sous chef

One of Anna's favorite new past-times is to help me in the kitchen. Earlier in the week on a dreary rainy day, I decided to have her help me make chocolate chip cookies with a new recipe I had received from a friend. She was entranced by our Kitchen Aid mixer (man, I love that mixer!) as it kept spinning while we added one ingredient after another. Of course when she asked to "try" a chocolate chip, I obliged and that made her afternoon.


As the cookies were baking, Anna asked if she could help wash the dishes. I filled the sink with water and soap and a few of the rinsed off dishes and put her to work play. She happily scrubbed the dishes, the sink, and poured and scooped water for a long time as we waited for our treats to cook and cool.

Later this week when Anna awoke I was in the midst of peeling apples for an apple pie. She asked if she could assist and I gladly obliged. Up came the chair next to the counter and she stared at the mound of sliced apples in the bowl with hungry eyes. "Anna, would you like an apple?" I asked her. "Yes please!" as her fingers quickly grabbed 2 from the top of the pile. Later as we added the sugar, cinnamon and other goodies she grabbed an apple from the top of the pile yet again - this time before I had a chance to mix the ingredients. A mouthful of sugar on top of the apple apparently was better than just an apple plain. "Mommy, this is really good" she exclaimed!

These are some of my favorite times...we talk as we cook - about our day, how we make things, where ingredients come from, what they smell, feel and taste like, anything that comes to mind. While sampling one of her cookies we were talking about the baby that is to come in a few months and Anna exclaimed "I will hold baby Moses, and rock him to sleep and ... and...and...teach him to each cookies! I love cookies, Mommy!"

So does Mommy Anna. And I sure love you.