Home-Baked or Store-Bought? Or: Huh? Are you kidding me?
So today I brought in some really nice M&M cookies that I had made at home for my coworkers (I tend to do this a lot, but right now, we are all facing big changs that are extra stressful, and therefore food=comfort). one of my other coworkers decided that she would bring in some of the leftover store-bought chocolate chip cookies that she had from a meeting last night for us, too. And since I am the one that *always* has something at my desk, and everyone comes over to me if they want anything, she put them on my desk.
Now, I have been sitting here all day, and I cannot believe how many people are reaching for the store-bought cookies, rather than mine! And it isn't as though there is a really big difference between M&M and chocolate chip cookies, so I know that it isn't that.
So, my question is two-part: First, has this ever happened to anyone else? And Second, I have to wonder and ask, do you think that this is because most people are just so used to the ultra-fake, sugary stuff that they get from a package that the real thing just doesn't satisfy them?
I am so depressed right now...
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29 Comments:
I'm going to give you my address so that you can mail them to me.
And, by them I mean the ones that you made.
That is pretty crappy though, I gotta say. I hate grocery store bakery cookies. Were you co-workers even from the bakery or were they like the kind you buy on the Oreo aisle?
Your co-workers are just dumb. That's my final answer. Does that make you feel better? Haha. I tried...
meg3j at 2:09PM on 02/11/09
It's possible they see them on your desk and assume you made them too. Someone who's not paying attention (or someone dumb) might mistake store-bought for homemade if the store-bought ones aren't all perfectly the same size or something.
cycorider at 2:17PM on 02/11/09
I would always go for the homemade! I absolutely *hate* the mealy, stale flavor of store-bought cookies. And they never satisfy!
That said, I don't like M&M cookies, but would still go for the homemade every time. Your co-workers must be under extreme duress...they are obviously making poor choices!
bitchincamero at 2:20PM on 02/11/09
I could see how this would be depressing, but let me offer some insight: I used to be a huge germophobe and sometimes not really knowing where something comes from makes it really unappealing to eat. I've gotten over that now, as we bake and bring stuff into my office all the time, but I could see where knowing cookies were bought in a store and not potentially laced with crack is somewhat comforting. Does that make sense or not really?
Hillary
Chew on That
Chew on That at 2:22PM on 02/11/09
I have to agree with Meg. I never ever, even as a child, ate store-bough biscuits/cookies (with one exception), so I don't quite understand their appeal. Unless, of course, all of your colleagues are die-hard fans of chocolate chips cookies?
That said, I know people, who given a choice would reach for store-bought rather than homemade. Whenever I offer my in-laws a bowl of soup (whatever it may be), they always reply, "we have soup at home". The soup they "have at home" is "Progresso". Yes, it used to upset me. Now I just now who I'm dealing with.
brooke29 at 2:26PM on 02/11/09
@cycorider: Actually, the chocolate chip cookies (or, what's left of them) are still in the original plastic container with thename of the grocery store on them.
@Hillary: Now, normally I would agree with that totally, because I am the type of person that won't grab a handful of peanuts at a party or be anyone but the *first* person to get to a dip for chips. However, I also always have a bowl of M&M's on my desk (and a secret stash in my drawer, to avoid germs - I know), that each and every one of them reaches into with their hands, instead of using the spoon that I have politely put in the bowl for their use. So, unfortunately, I don't think that it's a germ thing.
@meg3j: You're on! And yes, that makes me feel better a little bit, thank you!
And on another note, going to your points, I could understand perhaps if the store-bought ones were things like Oreos or Keebler Fudge Grahams, which are not easily made at home, and can often be a nostalgic taste for people (including myself), but really, a stinking chocolate chip cookie? Come on...
Sorry...still bitter...
Traveller at 2:49PM on 02/11/09
Considering that "flavor" added to the store-bought cookies is specifically manufactured to taste a certain way, and that people get so used to it that they prefer it, I wouldn't take the dis personally. It's only when you're used to eating less processed food that the other stuff tastes bad. I think it's a palate thing - not in a snobby way, just in an acquired preference.
