In a sh**ty mood? Scientists say you should bake

[IowaGirl]

I can appreciate this!

"...everyday creative activities like cooking and baking lead to increased well-being. Maybe you can have your cake and eat it.... As well as things like painting, knitting, and creative writing, being busy in the kitchen was found to be "a means of cultivating positive psychological functioning." And who can feel down when there's a double chocolate fudge cake baking in the oven?..."

What have you baked or cooked lately that got you out of a crappy mood?

Full article: https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/d...ource=vicefbus

[CaptainMike]

Does shaking up a Manhattan cocktail count as being creative? I know the result usually lightens my mood.

[Dewesq55]

Troutman That really should be stirred not shaken. James Bond knew a lot of stuff, but martinis wasn't one of those things. But no olives in a Manhattan. CaptainMike rye or bourbon?

[CaptainMike]

Dewesq55 only rye.

[Dewesq55]

CaptainMike we enjoy bourbon perfect Manhattans with a twist.

[Steve R.]

The pork tenderloins I smoked put a smile on my face yesterday, and then again today when I made a sandwich with some of the leftovers for lunch. It didn't require a whole of creativity, but it was pretty dang good! And dirt cheap when on sale at Kroger for around $5 for a two pack.

[HawkerXP]

I pulled some leftover pulled pork out of the freezer yesterday that put a smile on my face.

[IowaGirl]

I made onion smash burgers last night. They turned out super tasty. I was happy and feeling silly enough I (uncharacteristically) swatted my hubby on the butt and startled him (in a good way).

[CaptainMike]

I do have a beautifully marbled chuck roast absorbing some equally beautiful TBS as this is being written and it definitely puts me in a great mood.

[Troutman]

Hey watch it, this is a family channel you know

[CaptainMike]

Hey Troutman tbob4 started it!! Actually, IowaGirl started it!

[tbob4]

Troutman - CaptainMike flags you every time you refer to a pork shoulder as a... (behind). Mike - IowaGirl and I determined to set someone up today. She started the thread and you walked right into it!! Hahahaha

[RonB]

I normally do most of the cookin', but have had a cold for a while and have not cooked. I'm not in a good mood....

[RonB]

HawkerXP - too late - that's what I had for lunch.

[tbob4]

Bake that cake!

[CaptainMike]

May I suggest a Manhattan cocktail?

[klflowers]

Pastrami. Every time.

[IowaGirl]

Oooh ... yeah, that's hard to beat.

[CaptainMike]

Pastrami and Manhattan cocktails, a match made in heaven.

[Craigar]

Yesterday I was in a sh**ty mood so a couple of y chickens needed cooked on the grill. That didn't help much. I ended up in a sh**tier mood as the chickens ended up being lousy, er, sh**ty. What kicked off the mood was grocery shopping in a sh**ty store we swore we would never shop at again, but you know the old saying...time heals all wounds. Well, the wounds were reopened and we swear we won't be going back. Once we bounced out of the store, the wife needed foundation so off to the beauty store at the mall. Once she checked out they told her no gift with purchase as had been advertised, so she was still in a sh**ty mood and I laughed as i had a similar experience at the same store buying her perfume for Christmas. She now understands my pain. Made me giggle just a little bit. That and the fact the chick that checked her out looked like she had a sh**ty day fishing with 2 hoops in her bottom lip, one in the top and two in her nose. To each their own. It was getting late for a lunch at home as we planned on smash burgers, so we just went to the local sports bar since burgers are on special for Sunday. Well, my bun was completely soaked in burger grease and inedible, her chicken sandwich wasn't up to par, so basically we had a sh**ty lunch. This brings us back to the original story of cooking chickens for dinner. After we got home from lunch, the Guinness I had at the bar kicked in and I ended up taking a nap. By the time I woke up it was 4:30 and we needed the chicken for dinner. Long story short, the grill dropped in temp while I was watching NAPCAR and 2 hours later the damn sh**ty chickens were only at 120. That's what I get for not monitoring temps. We ended up eating at 8:15 and we both were in a sh**ty mood after that, but still had enough humor to laugh it off as we agreed we had a sh**ty kind of day. I think tonight I will just have some leftover sh**ty chicken on a salad. How bad can I screw that up?

[Troutman]

Well that was certainly entertaining !!

[CaptainMike]

May I suggest a Manhattan cocktail?

[Craigar]

CaptainMike That's a brilliant idea! It's been a few years since I have had a good Manhattan. I will keep that in mind the next time we have an off day.

