Baking up some love

This series of pictures is from back in December, but they are some of my favorites that I never got around to posting on the website. I like the second picture the best because it looks like Grace is actually reading the Tollhouse recipe on the back of the bag.

Grace has always been a great little sous chef in the kitchen. From the time she was just a few days old, she liked to hang out on the kitchen cabinet and watch us cook. Long before Santa Claus brought her kitchen, her favorite toys were cups, kitchen spoons and strainers from the kitchen. Ask Gram what Grace's favorite place is in her kitchen and its a safe bet she will say the Tupperware drawer, or the wash stand which is home to the flour, sugar and sifter at Gram's house.

I can't help but wonder if any of this will make an impression on her later in life. Are there flat cakes with lumpy icing in our near future? Or "mistake" cookies, where she used salt instead of sugar? Somehow I am pretty sure of it. But that's okay. This is just one of many reasons we buy our sugar, flour and chocolate chips at Sam's!

I don't remember being all that interested in cooking at an early age. It wasn't until after high school that I really took an interest. As a matter of fact, ask Gramma and Grampa what meals I was most famous for in my high school days, and Gramma will tell you about my "no bake" cheesecake fiasco, where cream cheese mixture managed to make it into every single nook and cranny of our kitchen in Sugar Land. Grampa will tell you his most memorable meal that I provided at that age was when I made a "run for the border" and brought back Taco Bell for the whole family to enjoy. And you know what? It doesn't taste much like mexican food to me, but I still like Taco Bell! So much for imparting a bit of "culture".

My hope is that Grace will find out the biggest joy in the kitchen is seeing other people enjoy what you make. I don't think cooking has ever been just about feeding the body for me. Heck, Taco Bell can fill a belly. But to make someone a special dinner or create a fancy dessert, that makes memories. And for goodness sakes, I hope Grace can find that passion as a hobby, because the last thing I want is for her to actually make a career out of cooking... those people are NUTS!