Alan Page’s ‘Baking Up Love’ draws on his joy of baking with his grandchildren
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Alan Page did not think the title of ‘children’s book author’ would be on his long resume after retiring from the Minnesota Supreme Court. But the NFL Hall of Famer’s fifth book, written with his daughter Kamie Page, highlights one of his most important jobs yet: being a grandfather.
“That’s sort of what it’s grounded in. With the grandkids, we pretty much — if it can be baked, we do it,” Page said.
“Baking Up Love” follows a young girl, Esther, who is supposed to bake cupcakes with her mom for an after-school event. When her mother is nowhere to be found, Grandpa (who bears a striking resemblance to the former Vikings player) steps in.
“The book is about intergenerational connections,” Page said. “Being a part of family means doing things together. That’s where the joy comes in.”
In the story, Esther and her grandfather bake up a tray of Mississippi Mud Cupcakes. A recipe that’s featured at the end of the book and was a favorite of Page’s late wife, Diane Sims Page. He said it’s a combo of chocolate, sugar and butter with a little flour to hold it all together.
But in the book, Grandpa includes another ingredient: love.
“It’s even good when I make it. It was spectacular when Diane made it.” Page said.
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