Fun in the kitchen

This afternoon Lily was 'mommy's helper' in the kitchen. She has taken quite an interest in cooking and always asks to see what is being prepared on the stove. When I asked her if she wanted to help mommy make banana bread she said 'cook' as I gathered ingredients, bowls, and measuring cups on the counter. I don't trust her to stand next to me on a chair yet, so I positioned her high chair next to the counter and did most of the mixing in front of her on the chair tray. With each new ingredient added to the bowl she would look and say 'cool'. That's her new favorite word. Lily was happy to take a few turns stirring but she was hesitant to help pour flour and sugar into the bowl.

After making the banana bread Lily was ready for a snack and was very excited to dig into her vanilla pudding. She prefers not to get her hands dirty but when yogurt or pudding is offered she uses a spoon briefly before giving up and diving in with both hands.

Earlier today we went to visit our friends Cole and Heather. The kids loved getting into the plastic cups and bowls in the kitchen. Here are a few pictures of their fun in the kitchen this morning.

I have to share one more quick story. Tonight I gave Lily some green beans on her plate before I finished cooking the rest of the meal. I often try to serve veggies first since I know she isn't a fan. She looked very interested and picked one up right away and put it up to her mouth but that's as far as she could go. I think once she smelled the green beans she just couldn't muster up the nerve to take a taste. She began to pick up the beans and move them from her plate to the tray. I told her no and asked her to take a bite. I then moved away to stir something on the stove. When I looked back over most of the green beans had disappeared. Upon careful inspection I noticed that she had very carefully removed each green bean and slid them into her high chair. They were lined up perfectly along the edge of the chair! It was very hard not to laugh at her solution to her green bean problem. Three out of four fun food experiences in the kitchen isn't so bad for one day.