Audrey, the Cooker!
Today consisted of Audrey pretty much asking me all day, "When do we get to go to my cooking class, Mommy?" I was so glad she was so excited.
Audrey has been fascinated with cooking for some time. Gramps got her her own little play kitchen two Christmases ago and it is still a big hit. Even before that she liked playing with the wooden spoons and little pots in our real kitchen. She'd pretend to add spices to the "soups" she was making. She still loves making us "tea and spices" or really random foods she gives jibberish names to. :)
She tells me and Jeff (and anyone who asks her what she wants to be when she grows up) that she wants to be "a cooker and a teacher" when she grows up. We asked her why one time and she told us "Because I want to be like my parents when I grow up - a cooker and a teacher." *Heart Melts* We think she is equating being a cooker to just cooking dinner in her own home, which is what Jeff & I do and which is totally fine, but we wanted to expose her to the possibility of being something more than just that. In other words, being a cook could be an actual profession. Over spring break, we visited my friend Sara's store in Long Beach called 5,000 Pies and I made a big deal to Audrey about how this was Sara's job and "isn't it cool she can be a cooker for her job?" I still think she's too young to understand that part of it all but one thing is sure about my daughter - when she gets an idea, she sticks to it! So cooker and teacher it is!
I enrolled her in cooking classes at Claremont Chefs Academy for the summer since her dance/music phonics class at preschool is on hold during the summer. That costs extra on top of preschool so I figured I'd use that money leftover from not paying for those classes to pay for these cooking classes and a birthday party there too! What fun!
The class started with washing hands and putting on an apron. The adults got to sit with the kids but I was amazed at how much the kids could do on their own or with the help of the teacher.
First, the kids worked together to make a batch of chocolate chip cookies with a secret ingredient... BACON! The teacher walked around to each child and let them participate in part of the process. Scooping and adding flour, sugar, brown sugar, the egg, vanilla, etc. and finally the chocolate chips. The teacher or assistant prepared the hot foods ahead of time and added them for the kids. They also scooped the batter on to the baking sheet for cooking. Here is a series of Audrey helping with the cookie making:
Adding some baking soda to help the cookies rise.
Tasting a pinch of brown sugar!
Helping with the mixing!
Helping to measure the vanilla.
Audrey was fascinated by the vanilla because she is only used to having vanilla yogurt. This vanilla looked very different!
Once the cookies were in the oven, the kids got a placemat followed by a kid-friendly knife! They were going to prepare Chili Con Carne Nachos. This picture shows what a GREAT listener Audrey was during her cooking class! Her preschool has taught her well and she knows that when a teacher is talking, you should listen. :)
I sent this one to Jeff in the middle of the class - it just cracked me up! The kids had the option of wearing goggles to help them not tear up while they cut some onions. Yes! Cut some onions! It was quite a sight!
Audrey sliced the onions with the green knife. She followed directions and put the knife down above her placemat with the blade facing away from her when she was not using the knife. Another thing that was so cute about this part was that as Audrey was carefully cutting the onions, red pepper, tomatoes, and cheese, she kept saying, "This is REAL food, Mom!" She's so used to pretend food or not used to actually cutting REAL food. What a treat for her!
Cutting red peppers! (Audrey snuck a taste! I told her she shouldn't do that but then the teacher came by, snuck a piece, and told Audrey not to tell. haha! It's true that real "cookers" sample their own food so next time I won't be so quick to say no. In fact, whenever I'm adding red peppers to a meal, I always call Audrey in for a sample while I'm prepping! It's one of her favorite veggies!)
Audrey cut the cheese (heh heh)
This was Audrey's favorite part - The Parade! Bascially, the kids just followed each other with their knife and placemat to a collecting station in order to turn those materials back in. But it was fun and different so I guess that's why Audrey liked that part the best!
The finished product! One proud cooker with some chocolate chip and BACON cookies and Chili Con Carne Nachos!
Way to go Cooker Audrey!
We got home around 6pm and shared our experience with Jeff, who was over the moon thrilled that Audrey had such a great time. But then I had to get in the kitchen and make our own dinner. Audrey immediately wanted to help me! So sweet! She has been like that a lot lately - asking to help in the kitchen. I think I need to invest in one of those kid-friendly knives and totally invite her in to the kitchen during my prep. With time and practice, she'll be cutting the onions for me!