Licking the spoon

I’ve always looked forward to the days when I could pull a chair up to the kitchen cabinet and let my kids help me cook. I don’t have many specialties, but I would at least like for the boys to have fond memories of sitting on the counter helping me pat out biscuits or mix up cookies, and of course, begging to lick the spoon.

I remember always wanting to lick the beaters, no matter what my mom or grandmother was whipping up. Scraping the bowl and sucking every drop of batter off the spatula was a treat every time.

Since Cooper has always been curious about that “white noisy thing” that sits on our kitchen counter top, I decided it was time to start creating some sweet memories of our own by spending an afternoon making cookies.

Right away I learned that caution is the key when cooking with Cooper; he was willing to taste anything. I’ve never seen a child who likes the taste of plain flour. I know plenty who will eat biscuit dough, but flour right out of the sack? And he followed every bite with, “Mmm. I like that, Mommy.”

From the flour-dusting forward, he tried every ingredient in the recipe; from the soda and the salt to the sugar and vanilla-he liked them all. Even the baking powder and cream of tartar got a thumbs up. I think it was right after I let him lick the spatula that he declared, “Mmm, Mommy, this is good for me!”

Ever since our afternoon of baking, if I’m working in the kitchen, I have at least one little helper. He pulls his chair up to the counter, prepares his taste buds, and says, “Hey, Momma, what are you doin’ over here?”

Food is one of the best ways to keep good memories alive, at least for me. From Oreos and coffee to cocoa and toast, we can hang on to our most treasured memories when there’s a little something warm in our bellies to match that feeling in our hearts. That’s what I hope will happen with my boys.

I’m not sure we’re raising the next generation’s Emeril Lagasse, but to this day, I can’t turn on the mixer without two little boys running around the corner to see if they can lick the spoon, and that’s good enough for me.

And that’s All in a day’s work!