My senior year in high school, I worked in a bakery after school and on weekends. That had to be the most fabulous job ever. I've always loved breads, cookies, donuts and other baked goods, so what better place for me to work than a bakery where we were permitted to eat "whatever" we wanted to during the workday, as long as there were no customers in the store? 
(Fortunately, I had the kind of metabolism at that time that allowed me to eat like that, and the job kept me on my feet, moving, lifting, and cleaning, so that helped too.)
My brother thought that the best fringe benefit of my job was the once-a-week free layer cake. He'd place his order: chocolate cake, chocolate icing, chocolate filling. The layer cakes were "coded" so we knew what kind of filling they had. I think the all-chocolate wonder had a tiny puff of white buttercream and a maraschino cherry. When I brought his cake home every week, my brother would cut it into four pieces and eat one piece for breakfast each day until it was gone.
Most of my work was done in the front of the store, where I'd add up the customers' bills in my head while I wrapped up their orders, instead of using the register. It drove my boss nuts, but I was always right--and I could wait on customers faster than anyone else this way.
My after-school hours meant that the bakers were gone by the time I got to work; sometimes I'd meet them on my way out at the end of the night, when their workday was just beginning. I had to learn to write with icing so that customers who came in for birthday cakes without pre-ordering could have their cakes customized.
I also got to help dip butter cookies in melted chocolate and sprinkles. Worst part of that task? Standing for hours on a small stepstool, moving only arms and shoulders. Ouch! Best part? We got to eat the "mistakes."
While I learned a few baking and decorating tricks during my time working at the bakery, I actually wound up learning more about cooking! My mom wisely refused to cook dinner twice on the nights I worked, but she very graciously spent extra time in the kitchen anyway, teaching me how to cook individual portions of whatever the rest of the family would be eating later. We didn't have a microwave, so this was all cooking from scratch. I really appreciate that she did this, because by the end of that year I had the ability to cook a small variety of healthy dinners. That put me in a good position in college and graduate school when I was living in apartments and responsible to cook my own meals. And it helped me develop a love of cooking that I still have today. Thanks, Mom!
COUPON TIME
We won't discuss my kitchen-gadget addiction just now. Let's just say that these offers are super-tempting to a whisk-aholic like myself.
$20 off an order over $200 at Cooking.com 
Use this link to get the coupon/special offer code and the terms. If there are any problems, use the "Click to Redeem a Coupon" link in your shopping cart and enter code C88967.
Valid through: October 31, 2010
Free shipping on select Kitchen items at Target.com 
Valid through: February 21, 2009
Free 8-pc salad set with any purchase at Brylane Home.com 
A $39.99 value!
Enter code BHSALAD4U in the Promotional Code box in your shopping bag and click APPLY.
Valid through: February 24, 2009
7% off online orders at Compact Appliance 
Use coupon code ULTCOUPON.
Valid through: March 31, 2009
Shop at Sur La Table through Shop.com and save: 
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Do not use Guest Checkout if you want to use a coupon!
Valid through: February 28, 2009
Shop at CHEFS Catalog through Shop.com and save: 
$5 off a purchase of $50+ with coupon code BRDH5.
$10 off a purchase of $100+ with coupon code BRDH10.
Do not use Guest Checkout if you want to use a coupon!
Valid through: February 28, 2009
