It is no surprise to anyone who knows me, that my Easybake oven was my favorite Christmas gift. I speak of it often as it inspired my love for baking and creating at an early age. I received my most favorite gift when I was six years old in 1969. I truly remember my twin sister and I tearing off the Christmas wrap, exposing the box to this picture of a darling little girl playing with her oven. I loved her hair, which I later imitated, her dress, and her happy self playing with her own little oven! I remember being elated and so thankful to Santa for thinking of me!
After that, my memories are mostly scattered. I remember my sister and I baking for my brothers, and how much they seemed to like me when the Easybake was out. I remember all five of us kids hovered around the oven while taking impatient turns staring into the tiny window, watching our brownies bake beautifully under the 100 watt light bulb! I remember my mommy cutting the brownie into five pieces so we children could all get a taste. Indeed, a taste was all it was, but we were so happy despite its size, because we made it!
Unfortunately, my beloved Easybake was destroyed in a house fire at my parents’ home over 20 years ago. My dear husband was well aware of my love for my beloved little oven and decided to find me a replica of my own on Ebay. His quest was intended to be a private one, so a glorious surprise was to occur on Christmas morning for me. However, his sleuth-like skills were not polished as an email from Ebay confirming his Easybake purchase was left on our email for me to unintentionally see!
I felt so badly that I had accidently ruined his great surprise and pondered what I was to do Christmas morning. I didn’t want to fake it and wasn’t sure that I even could, but I didn’t want to disappoint the moment for him. When he gave me my large box, his eyes were dancing with anticipation, so I decided to tell him what I knew with fear my acting skills would be dubious and trite. He was clearly disappointed, but understanding. To my amazement however, as I peeled the Christmas paper off my gift, I saw the little girl on the box that I hadn’t seen in forty years and my eyes immediately began to fill with tears.
All my feelings of joy and love that I have felt from cooking and baking through my entire life came rushing out of my eyes and onto the box. I realized that my entire mission in life, my dream of changing the world one pie at a time, loving people through my food all started from my little oven. I realized that through my darkest depression, my cooking and baking soothed me and gave me purpose – all because of my Easybake oven.
As joy filled my grateful heart and happy tears rushed my cheeks, I knew that my gifts, my blessings, my mission and my love will always fill my life.