Food is my Love Language

I'm not to sure what every love language is, but I know for certain that mine is food. 

Now before you have visions of me sitting on the couch eating bonbons, or chowing down on a nice medium rare ribeye, I'm not talking about eating food. My love language is making food and feeding people.

I have a long line of Italians in my ancestry, and they all loved to eat and make food. However, I think this love language of mine comes straight from my mama. Holidays at home always involved a plethora of homemade food, from caramels to noodles to sausage cheese balls. There were many long seasons growing up, that there were people other than family members who ate at our table on a weekly basis. No holiday meal was without a guest. My mom loves feeding people. She still does. 

I learned my way around the kitchen from my mom. This included the first time she let me try to slide a cupcake pan, full of cupcake batter, into the oven for the first time. When the heat of the oven hit my hands, I freaked out and dropped said full cupcake pan upside down onto the preheated over door. Why my mom let me come back into the kitchen after that disaster I will never know, but I'm so glad she did.

Now I, too, have weekly meals for young single people. This includes 12 guests, plus the 7 of us when everyone comes. I've cooked some of these people's rehearsal dinners, lots of their wedding cakes, and endless meals for those of them who've had babies (after they're married, they graduate from our meals to their own families). I cook things for my class, my fellow teachers, and friends. Of course, I cook for my family most of all. 

Today, I spent the better part of the day baking and decorating heart shaped sugar cookies to give as Valentines gifts. To me, not much else says I love you like a homemade treat. I'm not sure if my kids agree, as they're usually the ones with the heart cookies at lunch while others are noshing on store bought candy. But, one day, I hope, they will understand.

I'm grateful for the gift of hospitality. I'm grateful for my mom's patience with me. I'm also very grateful I can cook.