Many people -myself included, have started baking since school let out. Some even sell their baked goods to others. I have been making pies for over a month.

My first pie was a lemon meringue, which by the way, is very difficult to make. The lemon curd and crust were easy enough, but when it came to the meringue, I almost couldn’t make it. The recipe I used called for eight egg whites and a sugar mixture that had to be heated to 240 degrees, and if you did it correctly, your eggs would be ready the second that your heated sugar mixture was done. So of course, my egg whites were not fluffy enough as soon as the food thermometer beeped at me.

Thankfully, I’ve developed more skill and a keen sense for pie-making since then. My crusts, which unfortunately for my family and friends, were way more than done for the first few attempts at a blind-baked pie crust. And at first, I tried using our blender to make crusts. But I have found it more effective to freeze the butter and grate it as you would cheese. I’ve only had one injury that I can account for, and that’s when my hand slipped and I grated my finger instead of the butter. But we face adversity in this household, and I continued to bake even though my finger had been dealt some serious damage.

I have baked about seven pies, some cookies, and my favorite, banana bread. The easiest pie I have ever made has to be the chocolate mud pie, hands down. Instead of a pie crust, I mixed crushed Oreos and butter. My favorite pie to make was the apple pie, because of the crust on top. 

Another avid baker during this time is Junior Reagan Watson. Watson actually sells the delicious cakes and cupcakes that she makes. She was inspired to start baking because of her grandmother. “I have always wanted to see if I would be good at making cakes, and I thought it would be fun to try,” She said. 

Watson charges between $45 and $75 depending on the cake. “If it’s a character cake, that’s where the price goes higher because they are a lot of work,” Watson said. She also charges $2 a cupcake. Watson takes custom orders on “pretty much everything” and looks forward to the upcoming desserts she has to make. 

She has sold about 200 cupcakes, and about 10 cakes. Watson does deliver her cakes, but most come by and pick them up. “I will definitely continue to bake after everything is said and done. I would love to potentially create a business one day,” she said. Those interested can order Watson’s delicious treats by liking and following her Facebook page.