SHORELINES

20 a p c s hor e l i n e s.c om | 2017 Vol :1 The aroma of hazelnut cinnamon rolls and the sound of carefree toddler giggles fill the room while Kate Wood and her 2-year-old daughter, Aimee, stir homemade icing together. It's a happy childhood memory in the making – the familiar scent of a mother's cooking and the comfort that comes from being together in the kitchen. For Wood, an avid baker and the brains behind the popular baking blog Wood and Spoon, this is exactly where she belongs. On a springlike day, Wood has opened up her family's Lake Martin home that has become a retreat for family members from across the country to gather, reset and spend time with one another. Food is one of the many ways Wood connects with others. Growing up the oldest of three, Wood has fond memories of her family dining together and spending time over food. The Orlando native moved to Alabama to attend Samford University, where she majored in nutrition. She met her future husband, Brett, in the cafeteria at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where she was earning a master's degree in clinical nutrition and he was finishing his residency in orthodontics. While Wood says she started to develop her love for food and science in early college days, it wasn't until her wedding that she discovered her passion for baking. Inspired by her mother, Wood set out to make her own wedding cake. Left: Photo by Ted Tuck er – Brett and Kate Wood cuddle up with their children, Aimee and George, on a quilt handmade by the women of Kate's family at their Lake Martin home. "I T HINK A LOV E OF FOOD A ND SI T T ING DOWN TO SH A RE A ME A L TO GE T HER WIL L A LWAYS BE PA R T OF HOW OUR FA MILY CONNEC T S." – K A T E W O O D

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