Tasty Bake Oven

Have you ever heard of the Easy Bake Oven?  You know the cute little oven with the lightbulb that allows little ones to cook baked goods.  I read an article in Food Network Magazine that broke my heart last year because it said that the Easy Bake Oven with the light bulb would not longer be available because it wasn't energy efficient.  

I went to my mom's house later that week and told her that I remember cooking in an oven like that as a kid and that I was sad that they were phasing those out.  Little did I know that my mom was in the process of de-cluttering her house, and lo and behold, she appeared with my Tasty Bake Oven.  She asked me if I wanted it (because, can you believe that she was going to give it away!), and I was like, "Are you kidding? This is a classic, and I can't wait for the boys to use it!"  

Emmanuel couldn't wait to use it to make brownies.  (Now, this thing is so old that we don't have any of the pre-made packages that come with it...so we improvised by using just a little bit of the brownie mix from good ole' Betty Crocker!)

 Reese, who isn't really a fan of chocolate, was eager to eat the batter.

Emmanuel had to get a taste test in too!

Filling the brownie pan...

Sticking it in the oven...

And waiting for what seemed like days.

(No, really, it took a long, long time.  The boys went outside and an hour later, I think the brownie was finished!)

It was a great, nostalgic moment.  And, I wish that I could bottle up how much I love these boys and how much I love sharing these moments with them.  I am so full.  I hope that I never forget how much God has blessed my life, my marriage, and my friendships through these two boys.