On raising a cook....

I remember growing up to watching my mom baking homemade bread when I was a very young girl, a small remnant of her life as a stay at home mom in the 50s and 60s. As I grew older, the baking of fresh bread died with the lessened need for it. All of the other children gone, it was only the three of us then, so baking bread wasn't really necessary. Also, mom had taken a job outside the home when I was only little, so the time for all of that scratch cooking dwindled.

But no matter what my mom made, it was amazing. On special holidays, mom would spend hours making her cloverleaf rolls, light, and fluffy. OH, so good. Everything mom made was amazing. But especially her baking.

Christmas was mom's time to shine, baking dozens of cookies, all different kinds. Cookies that today we make in her memory, to enjoy a little bit of that life.

So I grew up in a kitchen. And so have my kids. Thankfully, I've realized, after losing my mom when I was 36, that you can't wait to share things. You can't wait to teach. You can't wait to share, the recipes, the tips, and the love of cooking and baking.

I think I'm doing better with my second child, my son, then I did with my daughter. But I still cook and bake with her when she comes home, and we share recipes and tips over the phone. But my son, he is a cook. At 15, he loves to be with me in the kitchen, not afraid to try a recipe, or make something new. I love finding him cooking for himself, or showing me a recipe he wants us to try. I have been approached by elderly ladies in our community, handed recipes that my son asked them to give me. Yeah. That ALWAYS makes me smile.

Tonight was a fun night. Baking goodies to send off to my daughter in college via a friend going to visit. Bread in the oven, my son decided that we should make a cinnamon chocolate chip cake that a friend of his brought to a party at our house once. So while he pulled up the recipe, I started on it in the kitchen. It wasn't until the cake was done that he informed me that the original link didn't work, so he just hunted down a recipe that was similar - and it was awesome.

I love that he not only appreciates what I do, but wants to also take an active part. And isn't afraid to hit the web for a fun recipe to try, and dig in. It's good to be raising a cook/baker. Some day, his wife will be happy!