Baking as a hobby

[CurlieSue]

Hi, I would like to start baking as a hobby - cakes, biscuits, pies. My question is, what to do with the things I bake. I'm on a diet so I can't really eat it myself and I don't want to give it all to my two year old daughter! Does anyone bake but give it all away and if so, who do you give it to? Also I have absolutely no baking equipment, where is the best place to get it from, that is fairly cheap as I'm on a tight budget. Thank you.

Charity shops or TK Maxx for equipment.

A friend of mine bakes for a local care home where her mum is.

I love baking as a hobby and used to have this same problem sometimes. I used to give to neighbors but then actually got a complaint that I was making them fat! And another neighbour couldn't not reciprocate so would bake things for me!!! Or give me wine which only made me feel guilty as I didn't want anything in return.

I then discovered a group of university students living nearby and they seem overjoyed with anything I give them.

Years later, Now my DCs are big strapping growing lads, they can eat vast amounts of baked goods and still be skinny so they seem to stay on top of most of it.

I also freeze some things for future gifts or events.

I did come to realise that some people get a bit fed up with you bringing them cake every time you come to visit so I backed off on doing that with a select few who saw it more as a burden. I have a few friends who will take any and everything- mostly those with 3+ Adolescent children!

Alternatively you could take cakes to GP surgery, fire stations, school's, that kind of thing. Our local fire station was delighted when we'd drop cake off.

Enjoy!

You don't need much equipment. A wooden spoon and a plastic Tupperware bowl for mixing. A rolling pin or glass bottle will do. A cutter for making biscuits or use anything you can find in Playdough kits or top of glass/cup etc. Tins I would suggest a flat one for biscuits, a cupcake one and a Victoria sponge round one - all 3 of which I've seen in poundshops. A mixer is not necessary.

Schools, neighbours, nursing homes would all love your goodies.

Yes, nursing homes are great places to drop off baked goods as well.

There's a few groups like this around - www.freecakesforkids.org.uk/

These are all great ideas. Mine rarely get further than my inlaws and never further than my workmates.

Thank you all for your suggestions, there are loads of ideas here.