Christmas Baking

To me, one of the best things about the holiday season is the opportunity to get into the kitchen and bake.  I love the whole process of baking (well, maybe not the clean-up part) and am thrilled that Margaux is eager to join me in the kitchen.  If I'm making cookies or pie, you can be sure that Margaux is right there with me.  I love this because it is something I shared with my Mom and now I can see this family ritual being carried forward.  I always feel closest to my mom when I am in the kitchen "stirring," as she used to say.  There are so many times when I can actually hear my mom's voice telling me what to do or why a certain part of the baking process is done a particular way.  I'm so grateful that she created a wonderful recipe book and gave it to me when Mike and I got married.  The best part is that she made notes on almost every recipe on where it came from or why it is special in our family.  This holiday season, I am making some recipes from that book that I have never tried before, and I can't wait to see how they turn out.  In the meantime, I'm teaching Margaux the basics, like making chocolate chip cookies.  I hope that when she is my age, she'll hear the echos of my voice guiding her through the baking process.  Here are some pictures of our fun in the kitchen this past weekend.