Finding Life's Lessons in a Box of Cake Mix

 I've been lazy. I'm not sure when it happened, but when it came to baking a cake, I became lazy. Yes, I used the mix. It's even worse when someone like myself, a graduate of a culinary school, admits, I know. I think it happened when my kids were young. Time crunched, I gave in to convenience. There has to be a compromise somewhere, doesn't there? 

Oh, I threw great themed parties for each of my sons. There was a firehouse party complete with water games and stuffed Dalmatian puppies that the kids had to rescue, superhero parties with capes and good guys and bad guys, scientist parties with backyard experiments that included exploding volcanoes. You name it, complete with balloons, awesome favors, themed foods, creative games, and a freshly baked, frosted, and decorated cake....from the box. I hate to admit it, but it's true. Actually, I gave this thought over the years. The truth is that I wasn't embarrassed  at all. There was not one crumb of cake remaining for any of their birthdays. More often than not, I would make myself feel better by making the fillings and frostings. No one ever asked and I never told....until now. 

So, why do I need to come clean now? Actually, I don't. Cake mixes and baking  cakes from scratch have been on my mind. It could have been the nearly half dozen birthdays that began in May and now today with my youngest son's celebration.

When I created Living, Simply Matters, the idea came from getting the most from simple things in life, acknowledging what we have and appreciating it to the fullest. After all, it's about living our best lives. What matters to each of us is different. Where boxed mixes may offer a push on the swing and a bit of convenience, I'm at the point in my life, where when I can, I want to do more than add eggs and oil. For the most part, I really enjoy spending time in the kitchen. It's not for everyone though, and some days, for me either! 

After all, in the end, I think we  all might agree: it's not about the cake, and it truly doesn't matter if it comes from a box or if it's homemade. I don't imagine that my loved ones will give me any extra praise for baking their birthday cakes from scratch year after year. It is more likely that they will remember  my presence year after year, lighting the candles, and standing by as they made wishes and blew the candles out.

As I celebrate my youngest son's 14th birthday this week, I am baking up the very cake he requested: chocolate with chocolate and more chocolate.  Though he is a typical teen boy towering over his mom at 6 feet tall, there are life lessons that I hope to still teach him. So, cake mix or from scratch? Do what you enjoy most. If you enjoy spending time and baking the cake, by all means, grab your measuring cups and bowls. If it's from a box, the cake comes from the same place-- a place of love.