"I Make It!"

The kitchen has always been a respite for me, a room where comfort is found in recipes and routines, and tastes of excitement are carefully measured out by spoons and cups. But now that three and a half year old Little P. has commandeered the room, he takes a more free-spirited approach to our mealtime creations.

Yet some things still require a bit of order for success to be achieved. Baking is one arena where "winging-it" isn't advisable, but my son doesn't care about precision during meal prep and will demand "I Make It!" so I need to allow opportunities for fun, while still following the recipe rules.

The best baking idea of late is my "Wet Bowl" and "Dry Bowl" approach. Take the opportunity to identify which ingredients fall into each category and lay them out before little hands begin. With everything in easy reach, allow your young chef to measure things into their respective bowls: wet or dry. Of course you may need to assist with pouring items into cups and spoons and cracking eggs, but let the kids do the majority of the work. They make a meal and they take pride in a job well done!

Once each bowl has it's proper fillings, mix as directed. Most baking recipes are forgiving enough that you can work the bowls separately and combine them just once at the end. This alleviates the problems that can occur from overworking doughs for breads and cakes; let your young Mix-Master stir that dry bowl to his heart's content, a quick incorporation with the wet ingredients and your bread will still rise nicely.

Besides fostering self-confidence, independence and an interest in wholesome foods, the amount of peripheral knowledge imparted through cooking with kids is limited only by your imagination. Counting, numbers, fractions, measurements and volume can all be explained at a basic level to every age child. Speech and linguistics are expanded and perfected with repetition. Ingredient functions are always interesting; leavener's, sweetening's, flavor's and such- Who doesn't want to know how these things work? If Mom & Dad need a refresher, Harold McGee's On Food & Cooking and The Curious Cook are two tomes that really are the bibles of food and its functions.

One of our favorite baking activities is making waffles. I love to add in whatever fruit can be found seasonally and balance with spices suited to the flavor. As odd as it may sound, zucchini, carrot, sweet potato and corn are vegetables that can also work well with fruit in a sweet waffle. Today, strawberries picked at the tiny Land Sake Farm in Weston are combined with fresh grated nutmeg and taste decadent at this time of year! The recipe below should leave you with some extras; cool them on a baking rack, then tuck them into a freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to two weeks. A quick reheat in the toaster oven is all it takes for you to have fresh waffles any morning you want!

"I MAKE IT" WAFFLES:

Yield: 8 - 10 waffles depending on your waffle iron size

DRY BOWL:

2 cups whole wheat flour (I like King Arthur's White Whole Wheat)

1/2 cup spelt flour or corn meal

1/2 cup loosely packed brown sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

Spices / Flavorings: 1 tsp. dried or 2 tsp. fresh: your mixture of choice (think cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, ginger, allspice, lavender, mint, coconut, ground nuts or seeds)

WET BOWL:

1/4 cup citrus juice or one large lemon/medium orange freshly juiced

1 tsp. fresh grated zest (match to juice of your choice) or 1 tsp. vanilla for less citrus flavor

2 Tablespoons melted butter

2 Tablespoons canola oil

1 large egg

1 1/2 - 2 cups skim milk (the larger amount if you are using cornmeal in your batter)

LAST:

1 cup of your choice of fruit/veggies: fresh, frozen, chopped, sliced, or pureed depending on your texture preferences.

Combine Dry Bowl ingredients well and set aside. Mix up Wet Bowl ingredients and then add into Dry Bowl. Mix together until all ingredients are incorporated. Add in the fruit. Fold lightly to combine, but don't over mix or all the fruit will disintegrate in batter. Heat your waffle iron thoroughly before cooking; use non-stick spray if necessary and cook according to your iron's directions.