Let Us Love

Cupcakes & Kisses
Cooking with Love

Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?
Kind of corny, kind of kitchy, but it works, right?

But first things first, what does cooking with love mean?

As far as I'm concerned, the most important ingredient in any recipe is the care, compassion, and heart... i.e. the love, baked into said something.
And that's what cooking should be all about!
It's when you make something, whether it's a cute little cupcake or a stack of fluffy pancakes, and put everything you've got into preparing it!


A couple of times a year I have the pleasure to work with a fantastic group of teens who works their butts off, not for themselves, but for dozens of other teens! And that it was this post is about, these are the kids this blog is dedicated to.


They cook tons of food for tons of kids, knowing they'll most likely get nothing more than the slightly cool remains at the end of the meal. And while every once in awhile they probably sneak a slice or two of bacon from the griddle, they patiently flip pancake after pancake preparing wonderful meals for a great group of kids.


We...
Cry
Hug
Eat
Pray
Sing


And while they work their butts off, fun and games are often involved...




Climb on the roof,
Knock over a wheelchair,
Hide in the warmer,
Dance,
and have a freak out.
(Well, maybe that was just me...?)
Play ping pong,
play Bang the Bucket,
OWN at Bang the Bucket,
(Because my Kitchen Kids rock it out.)
cook a lot,
and clean even more.


A retreat has never been so eventful, and my Kitchen Kids have never driven me so crazy, but holy smokes, what a great weekend.
I knew going into the retreat that it was going to be a good one, it always is, but after all the fun was had and all the dishes were cleaned, leaving a retreat was never so bittersweet.


I love them all, and it definitely seems like we saved the best for last.



But in cake world, what's coming soon?

Gingerbread houses and cakes galore, cookies and cupcakes and much, much, more.

Oh, who's in a rhyming mood?
(My Shakespeare class is getting to me.)




But in light of the upcoming holiday season, I am going to provide you with a small preview of what's to come.

The Holiday season is well underway! With Thanksgiving behind us, we have little to no time to prepare!
So gather your piping bags, flour, sugar, and icing by the pounds, and prepare yourself for a holiday season like never before...
Well, sort of!

This season I want to inspire and be inspired, so please, share your favorite holiday desserts and flavors!
I'm looking for news desserts and new ideas!

Thanks for swinging by for the quick update.
Love you all very much!

Cupcakes & Kisses,
Paula-Marie

P.S. If you have not had the opportunity to check out my town's local paper, please do: My Mad Gingerbread Skills
I was really happy with how the article came out, so I just wanted to share!