A Signature Dish

The girls and I have a new hobby--we started watching cooking competition shows and especially love Worst Cooks in America.  The girls and I bake a lot so they have learned a thing or two about cooking.  Ivy has been baking cookies with me since she could hold her head up.  I would literally put her in the Bumbo on the kitchen counter when she was about 6 months old.  She even managed to sneak an entire cookie worth of raw dough once when I wasn't looking (bad mom, I know).

It's something we started doing on nights when Nick is gone.  We eat dinner in front of the TV, watch an episode and have fun laughing at the bizarre kitchen antics of horrible cooks.  It's fun, it's silly and it's something they'll remember when they have families of their own.  These are the memories we're making.

Well.

On all of these shows we watch, contestants inevitably are asked to make a signature dish.  Whenever this happens, the conversation always turns to what I'd make if I were on the show.  What is my signature dish?  We haven't figured it out yet.  But as we were watching "The Next Food Network Star" tonight, Iris suggested the ever popular Aunt Maureen's Potatoes.  Everyone loves them.  They're amazing.  So amazing, that they have their very own blog post.

Aunt Maureen makes more than potatoes too.  When I was getting married, the planners of my bridal shower organized a "share a recipe" thing where every guest included a favorite or treasured recipe to share with me.  Aunt Maureen's recipe was Darn Good Chocolate Cake.  And it is DARN GOOD.  The first time I made it, everyone was wowed and wanted to know where I found the recipe.

"Aunt Maureen."

Oh, well, then of course it must be good.  I was asked for a good recipe by a friend once and suggested this one because it's delicious and very easy.  She was skeptical until I said it was Aunt Maureen's recipe.  Sold!

Now, I would never claim Aunt Maureen's potatoes or the Darn Good Cake as my own creation.  I don't even alter the recipes.  Why mess with perfection?  Naturally, I tell the girls that this can't be my signature dish--it's Aunt Maureen's signature dish.

"Is she our Aunt Maureen?"  Iris asks.

"Actually she's Grandpa Schleicher's Aunt Maureen."

"So, is she our great aunt?"

"She's my great aunt.  She's your great GREAT Aunt Maureen."

The eyes go wide with wonder.  "Is she still ALIVE?"

I laugh.  "Yes, very alive!"

"Can we MEET her?"

I laugh again.  "Absolutely!"  So, Aunt Maureen, next time we're in town or if you ever make it to the East Coast, the girls are dying to make your acquaintance and get to know a legend in our kitchen.

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