Fall is in the air!

There is nothing I love more than being in the kitchen on a cold and cloudy day. The kids have been out of school for a couple of days and with cold weather outside (even snow) there was not much else to do this week, but be in the kitchen and cook (well..there is always cleaning to do, but who wants to do that!)

I am not sure where my love for cooking came from, but I do know my mom had a great deal of influence on me. She was always cooking in the kitchen (especially around the holidays) and to me, there was no other place I wanted to be, than right by her side (mostly for the taste testing!) She would turn on some pretty music, put her apron on, and have fun in the kitchen. Those are some of my fondest memories with my mom!

Even at a young age my sisters and I were assigned a day each week to be in charge of dinner. We would have to choose the meal, make sure we had the ingredients to make the meal, and do the dreaded dishes after we made the meal (that sure helped us to be clean and use the least dishes). I can't say I always enjoyed my day to cook, but I think it was GREAT practice for me to learn to cook and be comfortable in the kitchen.

Having four small children, it sometimes takes patience, but I have really enjoyed teaching my children how to cook. My 9 year old daughter made her first batch of bread (with a little help) the other day. She couldn't have been more proud! Even my 8 year old son loves to spend time in the kitchen and even made the whole family oatmeal/mush this morning. It was adorable! Yes, it does take a little more patience though..my 2 year old spilled a canister of wheat kernels all over the floor thinking he would help me grind the wheat. Overall though, it is a joy to have beautiful children under my feet learning (and hopefully savoring) the memories they have with their mother in the kitchen.

Happy cooking and happy beginning to the holiday cooking season!!