OK, so I'm not Martha...

...but I can pretend, can't I? Come on, admit it, you have all had those moments in the kitchen when you imagine the cameras being there as you non-chalantly add a pinch of this and a dash of that, all the while smiling at the camera and maintaining an heir of perfection and never dirtying your apron. Oh, you have never done this? Then you, my friend, do not watch enough Food Network.

I recently had the pleasure of "taste-testing" (terrible pun intended) this fantasy by hosting a cooking party for a group of about twelve twelve year old girls. It seems the birthday girl and guest of honor Caroline is a budding chef and came up with this theme on her own! So clever! It was a night full of giggling, cooking, more giggling, gossiping, a little bit of learning, and a ton of fun!

When planning the party, it was stressed that the girls did not want a demonstration on cooking, they wanted to cook! They wanted to prep, chop, measure, bake, and fry. Although a bunch of highly excited pre-teens wielding knives around was a bit frightening, all fingers remained in tact and the meal turned out great. While parents and grandparents stood on the sidelines sipping wine, the girls worked diligently (most of the time, anyway!) to prepare a three course feast. On the menu were raspberry Italian sodas, tomato and basil bruschetta, chicken parmigiano with homemade marinara, and tiramisu.

Photographer Natalie Moser was on hand to capture all of the hysteria.

This will be the cover of my next, I mean first, cookbook!

These girls now know how to separate eggs, beat the whites to semi-firm peaks and fold them so as not to deflate the mixture. Pretty impressive! Caroline took her duties very seriously! I can't remember the last time I had this many people actually listening to me!
I made these recipe cards for each guest. They also took home cupcakes in customized take-out containers reading "From Caroline's Kitchen".
There's one in every group! Ready for the fry pan.Lesson's over, it's time for ping pong!

This was so much fun that I think I may have to do another. I am thinking adults, wine, gourmet ingredients- well, you get the idea. I think I may have found a new niche!

It was great meeting you and your friends, Caroline. I hope you had a memorable party and I thank you for letting me celebrate with you!