A Cozy Creative Life

I had been working part time at my aunt and uncle’s bakery.

Until then, I had used the small stand mixers, but apparently it was time for my initiation.

One morning, I was told that my job was to make the chocolate cookie dough. We needed a large quantity, which meant I would have to use the floor mixer—the biggest mixer in the bakery.

It was my first time using it, but I assumed it worked just like the smaller mixers, only on a much larger scale.

That part was true.

I began measuring the dry ingredients, starting with the cocoa powder and then adding the sugar and flour. I put everything into the enormous mixing bowl.

Without thinking, I turned on the mixer.

That was my first mistake—and I knew better. I should have waited until I added the wet ingredients before trying to mix everything together.

My second mistake was even worse: I hadn’t checked the speed.

The beaters began spinning rapidly, and the cocoa powder flew everywhere. A great brown cloud rose out of the bowl before I could reach the switch and stop it.

I was completely covered in cocoa powder.

So was the floor.

I stood there looking at the mess, thoroughly embarrassed. The woman working beside me turned, saw what had happened and laughed.

“Welcome to the bakery,” she said. “We’ve all made that mistake—and plenty of others, too. Don’t worry about it. Just go into the back room and get a mop.”

Fortunately, I was wearing an apron over my clothes, although I later changed it. My hair was safely covered by a hairnet, so at least I didn’t have to wash cocoa powder out of it.

I cleaned myself up, mopped the floor and started over. The second batch of chocolate cookie dough turned out just fine.

But I never forgot my first experience with the biggest mixer in the bakery.

And I never again turned it on without checking the speed.