[FireMan]

Peanut butter & jelly sammich. Yup, it’ll gum yer teephuses up while yer tryin ta smile. 🕶

Ya had me worried there fer a moment about our girl from Iowa havin a bad day.

[IowaGirl]

I do have sinkin' spells on occasion, as a friend useta say. I try not to, but things like that have a way of creepin' up on a person. But they eventually wear off. I honestly do think baking or cooking something does help, 'specially when it's a tried and true recipe that I know will turn out good and it's something everyone likes to eat.

[Troutman]

Ever give peanut butter to your dog?

[fzxdoc]

Bake? I'm not a baker. I will bake desserts because my husband is a dessert hound, but I don't enjoy it because it makes a mess of the kitchen--flour everywhere. Breads? I'd rather go to a top notch bakery.

I look at baking like I look at frying (and I love frying, BTW), the end result has to be worth all the mess involved. So call me a reluctant baker.

Now smoking/grilling? I'm down for that, night or day!

Kathryn

[tbob4]

For me the issue is exact measurements. With BBQ it’s a bunch of this and a bit of that. I’m as good a baker as I am an artist. When Bob Ross puts a happy tree I end up with just a green canvas.

[CaptainMike]

May I suggest a Manhattan cocktail?

[Craigar]

Huskee I hate cleaning up my kitchen messes too, so that's why I let the wife handle it.

[smokin fool]

I/We second @ fzxdoc, much easier to run down to the local bakery for desserts rather than destroy the kitchen.
The bread thing I'd like to try, sadly don't see it ending well.

[CaptainMike]

May I suggest a Manhattan cocktail?

[smokin fool]

IowaGirl 10-4 I get it not all of us live in the urban sprawl like I do, in 5 mins I can hit 4 bakeries. No wonder most of us have Diabetes.
CaptainMike I'm in, make mine with a lime twist

[Dewesq55]

smokin fool Give bread a shot. If you're a bit patient, it will end very well.

[ofelles]

I need to do some cooking! Have spent the last couple of weeks getting the hose ready for new carpets and flooring through out. Just like moving out. When I was 20 or 30, not a problem how ever now with me and the wife using walkers much much slower and difficult. Managed to get things boxed up and good friends get it out side for us. Then we put it away again. But this is an opportunity to weed out some stuff! Piano went to Great-Grand Daughter and the bank (7" x 12') of books will be cut by 1/2. This week everything gets layed.

Remind me in a couple of weeks when I'm cooking for all the helpers that I was complaining about not cooking.

Edit: Before anyone says anything; the flooring gets layed this week. The rest is none of your business!

[CaptainMike]

May I suggest a Manhattan cocktail?

[Troutman]

Hey CaptainMike, you know beer explains everything, not whiskey !!!

[ofelles]

CaptainMike @Troutman
Thanks for the thoughts but 10 won't be enough and 1 is to many. The 60's & 70's were a little tooo good to me🎈🎈🎈🤸🏻‍♂️🤸🏻‍♂️✌🏻🥴😵

[Jerod Broussard]

Everytime I bake enough chocolate cookies for two, and consume them all myself, I'm definitely in a much better mood.

[IowaGirl]

Chocolate is definitely one of my drugs of choice. A good dark beer is right up there too.

[IowaGirl]

Hubby somehow got real stinkin' sick back in his college days on beer and something chocolate. I have zero idea how this happened -- I didn't know him back then, and he still doesn't want to talk about it, so it sounds like it was a memorable occasion. He still gets a little green around the gills when I'm drinking a beer and nibbling on something chocolate-y. More for me!!!

[CaptainMike]

Better than a Manhattan cocktail?

[Huskee]

Brisket is mine. I take great pride in pulling it off because of the relatively large effort it takes, from prep a day or two before, salting just right, to getting up at 5 or so, to tending the stickburner all day in all manner of weather... (my wife puts in far more effort on something like a turkey dinner, but a brisket isn't really an easy thing to pull off so I'm "man proud") anyway I'm exhausted and if it weren't for the wine or whiskey I might be really cranky by dinner time. When everyone loves it and has a good time I can't help but think those memories are what I'll someday look back upon, and maybe my guests are making some memories too.

[CaptainMike]

I'd offer you a Manhattan cocktail, but I see you have things well in hand.

[Huskee]

You've inspired me. I need to make another Manhattan, been a long time and I love a good Old Fashioned so why not change it up a little. CaptainMike