Baking with Mommy. . .

I love having Emma in the kitchen with me. However, I rarely think to ask her to help me. I didn't spend a lot of time in the kitchen with my mom and I don't feel like it's my favorite place to be. After 10 years of marriage, I'm still really insecure about my cooking abilities. I think some of it comes from never really having learned. I mean, I took Home Ec and I can fry some good eggs, but it just doesn't feel easy or natural for me to throw a meal together. Because I feel that way, I'm trying to start early with Emma. I want her to be confident in the kitchen so when she leaves our home, she can live on her own and not have to eat out every meal or eat junk! Now, baking, that's a whole different story. I love baking! Since that comes a little easier for me, it's easier for me to remember to invite Emma in to help me. Last month, we made a few fun desserts together. After making Oatmeal Fudge Bars, Emma asked me if she could lick the spatula. I was getting in a hurry and immediately told her no. Then I had a flashback of licking the batter off the beaters when I was a kid. Quickly I told her that yes, she could lick the spatula and she was giddy!

We spent an afternoon making sugar cookies, too. A few days later we went to visit some friends and took the cookies to their house to decorate. The girls had a blast together and I loved making memories with my little helper! She actually had way more fun playing in the flour than cutting out the cookies! She built mountains and valleys and moats around castles. She's so creative!

One of her favorite desserts to make were the chocolate covered pretzels. We used the circle pretzels and dipped half in white almond bark and the other half in chocolate almond bark. I love the salty with sweet taste, so these were also one of my favorites. They were so quick and easy to make, too!

I didn't realize until I started to post these pictures that we had been in the kitchen several times together. I'd like to make it a point to do it more often. We don't make a lot of desserts here anymore, but it's still fun to have her help me. Last week, I taught her how to make Bierocks. She was so excited and I really think she's going to be way more confident in the kitchen than her mama!!