I’ve mentioned before that none of Mom’s kids learned to cook by standing next to her as she explained what she was doing, and why. We did, however, learn by watching her, or at least I did. I remember that when they lived in Summit County, Court and I would come for the weekend. I would sit on the stool at the counter and watch her cook as we talked about, well, everything. Good memories. Some of her cooking chops might have been passed to me through the process, though I’ll never be as good as she.

Court had no interest in watching me cook. He was much more interested in basketball and girls (perhaps not in that order). Nonetheless, he has become a good cook, as have most of our kids. The reality is that I really preferred that he not ask questions. I worked full time, and when I got home at night, I just wanted to get a meal on the table.

Which is why I love when I have the opportunity to cook with my grandkids. Retirement has given me the gift of time. I’ve made it a point to involve them in cooking and baking often…..

I always read that if you cook with children, they will learn to enjoy food and not be such fussy eaters. I remember the first time I cooked with Kaiya and Mylee, and they helped me make a lasagna. They stirred the sauce and sprinkled the cheese and helped put it together in the lasagna pan. But when it came out of the oven and I offered a piece to Kaiya, she said no thank you and has never looked back. To his day, she is the fussiest eater of my pack of nine grandkids. So much for that theory…..

My kitchen is a mess, and I will admit that if you saw my kitchen any time I am cooking, it will be equally messy.

By far and away, my favorite cooking-related activity with my grandkids is baking and decorating Christmas sugar cookies. I’ve been able to decorate sugar cookies with all of my grandkids except for the Vermonters…..

This past weekend, Kaiya, Mylee, and Cole came over to make Christmas cookies. We made two kinds: peanut butter blossoms and the above-mentioned sugar cookies. I’d hoped to make other kinds, but the sugar cookies were a touch more intense than I had anticipated. They not only took more time, but they plumb wore out this nana. Afterwards, I had icing in all number of surprising places, and so much colored sugar and sprinkles on the floor that I thought my Roomba would resign when I ran her the next day. Still, I think they had fun (the grands, not the Roomba)…..

I sent most of the cookies home with the kids. Well, that’s not exactly true. What I should say in all honesty is that the kids ate very many of the cookies before I ever got them in a tin. So did their papa.

I still have a few more cookies I want to bake, but I have given myself a couple of days rest.

By the way, Christmas baking was not a thing at my house when I grew up. Why? Because all of the holiday baking was done at the bakery. It was my favorite time of the year because of all of the wonderful goodies!

Christmas cookies are one of my favorite things about the holiday season.