Winnie and Cooking

I needed a break from the bad news. What better way than to have my favorite 4-year old over for a few hours? Winnie, her mom and brother Oliver came for a visit yesterday afternoon. Just what the doctor ordered.

Several visits ago, I noticed it was time for a change during their visits. Having Winnie at my home was becoming a bore for her. I just didn’t have enough things to keep her engaged. The light bulb went on over my head.

Cooking.

I believe children need to learn how to cook. It not only builds confidence, it is great to learn how to measure and follow directions. It also is fun and delicious!

I pulled out the old Klutz Cookbook for Kids that I used when William was young. Our favorite recipe was homemade applesauce. It you have never eaten it, it is an entirely different experience. You will never buy another jar of applesauce in the store again.

Winnie and I went over all the recipes in the cookbook and talked about what we would cook. When she arrived on her next visit, she was ready to cook the applesauce. I tied an apron around her, had her wash her hands, put a towel down on the counter and had everything set out and ready.

We read the recipe together. The recipe called for an adult assistant to help peel and dice the apples. Natalie and I were forever after called her assistants! We placed the apples on a plate then Winnie would toss them into the pan. She measured the water and sugar and spices, gave it a stir then set it on the stove.

When it was cooked, we let it cool a bit. We transferred it to a bowl where Winnie slowly and carefully smashed the apples, which were magically transformed into applesauce. The taste test: the best ever. Even Oliver had some. The rest was taken home to share with dad. 

Her next visit, we made hot dogs wrapped in refrigerator crescent rolls. She loved them and again brought the rest home to share with dad.

Yesterday was a true cooking experience. We made an Ambrosia Salad. It was a fruit salad of mandarin oranges, apples, bananas, pears and strawberries along with marshmallows mixed together in a white dressing of slightly sweetened sour cream. Winnie to cut the strawberries and bananas and did the mixing and measuring. She was not too sure she would like it. It only took one small taste and she ate two smalls bowls! She brought the rest home for dinner.

After we cook a lot of different foods, we will work together to create our own recipes.

Cook with your children or grandchildren. It is a lovely bonding experience and will build a life long love of preparing homemade healthy food.