Easter Eggs

Since she got to choose the family breakfast this morning, Katie chose pancakes, scrambled eggs, and turkey bacon. So much my little helper in the kitchen, she measured out all the ingredients for the pancakes, mixed them, cracked eggs for the scrambled eggs, and salted them. In the kitchen I am having her do as much as she possibly can do and letting her experiment a bit.

Tonight we made a chicken-carrot-pea-pearl onion stew with a creamy base and homemade biscuits on top. Katie measured out the ingredients for the biscuits, telling me to get the baking powder from the pantry, and she cut the butter in with a pastry cutter (not a sharp object). We also used our hands, which she loved. Then I had her flour the board for me (this got a bit messy, but oh well---she's learning), and she helped to pat the dough into a ball, and then she even rolled it out. Her face lit up when I brought out one of the biscuit cutters, and she made six circles for the top of our stew. She put the egg wash on them. We talked about how yummy everything looked and how we would gobble it up, the fresh carrots, the healthy chicken, the delicate biscuits. We finished her bath while it all melted together in the oven, and when we came down she was so eager to eat it. I think one of the best gifts we can give to our children is to teach them how to cook and to love good, healthy, homecooked food and to make sure food appealing and delightful. As we ate dinner, I complimented her a few times on her biscuits, and she was beaming with pride. She knew they were good. She loved eating what she had made. Her willingness to try new foods increases tenfold when she is part of making it, I've noticed: broccoli soup, lasagne bolognese, black bean tortilla cassarole, chicken stew, etc. Cooking with, and for her, is so much fun!

After a morning of dancing, singing, and playing Barbies, we got dressed and made our egg dyes for coloring our Easter eggs. Katie loved putting the tablets in the bowls and watching them fizz in the vinegar. She helped me to add the water, and then we were ready to color our eggs. We had so much fun together, listening to our new tambourine-based music for our Music Together class.

Katie chooses the first egg to dye: it will be green!

Basting her pink egg to color it completely.

Katie tends her eggs!

As our eggs dried, Katie took a nap and I worked on our family photo albums while watching a Hitchcock film. I also finished making Katie's Easter basket from the Easter Bunny. He comes tomorrow night! We have a carrot all ready for him!