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Borders.com presents

Jennifer Darling
“Better Homes and Gardens New Baking Book”

December 01, 1998

Jennifer Darling, author of “Better Homes and Gardens New Baking Book” shares her ideas for great holiday baking, including recipes and cooking tips.

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NetCafeLive: Good evening Jennifer, and welcome to Talk City. It is very nice to have you with us this evening.

Jennifer Darling: Thank you! I'm glad to be here. (smile)

NetCafeLive: How do you feel family style baking can impact lifestyle?

Jennifer Darling: It makes a lot of wonderful memories! It's a great way to get kids in the kitchen. And you learn a lot too. I think everything in moderation, and if you are healthful in your diet in other ways, then you can allow yourself some treats now and then. (smile)

NetCafeLive: What kind of memories do you have from this kind of baking

Jennifer Darling: I have a great memory! My very first cookbook was the Better Homes and Gardens Junior cookbook, and my Mom and I always made cookies from that book. I started baking when I was seven, and my Mom and I still bake cookies and send them across the country as gifts.

NetCafeLive: How did you come up with the idea of the Better Homes and Gardens New Baking Book?

Jennifer Darling: Baking is something that people like to do as a hobby, and they don't seem to want to scrimp; when they want to bake something they want it to be really fabulous! We've done books in the past, but we know that people wanted something complete - with everything you'd want to know. And that's also why we chose the ring-bound format. That format is a popular choice. It opens flat on the counter and, if you want, you can take one page out and put it in a special corner of your kitchen for baking.

Sookie: I find baking with kids you learn more from them than just cooking. Do you?

Jennifer Darling: Sookie, yes, I do. I think that kids, besides learning their basic reading and so forth in the kitchen, can teach us a lot about having fun, and how to make light of things that we may consider mundane on a daily basis.

NetCafeLive: How old do you feel children should or could be for baking?

Jennifer Darling: I hate to discourage kids from being in the kitchen at any point, because when they're really little they might just want to scoop flour into a bowl and watch Mom or Dad in the kitchen. But as they get a little older the parents can actually be the assistant! I think it's really important to talk about safety in the kitchen. Scooping flour is one thing, but using an appliance or a sharp knife is something else!

NetCafeLive: They are also great to do dishes. (laughing)

Jennifer Darling: (laughing) Yes, we all have to do our fair share when we cook!

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