Dinner's ready

Faith was helping me cook the other day. We were having guests so she wanted to make a salad. In a little plastic bowl, she broke up pieces of graham crackers and crumbled a piece of bread. We definitely needed some greens. Holiday M&Ms did nicely, she thought, some of them are green. Why not add a few fruit treats for added color and texture? Pretzels and Cheerios completed the dish.
Our guests bypassed her bowl, but mom and dad each had a healthy helping. Dad even went back for seconds.
We're high on praise for her culinary efforts. The marble cake from the Easy-bake oven for dad's birthday last year was quite tasty. Her watermelon/olive/soy milk surprise lunch was not as big a hit, but worthy of praise.
We started working on her kitchen talents a couple of years ago. One night she surprised me with "dinner." I knew the plastic delicacies on the Barbie plates would do little to satisfy our hunger or nourish our bodies. When I told her we needed real food, she protested and was about to get really upset. To head off any crying during my dinner hour, I invited her to help me fix our real dinner. She took me up on my offer, pulled her stool to the sink and started helping me peel shrimp. Although some nights her "help" causes me more work when I have to clean up spills, I enjoy the time together. Too many cooks can spoil the broth, but not enough parental attention might ruin a child.
- Liz