Shalach Manot

Since I haven't gotten around to getting the stuff for Shalach Manot yet, I was kicking around the idea of just baking some cookies/cakes and calling it a day. So I did an informal poll of my friends to see whether or not they would eat anything I made.

Alas, as one friend put it, people don't bother making stuff for Purim anymore. That is, to be frank, a primary reason for my wanting to make stuff! First, I really miss that aspect of Purim "out-of-town"; I used to look forward to eating my friend's famous___, etc. But second, and just as important, is that baking/cooking yourself sidesteps the whole need to keep a mental Rolodex of who eats what "brands".

As cited in previous posts, I am most familiar with the blatant sorting system people use here: stuff I eat, stuff I put in a box and offer to everyone who stops by my house Purim day. Since my informal poll and my friend's advice are basically pointing to need to buy and assemble, I guess I'll just buy some junk and throw it in a bag. Let's face it: my bags never make the cut anyway, in a neighbourhoods where people send silver platters of goodies. So why even try?

But here's to hoping that one year, soon, people will go back to making things themselves. Because in my mind, doing so is much more aligned with the "spirit" of the holiday.