I have a habit, not necessarily a regular habit but it happens. I tend to banish my kids from the kitchen because I need that peace and quiet time, even if it is only to make spaghetti, but it’s my space and I need it. Cringe! There I said it. Please tell me you’ve done it!
If not and you invite your kids in the kitchen and let them make noise and messes while they help you cook, then I need to high five you! You are something I aspire to.
The other day I almost sent my littlest out of the kitchen while prepping for an old family recipe. It would’ve been a mistake.
Back to my almost mistake in a minute. Right now I want to know if you have treasured family recipes and love to make and share them? And do you do it fairly often because they make you proud while stirring up some great memories of those foods you used to eat when surrounded by family? I know my family has a lot and I feel that way. I’ve shared a few here because they make me proud, make me remember, and I get loads of good feelings when I eat them. I want to share that with you. How many times have you wanted to make one of those family recipes just to share with someone who doesn’t yet know that little bit of goodness?
You want to remember your grandmother’s cooking, and in my case my mother’s too. There is something special about it that makes you feel warm and cozy inside. It is the true comfort food. The most amazing part is many of your recipes are handed down generation after generation. It should continue and most of all be shared.
Enter Project STIR.
Project STIR is a series of documentary films launching this fall on Kickstarter. The films will follow Abuelitas, Nans & Mamaws passing down heirloom recipes in kitchens around the globe including countries like: Panama, New Zealand, Turkey, Croatia & England. Click here to learn more about how to be involved. And they need you!
When I heard about it, I jumped on board. I love the idea and believe it’s important to recognize these treasured recipes around the world. So I decided to share with you this project and share with you another of my old family recipes; kipfuls.
Kipfuls are a small cookie filled with nuts and coated on the outside with sugar. My grandmother made them at Christmas every year, and my mother also makes them every year. It is definitely a Christmas memory throughout my childhood and adult life.
The flaky dough coated in powdered sugar always seemed to make a mess when you took that first bite, but no one cared because it was worth it. I even remember as a small kid both my grandmother and mom helping my sister and I fill and fold over the dough as we made them. Then the fun part was rolling them around in the sugar and licking our fingers clean instead of washing them. Oh! The sweetness!
My grandmother was handed the recipe from her mother-in-law who was from Germany and since then we’ve made the same cookie from the same recipe. They are my dads favorite cookie and its complete joy to him when someone makes them.
Ever since this project caught my heart, I considered this recipe for many reasons and since Christmas is coming up, I wanted you to have it too.
Back to my almost mistake. As I started to make the kipfuls, my littlest one came running into the kitchen asking what I was making and if she could help. This is what she does. She wants to help make everything and that’s tiring at times. Especially when I don’t want my kids in the kitchen all for the love of a little quiet peace. In my head I am alone, calmly and not so messily make something or messily if you ask my mom or hubs. I almost sent her out, but her cute little face tugged at my heart and I said ok, grabbed a stool for her, and put her apron on.
She was so intent and wanted to make these little cookies so perfectly for her Papa Joe that it was one of the best moments I’ve had with her. We laughed, we got messy, we messed up, we started again, and most of all we talked about the cookies and our family. I was reminded why it may be a good thing to allow the kids into the kitchen more often. It was a fantastic, and I was super happy my camera was shooting away.
After going through all the photos, I got excited to have them because they tell a story. A very small story, but a powerful one that I hope she’ll be able to remember because of those photos – she is only 3. And as she gets older hopefully we’ll have more baking moments like these so she’ll store them away in her memory.
Family recipes are certainly a treasure because they hold a history, and each family member who passes it down usually has a story or memory to go with it, passing that memory along with the recipe to the next generation. This is why I believe wholeheartedly in Project STIR because it recognizes the importance of those traditions and the passing of history across the world. Not only did I want to share this wonderful idea with you, but I wanted to make sure mine were a part of it.
If you care about continuing and sharing family recipes please check out Project STIR – it’s worth the few minutes!
Here’s a quick video of our baking and below that the recipe! Enjoy the recipe, get your kids in the kitchen, and visit Project STIR!
Baking Kipfuls from Kathleen Scott on Vimeo. Thanks to BenSound for the music!