Or maybe it's a totally simpler reason like your coworkers don't like M&Ms or something.
savecara at 2:54PM on 02/11/09
Traveller, don't be bitter. I'm sure @cycorider is correct in that people are just assuming both cookies are homemade because they are on your desk. I use a scoop to dole out my cookie dough so they are all usually the same size and mostly the same shape...so, it's totally possible. Ya know now that I think about it, for some reason, I always think m&m cookies aren't going to be good until I nibble on one and then IT'S ON! I usually down 4 or 5 before I realize it. I wonder what's up with that. Anyway, try not to let it get you down. One day, they'll all see the light. In the meantime, we're here for you.
Last night my husband had to run to the grocery store for me 'cuz I ran out of garlic. Well he came back with a head of garlic and a store bought coffee cake. Uh, wtf?! Needless to say, it was NOT good. Hubby tried to salvage the day by making bread pudding from it. meh. At least the container was recylceable.
wookie at 4:03PM on 02/11/09
Do you make the M & M cookies often? Maybe they saw "a different cookie in the house" and wanted to try them for a change of pace. I wouldn't get upset about it.
Yes this happened to me but with soup lol. i cooked for about a hundred girls in a sorority and I usually try and make housemade soups for them. if I don't have the time to make a soup from scratch then I resort to the back up which is from Sysco in big bags, premade and you just heat up. They are better then average and try and doctor it up a bit because if the girls see anything from bags or cans they will not eat it. Anyways I usually get compliments from the girls on MY soups. One day I had to resort to the Sysco soup which was a roasted tomato basil soup. They went absolutely nuts for that soup, they were asking when I was going to make it again. It bothered me at first but then I realized they really thought that I made it not Sysco lol.
pjracz10 at 4:09PM on 02/11/09
I feel your pain. The other night I made homemade manicott with the yummiest cheese filling and my daughter chose to eat boxed mac-n-cheese and chicken nuggets at her friend's house instead. I was hurt but I didn't let her know that.
LizSherman at 4:11PM on 02/11/09
I'm also the resident office baker (so I don't eat all the cookies by myself). I'll remind you to not take it personally. It's their loss. Bake because it makes you happy, not because it makes them happy.
annabanannas at 4:23PM on 02/11/09
Traveller, did all of your cookies wind up being eaten? I probably would have done the same thing in that situation, if I wasn't paying attention (I will always choose chocolate chip cookies over any other), but I would quickly return for your homade cookies after one bite of the store bought. Store bought cookies are usually quite nasty (Whole Foods' cookies being a rare exception).
You can send me some of your cookies too! Please? :)
Bluedogs92 at 4:57PM on 02/11/09
I don't like M&M cookies, so I'd go for the chocolate chip cookies. Especially if the chocolate chip are store bakery (which are often not nearly as bad as pre-packaged cookies). Most of the straight ahead types of cookies I've had from in-store bakeries tend to be pretty good.
ccbweb at 5:10PM on 02/11/09
I'd always go for the homemade! They are usually so much better then that store bought stuff. I sometimes wonder if people don't like homemade stuff because they are worried about where they were prepared. I had a coworker who wouldn't eat anything homemade because she didn't know what the kitchen looked like.
Deseree at 6:48PM on 02/11/09
Traveller, I tutor a kid, and he actually said 'ewww, homemade cookies are gross because they don't taste like Chips Ahoy.'
I wanted to cry. He is sixteen.
HeartofGlass at 6:49PM on 02/11/09
Sometimes when there are two food options, I pick the less popular one so that someone else can have the "better" one. Perhaps everyone thought your M&M cookies were too special to be eaten! Were your cookies and the store-bought cookies different sizes? Size also plays a role in my food decisions. At any rate, I'm sure your cookies were delicious!
runnereater at 7:58PM on 02/11/09
@Bluedogs92: In the end, I offered both choices to the cleaners who come every night (and know me well, because I tend to stay at the office late doing homework for grad school), and they all *mightily* preferred my homemade ones, so that makes me feel better.
