Another Monster Created

I had no idea I was creating a monster.  I let Pickles cook dinner the other evening, and now that is all she wants to do.  She has been scouring cookbooks looking for ideas that she can make all by herself.  Yesterday while she was at dance, I found a Paula Deen children's cookbook and I promise you, she read every page, every recipe before bed, and let me know what she wanted to make so I would be sure we have the ingredients!

Pickles' new cookbook...



As soon as she opened the book, she was so excited.  She said, "Paula Deen must be a kid herself.  She knew that I needed some pictures and color to keep me entertained!"  Well, I guess entertained is one word for cooking.  She even read the pages that didn't have pictures.  She said that she would like to make these pies, because how can you go wrong with chocolate baked into a pie?  Oh, I guess I better get ready, because I can see my waistline growing if I am not careful!

Last night I let her experiment and make her very own creation.  She decided pasta salad would be great, and since we had so many cucumbers and tomatoes, she would be "resourceful."  I love when she tries to sell me her ideas. 

I gave her a knife and a cucumber and let her get busy chopping.  She then cut up her tomato, and here is the result.

Not too bad for a novice...

I asked her what kind of dressing she would like and she wanted to make her own.  "Mom, I need some oil, vinegar and lots of garlic.  Maybe a little salt and pepper too."  Ok, then make your own.  Just FYI, we don't have a recipe.  She made her own!



She is ready to pour on the dressing...notice the excess vegetables stacking up on the counter... I need a bigger kitchen!



In the end she had a great pasta salad.  I think she ended up with some cucumbers, tomatoes, pepperoni, Parmesan cheese that she grated herself on the Microplane, and a balsamic vinaigrette.  She loved it so much, she took the leftovers for lunch today!

I share this with you not to brag on my daughter, OK, maybe a little, but to share with you our time in the kitchen.  I have not been one to cook with my children.  It is so much trouble, and it takes so much longer to accomplish a small task. However, I had an epiphany last week, that if I don't let her learn and make a mess, she will never learn to cook.  My Mother was super patient when I was growing up, and I owe that to my children.

Even though she makes a huge mess, I am cleaning as she is cooking. It is a great time to spend together and make something in the process. Just for the record, she doesn't like tomatoes, but she ate them in her pasta salad, because she got to chop them!  I asked her yesterday why it is suddenly fun, and she said, "You finally let me do things!"

Until next time, keep adventuring and looking for joy in the small details of life!

Sarah