Food Should be a Love Language with Shirley Jump

I’m buried under a tight deadline but wanted to tell you I’m so excited about the new Bake-off Bachelor series from Tule Publishing featuring books by some authors I love to read. Kicking off the series is an author I’m a big fan of – Shirley Jump! Shirley is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling author who has published more than 60 books (in 24 languages!).  She also competes in triathlons and loves to have in-depth discussions about important things like chocolate and shoes!

I invited her to share something about her love of baking with us. Please give Shirley a warm welcome!

When I was a little girl, my mom used to bake bread every weekend. I’d get up in the morning, and she’d be in the kitchen, kneading the dough. Push, pull, flip. Push, pull, flip. Over and over, until the thick dough glistened and was ready for its final rise, then a trip to the oven. I’d go outside and play, and when I came in for lunch, the scent of fresh-baked bread would hit as soon as I opened the door. So rich and comforting, like a scented hug. My mom would brush the warm loaves with butter, and then cut off a couple slices and make me the world’s best peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

I don’t bake—I never did acquire my mom’s talent with things involving the chemical miracle of yeast and warm water—but I do love to cook. Some of my best memories are from dinners with my children, or times in the kitchen when one of them would help me mash potatoes or create a casserole. Now that my kids are grown up, I don’t have those dinners very often, and I do miss them.

My son, however, who worked for a couple of years at a diner type place, will sometimes cook for me. In his down time at work, he’d create his own concoctions. When I come home, tired or sick, he’ll tell me to sit down and he’ll make me something. It’s always amazing, always delicious, and a real gift of his creative talents.

I think food should be one of the love languages. So much preparation and time go into creating dinners and desserts, and thought about what the other person likes or doesn’t like. We put the plate before the one we love, then hold our breath, hoping every bite is going to hit them with joy. With a handful of ingredients and a couple of hours of time, you can tell the other person how much you love them, and how much you want to share that hour at the table with them.

Tell me, what is your favorite recipe to make for the one you love? Are you a cook or a baker? Or neither?

Look for Shirley’s book at these online retailers:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo

Thank you for sharing with us, Shirley! Readers, don’t miss this great series and do be sure to download Shirley’s book today.  I’m helping Shirley celebrate the launch of this delicious series so be sure to leave a comment below and you’ll be entered to win a fun JP prize! Contest ends at midnight on Friday with winner announced on Saturday.

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