We love to bake at our house. I do enjoy cooking, yes, but baking is truly delightful. I love everything about it, except perhaps the tidying up afterwards. But the measuring of ingredients and the simultaneous estimations of a few things here and there, the anticipation that comes from tweaking the recipe a bit--does sour cream really work in carrot cake? (yes! try adding a dollop or two!)... I delight in using my Kitchen Aid mixer, and I love getting out my cookie scoop and remembering that my dear friend gave it to me as a birthday gift several years ago. I love tasting the batter for my mom's delicious poppy seed bread and remembering that this is what she has made as Christmas gifts for friends and neighbors for as long as I can remember. I love the aroma that fills the house as the sweet confections bake to perfection. And the first nibble of the cake that is now ready... carefully pulling at a few crumbs to see if that extra ingredient was really worth it. And the beauty of baked desserts: truly difficult to surpass! Shall I use my lovely fluted cake stand given to me fromby my dear sister-in-law several years ago, or shall I use that special Fostoria pattern that my mother-in-law saved for me...
Baking has long been a treasured pasttime of mine, and I hope to pass this delightful endeavor on to our little girls. But even more than that, I hope to make sweet memories with them that they will enjoy for years to come. Our three-year-old has truly become my "baking buddy," as I have often called her. What fun it will be when our youngest can join us as well!
We have spent many wonderful afternoons baking together and have learned a bit about what makes the memory truly lovely. Here are few tips to follow to make the most of your baking time and to ensure that it is truly sweet for both Mommy and Little Ones!
1. Find a way to bring your little one right up to the counter. We use a kitchen chair, but the specially made stools with siderails would be wonderful too.
2. Place a large towel under your child's chair. This will save a great deal of cleanup afterwards!
3. With that being said, relax a bit, and let your little one have fun! Prepare for flour-dusted noses, sugar-laden countertops, and a spill here and there.
4. Get all of your ingredients out before you begin. And make sure to grab the items that are stored farthest away from your baking area, so you don't have to walk away from your little one if possible.
5. Allow your little one to have a bowl of her own to freely mix her ingredients.
6. Provide some extra kitchen untensils, and try to include a few that are seemingly unrelated to your current preparations, just for fun!
7. Encourage your little one to help measure the actual ingredients. Teach her the technique for leveling flour and packing brown sugar.
8. Speaking of brown sugar, prepare for a little taste testing! This particular ingredient is quite a favorite at our house!
9. And, of course, savor the sweetness of the moment. Make sure to turn on some music, snap a picture or two, and have lots of fun!
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