Let us eat cake

EAch friday in my practice group at my law firm, we have a 4pm cake time whereby each lawyer has a turn providing "cakes" for the group. It was my turn today,and it was my first. I had always envisioned bringing sweets that are derived from regional Texas cooking, rather than going to M&S or Tesco and purchasing bunches of victoria sponge. i don't like victoria sponge anyway. and i don't really eat cakes because sugar and flour are not in my diet, but that is another story.

I planned this week out meticulously in terms of purchasing ingredients, determining which recipes of my mom were the most travel friendly, and in light of my social schedule which had me out tuesday through thursday. I did not get very much sleep the past few days. I made cookies at 11pm wednesday night!

As i was setting up my spread of pumpkin bread, ranger cookies, salsa and guacamole, red velvet cupcakes, all homemade, i realised that i was extremely nervous and had a high anxiety level. What if no one liked my sweets? what if they shunned differences instead of embraced them? what if my funny email introducing the sweets didn't strike the chord of humour with them? What if none were eaten? I would feel very rejected. I had my heart and some ego in those cookies and that guacamole, and i had underestimated how sensitive I was going to be.

I need not have worried. I got a million compliments and thank yous, written and oral. It was really sweet, and ended up making my day. Every one said not only how good everything was, but that is was refreshingly nice for someone to go to the trouble of making things from scratch, and different things that they were not used to as well. One person said, this is how salsa is supposed to taste isn't it. Everyone was appreciative of my time and energy, and impressed. I think the best thing was that they went passed their British reserve to tell me so. I think I am fitting in. It was a good friday.