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Dear Reader,
My three-year old grandson Paul has taken a sudden interest in baking cupcakes. That's all the boy talks about when he comes to visit. Paul walks into the house, heads for the kitchen, takes his apron off the hook, drags the baking steps over to the counter (a step-stool especially designed so kids can reach the kitchen counter) and gives me--the look, "What are you waiting for Grandma? Let's bake cupcakes!"
This sudden desire to bake cupcakes--I'm not sure where it came from--especially since Paul hasn't ever eaten an entire cupcake. He always samples one when we're finished baking, but all he really does is swirl his finger through the frosting, one, two, three, sometimes four tastes, then hands the rest of the cupcake back to me, "All done Grandma." The boy may not be that interested in eating cupcakes, but just like his grandmother, Paul loves to share his baked goods. At the tender age of three, he's already experiencing the joy and satisfaction of baking for others. Last week Paul took two dozen cupcakes, he made from scratch, to his day school to share with his classmates.
Teaching Paul how to bake brings back memories of when I taught a cooking class for homeschooled kids twice a week, (you can read more about it in my book Muffins and Mayhem). The students were 10 to 12 years old, much more advanced than 3-year-old Paul, and sometimes Grandma forgets that. But Paul's one smart "cupcake." If I encourage Paul to do something beyond his ability, he smiles and gently suggests, "Grandma, I think I should be your helper."
I'm exhausted after our baking sessions. But I'm still smiling. Because I realize that this grandma and her grandson are doing so much more than simply baking cupcakes together--we're creating memories that will last longer than my lifetime.
Someone will ask Paul when he's all grown up, maybe even his own children, "Dad, who taught you how to bake?"
"My Grandma Suzanne and I started baking together when I was three years old. Let me tell you about the time we tried to put a filling inside the cupcake..."
Behind every recipe there's a memory, and a story to share.
Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.
* The cupcake pan was drizzled with batter and the kitchen was a mess, but Paul's cupcakes were a hit at his school. To see a photo, and to find out how to create your own Cookbook of Memories to share with your family, go to: http://www.MuffinsandMayhem.com/node/343
Warmest regards,
Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
www.MuffinsandMayhem.com
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