First of all, I definitely don't think it was  "pretentious, foreign and snobby". 

"The problem is that when we speak, we frequently misuse them. As a result, our ears are used to hearing incorrect forms. So when we spot a wrong form while we are proofreading, it sounds right."

In my opinion, What you said was much more accurate.

I love rainy days

I really enjoy rainy days because they remind me of  my home town. Today, I am far away from my relatives, so when it's rainy in my current city, it feels like home. Specially, at night, falling asleep while listening to the rain hitting the roof is very relaxing.

I'm not a native speaker, but I would write it like this:

I have learnt (learned) how to bake a cake

Today is a very happy day for me, because I learnt (learned)  how to bake a cake.

when I came back from shopping this morning, I felt a little bit hungry. Then, I thought about baking a cake for myself, so I decided to try.  I searched online and found a recipe. I knew the ingredients were very important. I took two eggs, some flour and  a little sugar, and mixed them about 15 minutes.   Then, I baked the cake.

Doing all that needs patience, but it is interesting.

There is book, In Praise of Slow (U.S. title In Praise of Slowness) by Carl Honoré. He discusses and gives praise to the Slow Movement and the various groups around the world representative of this movement. Therefore, I think it is safe to say that you can use it when you want to discuss, and  express admiration or approval of the achievements or characteristics of a person or thing.