Rose Cahill

I love to bake. I have spent many long nights in the kitchen putting together recipes to make a treat for someone special. Birthdays, bad days, special days, or any day can be made wonderful simply by doing what I love. As the youngest of six children, my older siblings are always some of my biggest fans and my most honest critics. I already have five nieces and nephews that I get to spoil and hopefully soon teach my love of baking.

I will never take for granted the impact that I can make through baking. One time in particular showed me how much I can make a difference. My friend's dance auditions did not go well, but the next day, she had a batch of heath bar brownies waiting for her at her locker. The smile that appeared instantly on her face could not have been more genuine. She knew that the time I spent in the kitchen that night was for her and that so much love and care had been baked into her favorite treat.

Any time I see a moving truck around the neighborhood, I go straight to the kitchen to whip up a house-warming, neighboorhood-welcoming gift. Usually being brownies or chocolate chip cookies, they're a good reason to go meet the new families joining the neighborhood and they are never unappreciated. Cookies are definitely make the first impressions a lot easier when they're moving to a completely new place.

Another one of my favorite things about baking is that I can explore other cultures simply by following a recipe. I love traveling, but it means a lot of time and a lot of money. What better way to explore than by creating something unique to a different culture? With an Italian dinner of chicken parmigiana, I will bake a loaf of fresh Italian bread to go with it. If I want to remember my trip to Maine, I can bake a blueberry crisp. From making people’s day to exploring a new place, my passion for baking defines my way of connecting and sharing myself to the world.