If I close my eyes and think of holiday memories, I can smell them. I know. What am I talking about: Smell them?! But scent is the closest sense linked to memory. For me, those memories involve cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger, vanilla bean, allspice, nutmeg and so much more. Christmas mornings were spent running down the stairs to look for presents that had been left for us, and there was always a lingering smell of a cinnamon pull-apart baking in the oven and hot cocoa simmering on the stove.
Traditions for my family always involve a specific recipe — a meal made with love and patience. These dishes are made from recipes passed down from the family members who came before us. Thanksgiving wouldn’t be the same without my great grandma’s noodles or my grandmother’s ambrosia salad. Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without nana’s cinnamon pull-apart or great grandma’s cocoa in a Santa mug.
Many of my most cherished memories were made in the kitchen, mixing and stirring, learning and laughing with some of my very favorite people. Lessons included mastering the perfect pie crust and boiling sugar to make a chewy caramel. That time spent in the kitchen with family and friends, learning skills and recipes, are moments I get to keep forever. I don’t only get to tell the stories of these people who I know and love. I get to share tangible (and edible) memories by cooking or baking a recipe passed down from them.
I have been taught by example that the act of cooking or baking for someone is an act of love. The entire process involves thoughtfulness and mindfulness in the creating. Putting time and love into a recipe and creating something delicious for the enjoyment of others is just as satisfying as eating. I mean, who doesn’t love getting cookies or a meal from someone you care about, just to let you know they’re thinking of you?
Now that I’m a mom, I get to make new holiday memories with my own family in the kitchen. My kids love to help me bake and cook, and they love to hear the sweet stories of how I learned to make something. We are carrying on traditions, passing down old recipes and creating new memories of our own that I hope will be shared with their children and grandchildren for years to come. I am so lucky to have recipes handwritten by my mother, grandmother and even my great grandmother. When we get them out to make a certain recipe, it puts a smile on my face to know it was written with love by someone who I care so much about.
I am lucky enough, in my profession, to be able to share joy and excitement with people through baking. I love knowing I am putting love and happiness into the creation of someone's special day or holiday. I am able to use knowledge passed down from generations to create memories and traditions for others!
Jessica Colvin is a born-and-raised Southlake mom and baker who competed on “Spring Baking Championship” in 2019.
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