Cookie sisters

Photodocumentary photography, family photography in Connecticut, Monroe family sessions

Every December, the women in this family (mom, two daughters, and six daughters-in-law, plus members of the younger generation who are proving themselves worthy of inclusion) get together for a cookie-baking extravaganza.  This is not a casual affair.  It involves days of preparation (initial steps completed by mom and her two daughters), pounds and pounds of ingredients, at least sixteen recipes (some are tested and added over time), and in the end, over a hundred pounds of cookies (!!!!).  After each baker chooses a selection to bring home, the rest are sorted using a carefully designed system and frozen accordingly, to be pulled out at that year’s family gatherings and festive occasions:  baby showers, weddings, baptisms, birthday parties, etc.  It’s a labor of love, and when I say labor, I really mean labor!  But the result is divine.  I got to do a bit of sampling :).  This year they asked me to photograph the proceedings–a couple of hours on one of the prep days with just mom and daughters, and then the final day, with the decorating, sorting, and packaging.  They designed a gorgeous photo book and an accompanying recipe book for their mom, which made for a very special heirloom.  It was a perfect example of a way to use photography to preserve important family traditions forever.

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