Baking Up Some Fun

Today I baked some cookies. Big deal, you may be thinking, but first of all let me confess that I am a lousy baker. I consider myself a pretty decent cook, but the precision and attention required for successful baked creations does not mesh well with my lack of patience in general. Some ancient Scottish ancestor of mine had a heck of a gene that stuck around in my DNA, and consequently I have a problem with being told what to do, I don’t like to follow directions, and I just generally prefer to do things my own way.
So the fact that I actually (or accidentally) created cookies that baked to the right consistency and tasted good is the equivalent of a gold medal in my book. Oh, before the Honesty Committee shows up to audit me, did I mention that I had some help? Yes, Little P. is probably the rightful recipient of said medal, as he did most of the work and I just did most of the dirty dishes.
I try to cook regularly with my 4 year-old. We both like creations beyond the standard cut and bake cookies, processed packages, and mindless box mixes. His knowledge of food variety and interesting ingredients is impressive, even by adult standards. On a recent trip to Whole Foods Market, I heard him inform the produce manager how to prepare Lacinato kale that night for dinner (Oven roast with olive oil and kosher salt, natch!).
Today, while baking, I filmed the live action with my son for posting on our YouTube channel. When I went to later view and edit, I was pleasantly surprised at what I saw. I know I have been teaching my son many different things as we enjoy our time in the kitchen, but I was floored at the diverse information actually covered while casually baking.
While combining ingredients for our Calabrian Chocolate cookies, we discussed amongst other things, the following subjects:
Addition: 2 oranges plus 1 oranges equals 3 oranges
Fractions: 2 of the smaller ½ cups will make 1 whole cup
Consistency: Grating one whole nutmeg down will make it into smaller, soft pieces
Numbers: Setting the oven buttons to temperature
I also laughed my tail off watching my son boast about his skill level, tasting bites of everything, using his shirt repeatedly as a napkin, getting bossy about his rights as head chef, and generally pulling the puppet strings on me. He is a natural charmer who succeeds in getting what he wants most of the time. He is overall, a really good kid.
I started this blog wanting to encourage people to bring their kids into the kitchen for so many reasons: teaching various concepts, building their self-confidence, and connecting our generations. But I think I am going to finish this article by saying, bring the kids into the kitchen for a good laugh and some serious fun! That’s what it’s all about isn’t it?