I loved the opportunity to cook and bake with my kids, and baking with our grandchildren it is even more of a joy. Most of the grandkids have parents who cook and bake with them and encourage them to learn their way around a kitchen and it shows. Our 11 year old granddaughter is an experienced baker (and a good cook) and even made her first challah independently this week.

When I congratulated her on the beautiful fresh loaf she had produced, I shared with her that I did no cooking or baking until I was 21 and newly married. In college, I confess, I had to call a friend to find out how to cook spaghetti! The only thing I could make was scrambled eggs and, while eggs are still a favorite, that one meal did not constitute a full week’s menu for two!

When I was first married, and in grad school, even the simplest meal would require me to make a detailed list of what time things needed to go in the oven or on the stovetop. That was my effort to have an actual meal done at the same time. It did not help that we had an apartment that boasted an old gas stove. The oven was quite fickle and the way it started was to open the door, turn on the gas, throw a lit match in, close the door quickly and step back. If you had been successful, you’d hear a BOOM, the door would pop slightly open and then close. That meant the oven was lit. If there was no boom, well, you started all over again.

The first time I tried to bake, it was for a birthday celebration. I had invited friends for dinner and cake. I am not sure whether I was brave to take this on or they were brave to attend! I bought a spice cake mix and made an effort to make a layer cake.

I mixed and baked the two layers, waited for them to cool and then, with the confidence that comes from having absolutely no clue what I was doing, stacked them on top of one another. While the edges were relatively aligned, the cake listed to one side and the entire middle caved in. Yes, I know now that it hadn’t baked all the way through, but I did not know that then.

I had one can of frosting and I knew I would need more. I ran to the store, bought more frosting and, in a moment of inspiration, grabbed a bag of chocolate chips. Racing home, I filled the entire center of the cake with a column of chocolate chips and then slathered frosting all over the mess. Let me just say, it was neither a pretty sight nor a delicious dessert!

Over time, I have learned to cook and bake and entertaining has become part of my life. I have a collection of cookbooks and often try new recipes. In fact, my kids have been known to say (and it is totally true), enjoy it now because she will never make it again!

Most weekends you will find me, at some point, in my kitchen. Today, as a for instance, I prepped two loaves of sourdough bread, baked gluten free and non-gluten free cookies (all to give away) and am waiting for a loaf of challah to finish rising. My floury handprints are (as always) on the back of my shorts and the dishwasher is on its second load of baking equipment.

In my work life, I often say that “food is much more than food,” it is memory and experience and socialization.” And in my personal life, I realize that food is not about food at all, it is about love and care. On my own, opening a tuna packet is my idea of a full meal. But with my husband and with our family, every meal, every dish, whether it took five minutes or five hours to prepare, is an expression of caring, attention and love. It is just one more of the many ways in which we can understand and continue to fill our full hearts.