And the colleagues who *did* eat the ones that I made loved them, which is nice, too. :)
Traveller at 8:05PM on 02/11/09
A place i used to work at would never eat anything i made from scratch. but store bought stuff? they went nuts for it.
i think they just liked to flaunt being able to spend tons of money on store bought stuff. but they were strange.
redhead at 8:34PM on 02/11/09
I like m&ms as snacks, but i would rather have a chocolate chip cookie compared to an m&m cookie. It lends to a better textural contrast. M&ms are crunchy and chocolate in a cookie should be softer. As for homemade vs store bought, obviously homemade is equal or better. However, in polite society like work, i might also just choose whichever cookie would have more left after i took it.
blizcheetah at 11:27PM on 02/11/09
I think this basically boils down to the visual appeal of the M&M cookie. We all know that the store bought M&M cookie cannot compare in taste to the homemade, delicious chocolate chip cookie. My personal theory is that the only reason anyone buys M&M cookies in the first place is that they are pretty (ooohhh! thinks the reptile brain. shiny!) So your coworkers, probably not thinking very hard, just took the shinier, prettier cookie, and left your dusky chocolate chip gems where they were.
More fools them.
meglo91 at 12:08AM on 02/12/09
Oh man. I read your post totally wrong.
I am a fool.
meglo91 at 12:13AM on 02/12/09
Traveller dont despair, some people would eat anything if it comes from a store. These are the same people that would gild a turd and call it art, if the NYT review said it was. Send you cookies to us and we will happily take care of them for you! (sorry if scatacological references offends some)
huneybumper at 8:05AM on 02/12/09
The M&M's vs. chocolate chips could be it too. If they were both homemade or both store-bought, I'd go for the chocolate chips, no question...I prefer the plain chocolate to the candy shell (especially if the chocolate chip was actually chocolate chunk mmm). The fact that the M&M cookies were homemade would change my preference and I'd obviously go for the homemade, but you never know with some people. I bet if you made homemade chocolate chip (or chocolate chunk!) cookies and put them next to the store-bought ones, the results would change.
cycorider at 10:34AM on 02/12/09
@HeartofGlass: that is horrible! Chips Ahoy are foul. But I suppose if that is all you knew anything that wasn't processed would taste nasty. How sad!
@huneybumper: LOL! sounds like something my husband would say.
Personal preferences are astounding. I would gladly try someone's homemade treats before a store bought one any day. Don't let this get you down, Traveller. Maybe some day your baking will win them over and they'll prefer homemade over store-bought!
AuntJone at 10:50AM on 02/12/09
Thank you all for your comments. :) At least the cleaners liked them!
Traveller at 11:28AM on 02/12/09
Try not to fret--sometimes there is just no accounting for bad taste. At my last office I would make the birthday cakes and one of the girls told me she liked grocery store cake better than scratch. Those old partially frozen, mostly tasteless, unimaginative cakes with the clump of pink roses in the upper corner. Of course this is the same girl who insisted that her cake be made with box mix and not from scratch. I stopped baking for that office, needless to say, as who can compete with Kroger!
DCraver at 12:56PM on 02/12/09
As much as I prefer homemade to store bought this would actually be hard for me. I would have to agree that I tend to favor the pure chocolate chip versus the candy coating of the M & M but then again I know that the store bought ones have so many additives and will almost assuredly have HFCS or other bad stuff like that. Wish it were more simple!
FrostyGhost at 1:38PM on 02/12/09
I went to a Thanksgiving dinner a couple of years ago hosted by a friend and her family. Some other of our friends were there too, and they all love my baking, so they were thrilled that I brought an apple pie and a carrot cake. However, my friend's family was apparently terrified by my baked goods: they put out a couple of really gross-looking grocery store pies, and once they had demolished those, started in on boxes of cookies--none of them even sampled what I'd brought. It was actually kind of funny: my friends were sitting on one side of the room oohing and ahing over my pie and cake, and the family was sitting on the other side devouring their boxed stuff. I was offended at first, but quickly convinced myself that they were simply philistines.
annatr at 6:45PM on 02/12/09
annatr:
Terrified? Really? I just can't picture this. I'd love to hear more.
gentlyferal at 3:46AM on 02/16/09