Growing up, I’m sure I helped my mom in the kitchen.

I mean, I was second of nine kids…I’m sure she needed help from time to time. And really, how else would I have emerged into real life knowing how to make things like chicken cordon bleu and eggs Benedict?

But I don’t remember it. (Hmmm…that sounds familiar.)
I hope my kids will remember working in the kitchen together when they’re old and far away from life as it is right here, right now. I need help so I pull them in…peeling potatoes, creating new salads, trying new dessert recipes, or baking bread.

Sometimes they are grumpy and their help comes grudgingly. I pull it from them as they huff and puff about their “plight” in life…cooking with their mother of all things, their slanted together eyebrows seem to say.
But most times when we cook together it’s like magic filters into our kitchen. Sundays are our big cooking days (we have a LOT of time after eight o’clock church). As we work side by side they spill out stories from school or church, things about their friends, or their random thoughts from the day. And as they do, the room fills up with the warmth of our love for each other.
After three weeks of trying new roll recipes we had a tasting contest and have found our favorite.

Yes, I hope they’ll remember even that.

But most of all I hope they’ll remember how much I loved having them work by my side.

Similar Posts

16 Comments

  1. on sundays, my mom would assign one of us to help with dinner and the rest of us were assigned to help clean up after. i learned a lot from her by helping in the kitchen and we always had a great time. those are some of my favorite memories, so i'm sure your kids will look back fondly!

  2. I love cooking with mine too!!! They both asked me to make them a cookbook of our family favorites for their wedding gift one day! how cute is that?! I am going to do that too! I want to take a photo of each dish as I make it from now on and put it in a file for later….
    I love the picture!!!
    tara

  3. Those are such beautiful pictures! I think so many memories are made with our families in the kitchen, and I am sure your kids will have some wonderful ones!

  4. There is something about the kitchen and food that holds long lasting memories. Maybe it's the smells. Maybe it's the conversations. Maybe it's the learning process. Whatever it is, I think they will always remember this time with you.

  5. If it makes you feel any better, I definitey remember helping my mom and my dad. I remember either one of them calling me in saying, "You're going to need to know this one day. I may not always be around, and who's going to carry on my famous [insert meal here] dish?" I'm so glad they did.

  6. If it makes you feel any better, I definitey remember helping my mom and my dad. I remember either one of them calling me in saying, "You're going to need to know this one day. I may not always be around, and who's going to carry on my famous [insert meal here] dish?" I'm so glad they did.

  7. Yes, these are precious memories! I already do this with my 3 yr. old and she LOVES to work next to me 🙂 I cherish the time just as much as she does 🙂

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *