Laurel, in classic toddler fashion, loves helping around the house; I’ve had many a day where I wished she was, in fact, strong enough to push that vacuum around on the rug. Meanwhile, I thought it would be fun to try having her help with cooking and baking – mutually beneficial in providing a fun indoor activity while getting dinner and snacks on the table.

Our two cooking adventures this weekend went swimmingly! The first project was quesadillas. I laid the tortillas out on the griddle (with the stove off) and gave Laurel charge of the cheese, sliced mushrooms, and shredded zucchini (I handled the refried beans). Normally, Laurel can’t be trusted with a bowl of cheese, but not only did she become engrossed in the process of distributing the cheese, but she was so excited to “make food!” that she willingly put vegetables on her own quesadilla, and then ate them. More evidence for the case file that letting kids cook encourages them to eat.

Our second project resulted in a spectacular batch of blueberry muffins. I laid out the ingredients and Laurel mixed the batter and helped fill the muffin cups. The results, both edible and archival (the video from this episode is priceless), were delicious. Click here for the muffin recipe.