Saturday, March 2, 2013

Red Velvet Adventures

I have the best mom. She really is amazing. I appreciate all she has done for me more and more through my own journey as a mother.  Just one of the many things I have loved about being her daughter is her baking! The after-school treats she gave us were always homemade and so yummy! How nice to come home to that every day! And Mom's apple pie ALWAYS scored a perfect 10.

Unfortunately, despite my mother's attempts at passing on her culinary secrets, my interests and abilities have never really been in the kitchen. I fear I will forever be the one who brings the cheese tray to the party!

But I want to be so much more for Bereket. I want her to remember lots of homemade yummy treats from her childhood. And I want her to have fun memories of helping Mommy make them!

Bereket had been home about 2 months when I came across a delicious (and seemingly easy) recipe for Red Velvet Cookies. I decided that would be the beginning of our cooking adventures together! What a beautiful mess it was! The cookies weren't perfect, but the memories were!
 It's hard to believe these photos were taken just over a year ago! Look how little Bereket is perched on our kitchen island!

I had such plans for us in the kitchen, but life is always busy and we have not been the baking duo I had envisioned.  This winter, I decided to re-live our Red Velvet Adventure and went on Pinterest for some easy toddler-friendly treat ideas.  I wanted to make something special for Valentine's Day.  I went to the store and bought pink and red M&Ms for some valentine-inspired pretzel cookies. But February 14th came and went without a date in the kitchen.  Finally on Tuesday (13 days after Valentine's Day) we got to our project!  The pink and red M&Ms had proved too great a temptation and had to be replaced with the regular kind, but it was wonderful all the same!
What a great date with my daughter! And yes, the treats were this yummy!