So Much Happens When We Bake

It seems that everyone has favorite memories involving food, and baking together is often part of those memories, whether it's working on a cake for a special occasion, getting to sample the holiday cookies ahead of time, making cupcakes for the fun of it, or pulling out a treasured family recipe to make again and again.

When there's baking happening everyone pitches in, or at least they get a finger in the frosting. Children learn how to measure, how to help each other, and how to share both the work and the results. Maybe the cupcakes are destined for a bake sale, or the cookies are for a new neighbor or a favorite teacher. Maybe half of a home-baked cookie is the first gift a child shares with a new friend.

The kitchen provides warmth and comfort and creates fond memories even when the results aren't perfect. Making a mess in the kitchen, getting hands dirty while decorating cookies, and being silly while frosting cupcakes can make baking more fun for the kids, and those kid-decorated cookies can be more cherished (and more delicious) than professional cookies from a bakery.

While holiday baking can become a tradition, baking together doesn't have to be for a special occasion. It can be the occasion, with time spent as a family – or with friends and neighbors – coming together to make cookies, decorate cupcakes, or make muffins. And the results are delicious.

It's never too late to start making memories with family, friends, and particularly with the younger generation. If they can stir, they can help. And if they can't stir, they can watch the magic happen. Right now, Country Crock® brand is hosting the "So Much Good Happens When We Bake" campaign on www.WhenWeBake.com where you can find recipes, watch videos, and get inspired to do your own baking at home. Join in the conversation online with other folks using the hashtag #WhenWeBake on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest.