Bake Sales

[Beth]

Why do people bother with bake sales anymore if almost nothing is going to be made from scratch and some of it is store bought and resold? And if I have to pay $1 to $1.50 for a scone or cinnamon roll at a coffee shop, and it might be so old and dry that I wouldn't eat it, why do they want to sell the homemade from scratch ones for 25 cents? I think they later bumped them up to 50 cents, and the 2 pans I made I think were sold by the pan, but I don't know how much they sold for.

I think I knew this would happen, but after making brownies from scratch at my son's request, I stayed up late to make the pumpkin cinnamon rolls for the bake sale at his school's pumpkin patch. The were pumpkin-y nd it was a good excuse to get to try the recipe (from CL last fall). My sons bought a couple of cupcakes that were straight mix and canned frosting stuff. They were happy, but I swore not to make a special effort again unless they have a special "good stuff" section.

The best part of it all was that I got to see a lady I used to work with before I went to law school on HGTV! :cool: And I did get to try the recipe, and DH got to try them before he went off to work at our neighborhood flea market at 4:30 a.m. :rolleyes:

Sigh....

[Clover]

I agree completely, but I think it's a hopeless cause. I don't feel any motivation to buy something at a bake sale if all they have is stuff from the supermarket bakery department or Costco. If I wanted that, I could buy it myself for a lot less money. Something homebaked from scratch--well, that's something of value. (These bake sales aren't "good causes," btw, just sales at work to finance some other dept's Christmas party or something like that.) However, I don't think this point of view makes any sense at all to most people. They're fine with the junky storebought stuff.

[funnybone]

I agree with you Beth. I think that some people just don't want to make an effort. To them it's just easier to buy something than to make it. They probably don't care about the quality or taste of the food - just the ease of getting it. These are probably the same people who buy fast food or ready to go food from the grocery store on a regular basis.

[Mamasue]

I hear ya Beth! Now, if all of us got together we could have a great Bake Saleand every bite would be worth the $$$!! :D

I can remember when my daughter was in school...I would bake something, give her some money to buy, and then I would buy. It just didn't make sense...my baked good wound up costing me big bucks when the money could have been just donated. :p

[Beth]

Originally posted by Mamasue
I hear ya Beth! Now, if all of us got together we could have a great Bake Sale and every bite would be worth the $$$!! :D


Now there's a Bake Sale I could really get into. My son loves the brownies I make from scratch more than anything I can think of, so he always wants me to make them for everything. This year,the school has a no-treats policy, so he's disappointed he can't take brownies in for a treat or birthday celebration. I had to make them for him, and that not a big deal. I'm glad I kept half of them for us, but next time, unless they have a baker's hall of fame table or something, I will keep it simple.

You know, this is how I got roped into doing a silent auction this year -- saying it could be done better. Now, If I were in charge of the bake sale, how would you make it better, and what would you bring for the baker's hall of fame table? ;) :D

[RunnerKim]

Okay - my daughter is only one so my experience with bake sales is only from when I was a kid. Are you seriously telling me that at bake sales these days - they have store-made food?! :eek: Not just stuff from a box mix, but actually purchased cupcakes, brownies etc. :eek: :eek: Really. I'm am shocked. What's the point?!

Kim

[Wendy w]

Originally posted by Mamasue
I hear ya Beth! Now, if all of us got together we could have a great Bake Saleand every bite would be worth the $$$!! :D
:p

THAT would be an extraordinary event! :)

[Beth Y]

Yes, Kim, that is the deal these days. And the upsetting thing is sometimes that they buy the stuff and repackage it in cute bags and ties, ala Martha Stewart, so you don't know for sure. As if things from mixes was bad enough. I only buy from bake sales that are run by older ladies (seems to be the time of year that the churches and garden clubs are having their "bazaars and bake sales" and you can see the time the ladies have spent on the baked goods). But at school bake sales for my kid, it is shocking.

[BarbaraL]

I agree with y'all, I'd NEVER bring something store-bought to a bake sale (or even to the church coffee hour) - I always bake from scratch. However, since I (and my family) have weight problems, I don't bake much because we can't resist the goodies if I make them. Consequently, I'm always nervous that the stuff won't come out well since I bake so rarely. Also, I work full-time, and often don't get home from work until after 7, and have to immediately make dinner, then baking's done after that. At times, I can't go to bed because I'm waiting for the food to come out of the oven. My point being: some people don't know how to bake; some people really don't have time; and some people really think from-mix or store-bought is just as good; at least they're making a contribution to the fund-raiser.
Especially for a school function (meaning, the kids will be buying) -- there are times I'd made homemade stuff for DD and her friends, and they were just as happy with cookies out of the box (or, especially, those sugar cookies from the roll that you slice and bake -- they LOVED them because they had a pumpkin face (or whatever) in them). As writers say (I'm a writer), Consider your audience!

[pumkinmuffin]

I totally agree with you all.

I used to love baking for my kids' school bake sales. But no matter what I baked from scratch, the children always went for the cakes and cookies that were made from a mix, were covered in blue and green icing and dripping with candy. I found myself wondering why I bothered going to so much work.

[m4star]

What a timely thread! There is a "bake sale" going on right now in my building (I work at a university) and ALL of the food is either store bought (still in the bakery box) or from the mix (slice and bake cookies). It's totally disappointing.

[kwormann]

Originally posted by Beth


Now there's a Bake Sale I could really get into. My son loves the brownies I make from scratch more than anything I can think of, so he always wants me to make them for everything. This year,the school has a no-treats policy, so he's disappointed he can't take brownies in for a treat or birthday celebration.

Are you sure they cant bring this sort of treat for birthdays??? We have a new policy also, so Im assuming it is state mandated...however, kids can bring a treat for birthday celebrations....

[Beth]

Originally posted by kwormann


Are you sure they cant bring this sort of treat for birthdays??? We have a new policy also, so Im assuming it is state mandated...however, kids can bring a treat for birthday celebrations....

Yep. DS2 can take many things in for birthday celebrations (but not candy or candied popcorn), but DS1 cannot take any food in except his own lunch. Apparently that principal is unwilling to have to think about it. :(

[SusanMac]

It's a shame that some schools (big city schools, mostly) have to worry about risks associated with home-made baked goods. It does take much of the fun out of bake sales or b-day celebrations. And, it further reinforces to kids that processed food is best.

But, with that said, I totally appreciate that many families either don't have the time to cook, or the interest/skills. That doesn't make them bad, it makes them absolutely normal. And I will always buy something from a school (K-12 anyway) or Girl Scout bake sale to contribute to what I think is a good cause. (I think someone mentioned a bake sale at the office, and that's totally different. why would you have one at an office? I'm not familiar w/those. Maybe it's for charity?)