Where the road leads us.

It rained all morning. It's been cloudy and gloomy all afternoon. And, thanks to the time change, it'll be dark by 4:30pm. Good times. I guess it could be worse. You know what I'm talking about.

The S word.

Ugh. It'll be here before we know it, people.

Ok, let's not go there. Let's talk about better things. Things that make us happy. Like baking. And eating. Mmmm....eating.

I love baking and cooking. A lot. Spending time in the kitchen, creating something for someone that they will (hopefully) enjoy makes me really happy. I cook about 90% of the meals we eat and the majority of those are from scratch. Connor & Sasha have been watching me cook & bake since they were infants. I would put their high chairs next to the island in the kitchen and sing or talk to them while I cooked. Now, they help chop celery, wash potatoes, add seasonings, stir. They've been helping me in the kitchen for as long as I can remember.

They love tasting all the herbs & spices I add in food. We smell and taste each one being used and talk about what it does in the dish. I explain why I do certain things (i.e. why I add bouillon cubes instead of using plain water.) They are very interested and love to help. Especially Connor.

So much that, if you ask him what he wants to be when he grows up, he will say:
A chef. I'm going to have my own restaurant called Chef Connor.

Some of you know I was really into Art when I was growing up. Somewhere along the line, I decided I wanted to pursue Graphic Design after high school. I still really enjoyed baking and one day, I came up with the crazy idea of going to culinary school. My parents were less than thrilled. They were so against the idea that they even had one of their friends call me and try to talk me out of it. To this day, I still don't know why they didn't support me.

Long story short: I didn't pursue my passion for food & stuck with Graphic Design. I didn't finish college and no longer have a desire to be a Graphic Designer. Yea me.

I've no idea where I'd be now if I hadn't listened to my parents and ditched Graphic Design. I do believe everything happens for a reason, so I don't dwell on it too much. It's just funny how things work out, isn't it?

I still love food, baking & cooking. New kitchen gadgets get me excited and happy. You should've seen me when I got my zester. It was like Christmas. No joke. And my food processor? Ok, it was Christmas and I got two of them (one big, one small), but I was just as excited as the zester.

I would love to have my own gluten-free bakery, with a little cafe/coffee shop. Hopefully that will happen one day. For now, though, I'm happy with teaching my children how to cook and why it's important to cook, especially for people you love. We're making memories in the kitchen. And, if Connor actually does become a chef, how cool would that be?