I was cleaning out my cupboards this week and ran across something very sentimental: my very first cupcake decorator kit. I purchased it five years ago just before my daughter’s first birthday. It reminded me of that first time I wanted to make cupcakes, and the reasons I wanted to make them. I wanted them to be so cute, full of life and color … just like my precious little girl. Though she would obviously be too young to remember, and/or much less appreciate them, I did want her to know – maybe one day soon while flipping through a picture album of her first birthday party – that I made them just for her.

So, today I am reminiscing of my little girl’s first birthday and the homemade cupcakes I made for her. Being my first foray into the baking world, they turned out – well – a little short of looking anything professional. But looking back, that’s not what it was about, was it? It’s not what I set out to do. And even today, I’m still far from making that “perfectly” decorated cupcake, or that cake with the consistently moist center and plumb, bristling creme topping. But then again, that’s not really the point, is it? And that, my friends, is what makes this whole baking thing so cool and appealing to me.

So, with that thought in mind, use the comment section below to tell me about the very first time you attempted your trade or passion in life. Don’t be shy … tell me all about it, because I love to read similar stories of inspiration. After all, what would life be without things that inspire us to do things we wouldn’t otherwise attempt? And in the meantime, as always …

Enjoy, Bon Appétit, Buen Provecho!