For a number of years now, Miss Den, a long serving house mother, has been spending her free Sunday mornings in a hot kitchen teaching our kids how to bake. Having finessed her own skills many years ago alongside Sr. Dominic, an old friend of Fr. Ole’s and a frequent visitor to Sarnelli House, Den has been busy passing on her know-how to wannabe bakers. The children learn everything from weighing and measuring ingredients to icing and decorating the finished product. The delicacies vary by the week, so the children have learned how to make cakes, biscuits, doughnuts, Thai desserts, snacks and bread.
The goodies are then distributed to one or some of the houses, where they are gratefully received and quickly demolished. It has been striking to see how some of the quieter kids, mostly young girls, have gained in confidence as they have fine-tuned their new skills. Baking is a great lesson for children as they cannot rush in and create a mess (although many have tried!) Instead, patience is required. The bakers have to learn to follow instruction, take their time, and step-by-step, construct something delicious. They clean as they go and the kitchen is left how they found it, save for the unique and mouth-watering smell of fresh baking.
Thank you, Miss Den for your devotion to the art of baking!
