Baking with My Niece

Recently, I was at my sisters house. She was having surgery that week and asked if I would make cinnamon rolls for her kids while she was out. My niece wanted to help and oh the joy that was in those moments with her at the kitchen table. We made a mess, and of course, cleaned it up. We worked with our hands. We made something sweet and delicious. Most of all, we did my favorite thing, which is to spend time with people I love.

One of the reasons I love to bake so much is that it connects me to some of my favorite women. When I am at the stove making pralines, I remember being in the kitchen with my mom preparing tins for Christmas gifts. When I bake bread, I remember being at my grandmother's house where dinner rolls were always on the table. When I make king cakes, I remember my aunts dining room table lined with them as she prepared for the Mardi Gras holidays.

I love being in the kitchen. I love, even more, being in the kitchen with people I love. Hoping that as we rolled the dough, my niece saved this memory to look back on.