Oh, No! What went wrong?
By commonground
@commonground (367)
United States
March 5, 2011 2:51am CST
I know I have made these cookies a hundred times. Always the same recipe, always the same brand of ingredients, always the same wonderful cookies turned out... except tonight. Or rather morning... it's 2:30 in the morning and I am trying to get done with the baking for a church bake sale fundraiser. My perfect oatmeal cookie recipe is not turning out as it should. It's not horrible, they still taste good, I guess. They just aren't as they should be. They even look a little different. They will be great for the sale but they aren't great in my opinion. I always want my food to turn out right every time. If not I just don't serve it outside of my own home.
Are you a perfectionist when it comes to cooking for others? Do you want it to be just right, every time? I hate to turn out something that is not just right. I have many times just not taken my dish to pot luck or a bake sale if it didn't measure up in my own mind.
I know it doesn't really make that much diffeence to others, they have told me so more than once. And I do know that anything homemade always goes over big at pot luck, whether it's all that good or not. They will pass over a beautiful , delicious store bought cake for that homemade cake that is not near perfect. So I guess homemade is preferred even with it's flaws.
Am I being too hard on myself? Do you think it's just vanity?
6 people like this
10 responses
@commonground (367)
• United States
5 Mar 11
Oh, yes, I am always happy when others eat my food and like it, no matter how much work it was for me. I always think I need to do better. And I have been cooking for a very long time 
At some point I should think I'm doing ok and stop worrying about it.
At some point I should think I'm doing ok and stop worrying about it.1 person likes this
@shia88 (4571)
• Malaysia
7 Mar 11
Hi,
I believe everybody want to have perfect things in their life.
But there is always a time whereby things may not happen in the right
way as we expected.
It same goes to baking a cake. Although we are following exactly the
recipe,but the outcome may not be that good and as what we expected.
For example : when I first make banana cake, I was so anxious and wanna
see the cake and taste it. Unfortunately,the taste is not good and it
seem something is missing.
But I never give up and try for the second time and at last, I got it right.
The banana cake turn out good and the taste is nice too.
Don't worry,if your cake does not turn out that good,don't give up.
Try again next time and by practicing more,you will definitely get better
outcome.
1 person likes this
@commonground (367)
• United States
8 Mar 11
Hi, shia. I've been cooking for a very long time and I do know that things can sometimes go wrong. And that'a fine, that's acceptable. The problem here was that it was 2:00am and I didn't have time to do it over and hope it came out better the next time. Besides this was a recipe that I had used many times before and I couldn't figure out what had gone wrong.
I usually am able to shake it off and no big deal(well, maybe) It was very late and I was so frustrated. I guess the moral of this story is don't wait till the middle of the night to start baking,
especially if it needs to turn out perfect.
Thank you for your encouragement.
especially if it needs to turn out perfect.
Thank you for your encouragement.
@GardenGerty (160996)
• United States
6 Mar 11
It is okay that you know that they are not quite right, but it is not okay to beat yourself up over it. I have known of expert cooks who have had sudden strange mishaps with their food, and it has turned out to be something like the atmosphere, or the temperature in the kitchen when they started. I would still rather have a homemade cookie than something that came out of a bag or even something that was baked in a bakery in the store. It just is so much more flavorful. I see from reading some of the other responses that you think you have pinpointed the problem. If it was not a horrible time of the night/morning though, I must admit I might have tried to make another batch. I did that when baking cakes for my girlfriend's silver wedding anniversary. I froze many of the pieces that did not meet my criteria and my family had them to eat for ages. I just feel that if you are baking at 2:30 in the morning that you probably have not got time to do it over.
@commonground (367)
• United States
6 Mar 11
Yes, GardenGerty, 2:30am is a tough time to mess up the recipe. Like you, I would have done them over if it had not been such an awful hour. I should have started earlier in the day but other things were going on. I do a lot of cooking for church, we are forever eating it seems. But we also prepare a lot of food for the community. We are known to serve an excellent meal and I would hate to send something out that was not up to our standards. I guess I should say my standards, because I am a tougher critic when it comes to my own cooking.
I'm just really glad the sale went over so well today. Everything sold out, completely, nothing left. So it was a happy ending.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. (and yea for you! with the silver anniversary cake. That's a mighty undertaking 
)
)
@Fishmomma (11377)
• United States
10 Mar 11
I like to make perfect looking and tasting food every time, but that doesn't happen. You might have done everything right, as it could be the oven. Mine is old and now its not cooking right. I am hunting for another one.
@commonground (367)
• United States
12 Mar 11
Yeah, I guess sometimes we can do everything right and still not get our hoped for results.
Ovens are sneaky that way, aren't they? I know mine is unlevel, but other than that, I don't think it has any problems with temps and such. I could be wrong, though. I would love to just blame it on the oven
@sunny5u (2069)
• India
6 Mar 11
hello commonground, in cooking almost is a perfectionist, they wish their cooking should be praised by others, even when i cook i try for the best, but even when it fails i don't drop out, i add some more ingredients to make up spicy, or do some modifications, even if its not good den ya i feel bad but not tooo..
