Have you hugged your Spray and Cook today?

Ok, ok, you probably think you are misreading this title. But I kid ye not. Currently, Spray and Cook is top of my list of favourite things. This is why...

I bake for a living

Well actually it is my pension job since I retired. It is (usually) an enjoyable, profitable occupation. BUT! I am me and the most bizarre things seem to happen in my life. So picture this:

There I was the other day with loads of orders from the Home Industry. Plus orders for triple layer cakes for a Coffee Shop. Cakes so high that they made the Eiffel Tower look mediocre. Sigh. I declared supper a “feed yourself” evening, had a strong cup of coffee and set to work.

The hertzoggies looked good and progress was good. I kept up with the ever increasing sink of dirty dishes and worked systematically. So far so good.

And then!

At about 9 pm, I discovered I had run out of my “Bake and Cook” stuff. My heart sank and I needed a glass of wine to ponder the matter. I turned every kitchen cupboard inside out, hoping to find a “miracle” tin. Nothing. Strong coffee and a ciggie to calm my mind while I wondered what to do.

And then I remembered ... in the olden days, baking tins were generously coated with butter – with a bit of flour sort of swirled round in the tin. That’s what I would do!

Now something has changed over the decades

Is our butter different? Could it be the pans? Maybe a spell concocted by the Spray and Cook agents? Jeepers Girls! The flops piled up, cascading all over table edges.

Now where was that wine? Wait! Brainwave! Google it. Easy. Dragging my wine to the computer – blessedly away from the messy kitchen – I googled. But got the same butter and flour advice. I decided to try again. Without any luck.

By now the “flops” were lined up outside the kitchen door and it was midnight. Time for more coffee and some serious prayer.

By 2 am I woke the man of the house and asked him to get the car out of the garage for me. I do not think he knew what time it was because he dutifully complied.

And so, in the early hours of the morning – smeared with flour, spices and with uncombed hair – I zoomed around in my little red car.

I went to EVERY convenience store at EVERY garage in our town. And woke every snoozing attendant. To be told by bleary eyed people that this was a convenience store! Hoo boy!

By 4 am I was sitting on the passage floor with my 99 th cup of coffee. The wine was long since finished. There was no longer any space in the kitchen. And google is no longer my friend. You live and learn hey?

I get exhausted just telling you this story

But on the bright side – we do not need to buy lawn fertilizer for a while. And the little birds are chattering away so happily at their local tea garden. They have a huge variety of cakes to choose from.

Which brings me back to my can of spray. Needless to say it was top of my grocery list yesterday. And there stood one slightly crazy, looney but ever so happy old woman hugging the tin in the Supermarket isle.

And for those of you who saw me and looked at me funny – have a heart! I was happy! Okay?

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