Cooking With Grandma

When you smell a fresh baked pie, or perhaps a juicy pot roast in the oven, what do you think of? For me, these smells trigger memories of my dear grandmother and I in her kitchen. Baking and cooking with grandma is an exciting adventure for most little girls, and when I would come to visit, she would always invite me to join her in her kitchen.

The excitement of putting different ingredients in a bowl and stirring them all together, then magically turning them into an edible yummy treat was always a fun and exciting time. She always insisted we wore our aprons and washed our “patties” (hands) before our cooking or baking adventure could begin. These are warm memories I will forever cherish, and will always smile when I think of her and I in that kitchen.

Cooking With Grandma

Now as a Grandparent myself, I find myself reminiscing about those days with my grandmother. I often ask myself what made those memories so special and endearing? Was it wearing one of her aprons, or getting to lick the bowl, or learning how to sift the flour (do people even do that anymore)? No, it was the conversations. It was the way we connected.

When we were in the kitchen, it was all about her and I and what goodie we were going to create. This is a memory I want to imprint on my granddaughters as well. I want it to be our special time, a time when they feel important and needed in the process of cooking up something special. I don’t want them to leave Grandma’s kitchen with just a few recipes, I want them to feel proud of what they can accomplish with that mixing bowl, that giant spoon, or those colorful cookie cutters.

More importantly, I want them to take the memories, the conversations, and the giggles that we shared in my kitchen and tuck them deep into their hearts. I don’t know what it is about food, kitchens, and people; but in my house, it’s where everyone congregates. It’s where many conversations are had and where the most laughter is heard. And, of course, it’s where Grandma usually is.

Venita — Grandma of Sophie and Audrey