Me: “Ellie what are you making?”
Ellie: “I’m making ‘wunch for dinner!”
Me: “Alright then. What’s for lunch?”
Ellie: “Jollof Rice!”
– A candid conversation in the kitchen, August 1, 2012
Ellie loooves to help. Especially in the kitchen. I used to have to drag our heavy coffee table over from the living room just to create some space for her to help me out in the kitchen, but since I got us some new dining chairs I drag one over and let her stand on it where she can reach counter height to help me wash things.
She’ll wash everything from potatoes to mushrooms; with a brush if you let her. By washing I mean the bit of water I put in a bowl for her ends up EVERYWHERE; on the floor, on the walls, on her clothes…and the veggies will go from the bowl to the counter, to the sink, and back to the bowl again about 12 times.
She gives the best sous-chefs a run for their money. Come on, anybody you know shredding brush-scrubbed mushrooms by hand? Didn’t think so.
Oh and she’s an excellent sauce taster. She does all the official sampling around here. On this particular evening we made some curry and rice. From the looks of it, it passed her delicate taste pallet.
Truth is, it’s easier to let her help me cook than use tactics to keep her from being underfoot. Plus we have fun doing it together, despite the inevitable mess.
So far, she knows how to spread the peanut butter on her peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, wash veggies and fruits, peel her own bananas, mix pancake batter, bake cake, ask lots of questions and “run fast” when I switch on the blender.