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Kathleen! This is priceless! I think you’re the first Project STIR Ambassador who has actually had their daughter in the kitchen with them. 🙂 I love this more than words can tell!
I’m also curious how you set up your camera for these photos… Was it on a remote timer that took photos throughout the time you were baking? Or do you have a remote control? I haven’t explored this kind of photography so I’d love to hear how you did it.
So glad we connected through Mayi! I will definitely be keeping up with your blog.
Thank you Sarah! When I was going through my shots it hit me that I needed to make a video and I absolutely love it. I want to do it all the time now!
Great question! I have a Nikon and was using a remote to start until my daughter came in and I realized it was too difficult juggling all of it. Nikons have an interval timer (unfortunately Canons, as I’ve heard, don’t) where I set it to shoot every 2 seconds up to 600 pictures. You can set it for whatever you want. I had it on the tripod, turned it on and let it go!
After a little while I picked up the camera myself and made some shots too. We do this for Christmas morning too so that I can enjoy the day instead of worrying about capturing it. It is worth it I think!
I am definitely glad I saw you on her post!
You know, I have a Nikon and didn’t know that? Maybe it’s because I’ve taken a bunch of classes from Canon owners. An intervalometer has been on my photography shopping list for over a year. But I googled and my Nikon can definitely do this. I can’t wait to try it out. 🙂 Thanks for sharing.
I loved this post, Kathleen! Your pictures truly are priceless – what lovely memories you are making! Do you know, I cooked with my son a lot when he was little, but there were times when I thought I was too busy – and I really wish I had taken those opportunities. He’s grown up now and we have some fabulous memories of time together in the kitchen – but there could have been even more. Thank you so much for sharing. And I love the recipe too!
Thank you April! I really do love capturing these little moments and I’ll have to keep your experience in mind too. It is always hard as adults when we are pulled so many ways.
It really is, Kathleen 🙂 Just wanted to let you know I have featured this lovely post at this week’s Hearth and Soul Hop, live on the blog now! Thank you so much again for sharing it.
Thanks April! Taking a look!
Great photos! And so true about preserving the family, within its recipes!
My beloved old Spanish teacher made amazing “pasteles” that were a bit like orange/cinnamon rolls but only 2″ in diameter and somewhat crunchy and caramelized. She was from Cuba, a Spanish literature professor in the university in Havana, when she escaped. She made pasteles for us once every year. She is now gone and left no descendants, and the recipe is irretrievable for me. Lesson learned.
Oh! That is sad. It is a lesson learned and something I’m trying to remind myself! Those sound wonderful too.
Great post Kathleen, family recipes are treasure, it is always bake with kids, My daughter is great helper. Thanks for sharing this wonderful post to Hearth and soul blog hop, pinning and tweeting.
Thanks so much! They are a treasure!
Good Evening Kathleen, I am popping over to visit you after seeing your post on April’s blog… and I am so glad I did. Family memories are so important when it comes to cooking. The reason I started writing Ivy, Phyllis and Me! was to write down my grandmother Ivy and my mother Phyllis’ recipes for both my daughters…. and then as those recipes were recorded, I added recipes which I cooked when my daughters were young…. and so the blog grew.
Cooking food from our childhoods is so evocative… I find I am transported back to the time when the recipes were cooked, especially by my grandmother and they often bring back memories which I find I had long forgotten about.
I loved that you found the time to bake with your daughter, because although she may only be 3 years old, there will be a little memory when she grows older, which she will remember when she bakes your Kipfuls….. which incidentally I love.
I really enjoyed your post.
Best Wishes to you.
Daphne
Thank you so much Daphne! I’m glad you were by.
I too like to have the kitchen to myself but I try once in awhile to let my granddaughters come in and help me. I’m hoping our next house will have a bigger kitchen so it can be a little more comfortable.
Love your photos and the tradition of baking the German cookies. Thanks for sharing such lovely moments and about your camera. I’m going to be getting a digital camera soon and I’m glad to know about this option with Nikon.
Peace.
I have a tiny kitchen as well. Maybe that is the difficulty in it. Thanks so much for your kind words! I hope you enjoy your new camera!