Chef In The Making

Every time I bake or cook in the kitchen, Ella offers to help.

Most of the time it's really sweet.

Other times, like when I'm trying to quickly make something for supper because I've left it until the last minute, it's not so wonderful when she tries to squeeze her way into the kitchen, dragging her little wooden chair behind her and crying and whining when I don't let her help.

Really, I love that she loves to cook.

She loves pouring.

She loves stirring.

She loves turning on the mixer.

She loves getting out ingredients.

However, not all of the ingredients are tasty with whatever we are making.

Like today, for example. Today we are making pumpkin pies.

Mmm.....pumpkin pie. With real whipped cream. Mmm.....

Oh wait! I can't eat them yet.

Anyways, Ella thought that salt & vinegar popcorn seasoning would taste great in the pie.

Fortunately the shaker did not open and my wonderful pie is not defiled.

Here she is helping me today.

And this was taken last week when she helped John make a pan of brownies. He let her hold of the container of sprinkles. Note the location of the sprinkles. I could have predicted this outcome!!

It's just so strange. How does she know every single time when I am about to start baking? She shows up as soon as she hears me pull the mixer out of the cupboard. It's almost like her mind is ahead of me. Then the pulling out of ingredients begins. A lazy susan cupboard is nice, unless you have a very helpful 2-year-old and then it's a struggle to keep her out of it.

"How about this one mommy?" No, I don't think baking soda would be good in a quesadilla.

Ah, my sweet little girl. I don't know why she enjoys cooking so much more than her sister. I know that all kids like to help, but to her, this is a true interest of hers.

I look forward to the days when she is baking on her own. Hopefully there are no strange ingredients by that time and she follows the recipe EXACTLY as it is.