When Jamie and Aaron planned their visit to the West Coast from Philadelphia, Jamie was really excited to book a vacation Slice of Life session. The only concern was where to do it. Given that we’ve been friends for years, she asked if she and Aaron could take over my kitchen for the session. The answer is obviously yes. And I think this Slice of Life is one of the tastiest yet.

Jamie and Aaron wanted this session to revolve around the heart of any home: the kitchen. This delicious Slice of Life session centered around these scrumptious dumplings from Damn Delicious.

It was fun to witness and create photographs of their shared moments of trying to cook in an unfamiliar kitchen. Thankfully, this kitchen is well stocked.

Spending time together in the kitchen is one of the best ways you can discover the magic of family. Cooking is an everyday form of alchemy. You take ingredients, combine them, change them, and then create something entirely different with them.

Jamie and Aaron are lovers of the simple things in life. Aaron builds guitars and loves to work with his hands. Jamie is a physical therapist who typically bikes to work and finds joy in the many plants she keeps in their home.

During their Slice of Life session, I was struck by how little talking they did. They are comfortable in silence together. In a world of near constant noise, comfortability with quiet is a dying art form. Instead, they worked together efficiently, closely, and had moments where they unconsciously mirrored each other.

The dumplings were delicious, in case you were wondering. Given how much love they put into the making of them, I’d expect no less. When they are together, the joy is doubled and the work is halved.