'Nana Toast

 

 

I'm hoping to make more of a habit out of this.  Over Labor Day weekend, the kids and I baked banana bread.  They stood on chairs, helped me sift flower, scooped and counted the dry ingredients one very inaccurate 1/4 cup at a time, and (as you can see above) helped me stir in the nuts.  Afterwards we played in the sandbox and pretended to sift flower, count scoops, stir our batter, and bake our bread under a lawn chair.  Lunch ended up being banana bread and berries that day because none of us could resist.  The bread was warm with a slightly crispy crust that inspired Michael to rename the treat "'nana toast."  We ate it for a couple of breakfasts and snacks over the next few days, and Michael and Sophie's faces lit up with pride when I reminded them that they made it!

 

This past Sunday, as the kids sat at the kitchen table eating their leftovers from lunch for dinner, I started making some loaded baked potato soup.  It wasn't long before they had abandoned their spinach ravioli to help me scoop baked potatoes from their peels.  Michael and Sophie counted each chop to the green onions, scooped more flour, and smiled gleefully each time I lifted them to see the concoction developing in the pot.  They had had this soup before, but I believe that having made it "themselves" inspired Sophie to request seconds and thirds at dinner the next night. 

 

While these weren't the healthiest dishes we could have made together, I'm hopeful that the more we cook and bake together, the better lifelong eating habits Michael and Sophie will have. 

 

There are more organic bananas over-ripening their hook in our kitchen right how (we just don't go through them like we used to).  I'm hoping the kids and I can carve out some time this weekend to work more baking magic!