies. I rolled the balls, dipped them in sugar, flattened them with a fork and froze the cookies on wax paper on the cookie sheet and then put them in ziplock bags. Today I’m doing snickerdoodles. Then a revelation hit me.
I can start all my holiday cookie recipes now! Storing each unbaked batch in a log or as a ball or a shaped cookie. In the past I would be in the kitchen all day. Big pile of dirty bowls and spoons and measuring utensils. I’d be complaining by the end about my back and not want to shine my sink because it was full of dirty dishes and I was too tired and in too much pain to clean them.
This year is going to be different! I will not be a martyr as i have been in the past. I will make one batch of unbaked cookies a week on my plan and play day. All the batches are being labeled as I go. I’m cleaning as I go and the mess is minimal because I’m only doing one recipe at a time. When I’m ready to put my cookie boxes together for my out of town kiddos, I will take the frozen cookies out and bake them.
I won’t have to worry about burning any while I’m trying to juggle making another batch of dough. So this little bit of time I’m spending each week is saving me a whole day of time later, and I won’t have the back pain to deal with either!!! I am flying high!! And for the first time in a long time I’m excited about the holidays! I may even work on a few more intricate recipes, because I’ll have time to give them the attention they need.
Thank you for all you do, and for giving me the opportunity to put the joy back into my cooking!
A Grateful FlyBaby from Erie
FlyLady here: This is similar to what I did last year. Here are my cookie baking tips. I love your ideas of forming the cookies in advance and freezing them.
We have some great tools to help you keep your kitchen clean!
We have some great tools for helping you get your kitchen clean and dinner on the table.
- Rubba Scrubbas to clean dough bowls and veggies
- Purple Rags to wash dishes
- Calendar for Menu Planning
- Office in a Bag for Recipes and Holiday Control Journal
Use Coupon Code ORGANIZE934 to save 20% most items in the FlyShop!