@commonground (367)
• United States
6 Mar 11
I guess you're right, Sunny, we would all like our cooking to be perfect and for others to praise our efforts. I suppose we can only do our best and try to make up for our mistakes by doing better next time. And I think you are right to just keep going and make those modifications to save the dish. And I like your attitude... if it's not good you will feel bad but not too bad
@hardworkinggurl (37063)
• United States
6 Mar 11
I am way too much of a perfectionist when I cook especially if it is for others. I like you feel that we have to put our best foot forward because others will be judging. I do tend to go overboard because I do want the food to not only taste good but look nice.
I am sure with your baking and cooking mentality they came out superb.
@commonground (367)
• United States
7 Mar 11
It actually did turn out just fine. The bake sale was a great success, every item sold out, nothing left. For a small town as ours we were pleased to make over $260 in just a couple of hours. The money needed for the youth to go to camp is adding up.
I'm always stressed over my baking but am happy to do my part. I should do my baking earlier in the day though to give me time for "plan B" if needed.
I am glad to hear that I'm not the only one that strives for perfection when I cook.
@laglen (19759)
• United States
5 Mar 11
I understand how you feel. But I take a lot of pleasure in pleasing people. So when something doesnt turn out the way it is supposed to, I feel like I failed. Sounds like you feel the same. We have to remember to go a little easier on ourselves.
@commonground (367)
• United States
5 Mar 11
Yes, laglen, you are so right...we are a lot alike. I have to remember to cut myself some slack. I just really like it when everything turns out right and everybody enjoys it. And when it's for a fundraiser I really do want things to be perfect not just for the money raised, though that is wonderful, but we all want our church to turn out excellent food because for years it has been known for that very thing. I really do think I stress too much over getting it right.
Thanks for your thoughts.
@moondancer (7431)
• United States
5 Mar 11
I don't know, I don't think so. I always want mine to be right. It's not vanity on my part because even if it's just for me and no one else is here to have any of it I want it to come out right all the time. It has to be the same all the time, so no it's not vanity. It just has to be right all the time. So if you are the same as me, it's not vanity it just has to be just right.
@commonground (367)
• United States
5 Mar 11
Well, moondancer, I am certainly known for wanting everything to turn out right, no matter what I'm doing. And just like you, I want it right even if no one else sees it but me. I think I am a bit of an imperfect perfectionist 
And I think you are right, it is not so much vanity as just frustration at not getting it right. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us.
And I think you are right, it is not so much vanity as just frustration at not getting it right. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us.
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
5 Mar 11
I haven't baked cookies for ages but I remember I was always disgusted with myself when they didn't turn out looking nice. They tasted great but it wasn't the same--food satisfies the eyes as well as the stomach and nose!
I found that if I was busy with the kids or had to answer the phone or something else during making the dough, it sometimes came out differently. I always mixed dough with my hands so if I got distracted and mixed too long my body heat would affect the eggs and the butter/margarine and the cookie dough would be softer and maybe crisp at the edges when they were baked, and often flat. They tasted great but the texture suffered.
I know how you feel but just remember that the people at church will pay attention to the taste and fragrance, not the looks!
@commonground (367)
• United States
5 Mar 11
Oh, yes, dragon, that is so true... food does satisfy eyes, stomach and nose!
The most disturbing thing was that I have made these same cookies so many times without a glitch. They are a favorite for fundraisers. People know what they should taste like and look like. They did still taste good but the apperance was off. I think you may have hit the nail on the head, the shortening was very soft so that probably did influence the texture. They were flatter than usual, too. Thanks for solving the mystery for me.
@sjvenden27 (1840)
• United States
6 Mar 11
May be a bit hard on yourself but not vane... You are cooking for other people, granted a home cook meal is not heard of like it use to be.. When my other half comes in from the road, he's an over the road truck driver and is out for weeks at a time.. So I may be upset because it wasnt spiced right or its a little over done.. So I understand were you are coming from.. You are cooking from the heart and soul, and your food refects onto you... (hey may be I am sounding a bit crazy lol). But its no different that changing clothes at the last mintue because something just doesnt feel right about that outfit.. No worries; just be happy with what you take to your bake sale.. Not what others say about you being picky...
@commonground (367)
• United States
6 Mar 11
Yeah, I guess I was being a little harsh with myself. I just really do want things right. I think the older I get the more so I am that way.
My late husband was also an over the road trucker. I know when he came home he was just so glad to have a home cooked meal it didn't matter if it was not perfect. He always thought it was great.
I know what you're saying about cooking from the heart and how our cooking reflects who we are. I don't think you sound a bit crazy 
Thanks for being so encouraging.
Thanks for being so encouraging.