Baking and Life Lessons at the Maya Kitchen Baking Workshop

Why do I love baking? I am neither an expert nor a fabulous baker who makes the yummiest pastries but I know why baking is close to my heart.

For one, baking brings back a lot of happy memories. In high school, the small room at the end of the corridor where our 14-year old selves baked our first apple pie was our favorite place. Learning how to bake was the perfect complement (or breather!)  to the complex problems we had to solve in our Math classes. But looking back, those baking classes also imparted practical life lessons which I use (or forget to apply) until now.

Baking Lesson : Be precise in measuring the ingredients.
Life Lesson : Be objective. Don't assume and overreact.

This first lesson makes baking easy yet requires discipline and control. Measuring ingredients and diligently following recipe instructions are not strictly followed in our house.

My father, the "official cook" in our family never measured the seasonings he added to his dishes. He knew how much vinegar was needed for his own version of the classic adobo dish. Tantsa-tantsa lang pero sakto sa panlasa.

During our baking workshop at The Maya Kitchen, the ingredients for the cupcakes were pre-measured and all set on the table. I appreciate the precision that comes with baking. It teaches us how an egg or half a teaspoon of baking soda can affect the outcome of our cake.



[caption id="attachment_4178" align="alignnone" width="640"] Thanks Mommy Joy Gurtiza for the wonderful photos![/caption]

Sa buhay, maganda rin ang "sakto lang" na prinsipyo -- walang labis, walang kulang. Ang sobrang paghalo ng mga sangkap sa baking ay maaaring ikapalpak ng cake. Ang sobrang pag-iisip naman ng mga bagay-bagay ay maaaring magresulta ng palpak na mga desisyon sa buhay. Magsuri batay sa kongkretong mga datos at kalagayan.

Baking Lesson : Folllow the recipe but innovate and try to be creative.
Life Lesson : Learn from practice. Dare to be different.

Good thing we arrived early at the Maya Kitchen culinary center. We were able to familiarize ourselves with the kitchen and review the recipes of the cupcakes we were going to bake.

I stressed this baking must-do to my 5-year old even before our actual workshop. "Rio, we should follow the instructions in the recipe." He can read some words and sentences in the recipe but we followed the instructions by watching on the big TV screen mounted on the kitchen's wall as Chef Ice mixed the ingredients

I remember my cousin's cooking tip when I told her that I'm a reluctant and frustrated baker. "Basta marunong kang magbasa at sumunod sa recipe, kaya mo 'yan!"

• Mix the dry ingredients together. Check.


• Make a spiral icing on top of your cupcakes. Oops. X!. We chose to make the letters of my son's name on the cupcakes. Para may tatak Rio ang unang cupcakes na ginawa niya!

Sa buhay, tama lang na sundin ang mga subok ng praktika. Halimbawa, sa pagpapalaki ng mga anak, may mga aral tayong makukuha mula sa ating mga magulang  pero may laya tayong baguhin ito para mas umangkop sa kalagayan ng ating pamilya. Totoong walang iisang recipe sa pagpapalaki ng anak. Pero may mga recipe din na pwede nating tularan at mas paunlarin pa.



Baking Lesson : Bake. Bake. Bake.
Life Lesson : Practice makes perfect.

You may not get the perfect and moist chocolate in your first attempt but don't be discouraged. Bake lang nang bake. You will eventually know how long you should mix the ingredients and the perfect time to put icing on the cupcakes. Just bake.

Sa buhay, laging may puwang na magkamali. Ang mahalaga, sulong lang.

Who would not fall in love with baking? It doesn't only teach us how to bake delicious pastries but it also gives us life lessons to guide us in our daily struggles.

That's why baking with our kids is a perfect opportunity to impart values and life lessons to them in a fun and unique way.

"Anak, parang sa baking, mahalagang sumunod sa mga instructions. Dapat maingat ka sa bawat hakbang para hindi pumalpak ang cake mo."

"Anak, huwag kang mawawalan ng pag-asa. Subok lang nang subok ha. Di ba yung banana bread natin hindi masyadong maalsa nang una tayong nag-bake? Pero nang sumunod, alam na natin ang gagawin kaya sakto na!"

Ang daming feels at hugot ng baking at life lessons na naisulat ko dito a!  I hope to write a lighter blog post on how we can use our baking bonding moments in our kindergarten Math lessons!



Salamat sa Mommy Bloggers Philippines at The Maya Kitchen para sa masayang baking workshop. Super enjoy kaming mag-ina sa baking lessons, may pasalubong pa kaming cupcakes at iba pang Maya baking products para kay Lola at Tatay.



[caption id="attachment_4148" align="alignnone" width="2048"] Happy mommies and kids with our gifts from The Maya Kitchen! Maraming salamat![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4151" align="alignnone" width="2048"] Thanks to GLAD Kitchen for the gifts! We will use them for our next kitchen adventures.[/caption]

If you still wish to be part of The Maya Kitchen‘s long-standing tradition of hosting summer baking classes for children and young adults.  The Maya Kitchen extends its baking classes until June 2016 for kids and teens.

[caption id="attachment_4171" align="alignnone" width="2448"] Rio, the fabulous baker boy![/caption]



Check out the schedules and courses offered below:

Kids Baking Adventures (ages 5-12)

9:00 AM – 12:00 NN

P1,000 per class

June 8 Cupcake Baking and Decorating 1

Strawberries and Cream Cupcakes and Double Chocolate Cupcakes

June 9 Cookie Baking 1

Chocolate Chip Cookies and Peanut Butter Sandwich

June 22 Cupcake Baking and Decorating 2

Cotton Candy Cupcakes and Cookies and Cream Cupcakes

June 23 Cookie Baking 2

Chocolate-covered Candy Cookies and Sugar Cookies

Young Baker’s Hangout (ages 13+)

9:00 AM – 12:00 NN

P1,500 per class

June 15 Basic Cakes

Chiffon Cake & Dark Chocolate Cake

June 16 Basic Icing

Royal Icing and Buttercream

June 29 Commercial Breads 1

Pan de Sal & Ensaymada

June 30 Commercial Breads 2

Cinnamon Roll & Spanish Bread

Mark those dates on your calendar. For more information on this and on other course offerings, log on to www.themayakitchen.com, e-mail contactus@themayakitchen.com, or visit The Maya Kitchen Culinary Center every Tuesday to Saturday at 8F Liberty Building, 835 A. Arnaiz Avenue (Pasay Road), Makati City, or call 8921185 / 892-5011 local 108 / Mobile No. +63929 679 6102. Call and reserve a slot now!