Put’em in the Oven for Layla & Me

It’s cold, dreary, dad’s at work and not only do I have the day off, but we also have all the ingredients to make chocolate chip cookies. It will be a good day.

I suppose this would be filed as one of those ‘small adventures.’  Cooking with a toddler strapped to your leg or on your hip can be challenging, but involving a toddler in cooking? Sheer madness? Probably depends on the kiddo.

My little one actually loves to ‘cook.’ I’ve involved her from the start, it’s something that I enjoy doing so attempting to get her involved at an early age was a no-brainer for me. From watching mom cook from her bouncer to sporting her own apron, wooden spoon in hand, she’s been right there with me.

I admit it’s a little selfish too, when we get home from work, most of our evening is spent in the kitchen- cooking, eating, cleaning- why not make the most of it and make it as inclusive as possible? Those few hours after work and before bedtime are too precious.

On this particular Wednesday, standing on a chair, Layla watches me measure and pour and mix while she does the same with empty measuring cups and her own mixing bowl.

I narrate everything I do as if I have my own program on Food Network, which I do often, it just seems a little less crazy now that I have someone listening.  We complete our dough and spoon it onto the baking sheet and I admit we both sneak a few bites. Her blue eyes widen, “I like that,” she says.

I know she might lose interest in cooking some day and that will be ok, I have a few memories of cooking with my mom even though my mom wasn’t a big fan, it was more of a chore than a pleasurable experience - like me and gardening. My step mom on the other hand LOVES cooking- and is very good at it I might add- and I‘m sure that rubbed off on me as well. Either way, I’m hopeful that bringing the experience in my child’s life at such an early age may instill a fondness of the process and be something we can share for years to come.

I open the oven door to put in our cookies and she says, “Stand back! It’s hot!” I guess I’ve said that a time or a million before.

The cookies were not from a family recipe, lifted off the bag of Tollhouse Chocolate Chips actually, but they did taste a little sweeter because of my little sous chef.