Giveaway: Signed Copy of my Cookbook

Being partially moved when the snowstorm hits means that we are doing lots of improvising. My feet, for instance, are propped up on a box of books that my publisher sent me to giveaway. It's a very comfortable box and I don't have an alternate footstool so am not totally convinced that I want to give it away, but I think the nice people at Cengage might read this site and I promised I'd give the books away.

Drat!

I am going to make this particular contest sweet and simple. To enter, leave a comment here with a favorite memory of cooking with either your kids or your parents. Entries will be closed at the stroke of midnight (PST) on December 24th.

One winner will receive a signed copy of Picture Yourself Cooking With Your Kids. (I can only ship to US addresses this time but there will be other copies bound for distant shores later.)

Good luck!

Comments

[Amanda]

My 18 month old son has been literally hanging in the kitchen with me for the last year in one of those attach to the the counter. In the last few months or so, he has started to mimic holding the mixing bowl and whisk, and try to maneuver the other utensils like I do. He knows he gets to smell everything before I use it, and has started craning his neck as soon as I get the ingredients out. I have always enjoyed cooking, but it's become a totally different experience now that I have him to share it with daily.

[Inna]

Baking bread with my oldest. Just to see her excitement about the "magic" of rising dough, vigorous punching down makes me smile.

[Melissa]

Ever since I can remember, I have always enjoyed helping my mom bake goodies to pass out as gifts to our friends and families. One year, I was about eleven, I accidentally added cumin instead of cinnamon to to some bread I was making. I didn't think it would be a big problem, so I didn't tell my mom. Later my mom tried it and made a horrible face. When I told her she laughed, and I have always checked to make sure it really was cumin ever since.

[hosie]

Does it *have* to be parents? My grandmother is the one who really instilled a love of cooking in me. She died when I was 5, but I remember making my first pumpkin pie with her. I still have her recipe box, which has been added to over the years. It's got a whole lot of recipes that call for Crisco, Oleo, and mapleine. (ew) I substitute as necessary. :-D

[kitchenMage]

Grandparents are good. Adopted crazy aunts are fine, says the person who loves being 'that aunt.' I started to list all the relationships and then decided...eh, my readers know I'm pretty loose with my rules.

[dolores durem]

years ago my then 10 year old and i made a gingerbread house.. from a kit. it was wonderful and the memories are wonderful also.

[jacquie]

cooking w/ my grandmother. the smell of thyme still brings back memories of her.

[susan]

Cooking with my Grandmother- I loved to help her make gnocchi...

[Sarah]

My best friend has no interest in cooking, so I'm often blessed with the help of her curious four year old daughter. The last time we were together we were making salad. She was so careful to tear the leaves in to bite-size pieces. If a piece was too big, she'd study it careful and say, "that's monster size!" and then rip it to make it perfect. We washed them and spun them in the salad spinner. It was great experience for both her and me. She learned about pleasing others with the right size lettuce and washing our food to make sure we're not eating too much dirt.

[Sara]

i remember visiting my grandmother one time, and she had all the grandkids over for a taffy pull. after making the taffy, she had us all smear butter all over our hands, then she paired us up and showed us how to pull the taffy, fold it over, and pull it again. then repeat. it was so much fun! i'm sure we were a mess afterwards, but it made for good memories (and good pictures). i look forward to instilling a love of cooking in my kids!