[Take your pick from a jelly-roll jamboree]

Last October when I got married, I asked my mom if she would give me cookbooks. I love cooking and a baking and thought that part of our first year married could be about discovering all sorts of tasty things while I learned to hone my kitchen skills. And how silly it has been: powder sugar bags melting on burners and then covering the kitchen in confectionery snow, cookies without flour, splenda in desserts (ahh!), vegan roasts, excessive amounts of cinnamon rolls, pizza dough, and warm breads. The cooking goes on and on. It has been a delicious 9 months.

One of the cook books my mom gave me was a 1960 Better Homes and Gardens Dessert Cook Book. It is filled with over 400 'all time favourites' and 'exciting new desserts' --which is true, very exciting, very favourite. I wish I'd taken photos of every dessert I'd made from this book. Each better than the last. What is possibly better than the recipes themselves are the little illustrations periodically found within:

In nearly every illustration there is this either a dark haired woman or this blond haired woman:

Apparently women only came in two types in the 60's. I believe that. Better than that though, is with the exception of maybe two pictures, there is at least one child helping cook. I find these illustrations sweet. When I first saw the blond wife (I'm assuming she's married, there's never a husband in the pictures but would she dare be a single mother in the 60's? ... perhaps) I thought- that's me! I too wear little cute dresses and flowery aprons when I bake. Okay, so maybe less on the dresses but my aprons are very lovely and I often wear pearls or kitten heals. And I definitely wear pink bows in my hair (it's true, ask Martha).

So, I have been thinking that I sort of want to get this little blond woman, this wife, mother, and presumably queen of the kitchen (and probably house) tattooed on me somewhere. The photo above is my favourite of her. Jelly-rolling in all her glory. Plus, this is me. Last night I made Tyler a casserole at 3am. I've forever made cookies and pies and cakes per request at all hours. I love it. I love the process and result as well as creating something scrumptious for someone I love. The hour of the baking seems to only emphasise my dedication, right? Sometimes I am half asleep. sometimes I am not. It doesn't matter, it is always welcome and fun.

For the upcoming Birthday weekend of Martha, Josh, and Jesse (with a 1950's theme) I am so far planning on baking a cake I found in this months Bon Appetit (subscribed for me as a wedding present from someone anonymous who must love me).

Even if mine doesn't look as good it will taste better.