Adventures of a Piggy Whisk

My son received a chef hat, apron, and oven mitts for Christmas from his Nana and Pop Pop. I assumed these would be items to hang alongside his other dress up clothes so that when he is tired of pretending to be a monkey, dog, dragon, or Yoda, he can be a chef! I don’t think I realized at the time that this gift might encourage actual cooking. Maybe some pretend play with Play Dough, but surely not REAL cooking. One day, I asked him if he wanted to learn how to make cookies. He was so excited and we quickly pulled out the apron and hat. It was a huge hit and a great bonding experience. A few weeks later, he helped me cook Pasta Chu Chu for dinner. He was so proud of himself and how he had helped in the kitchen. Last night, we pulled the big bench over to the counter again so he could help make Stromboli. I figured it would keep his mind and hands busy while I get something done. It gave us a chance to talk about all kinds of things. Two ½ teaspoons would be the same as 1 teaspoon. What is an onion? What does oregano smell like? How can we stir ingredients together? He is learning so much and I love the time we get to share together. He now has his own whisk and spatula (with cute little pigs on them) that are just his size! He is getting to take ownership in the food he eats and actually seems more willing to eat new meals when he has helped prepare them. Amazing!

Today, I asked my boy what he would want to be when he grows up. We talked about the things he likes to do and one of the things he was excited about what being a chef. In that moment, it hit me for the first time- will his food allergies keep him from a dream career? In our kitchen, it’s safe. He can’t fail here. He can’t get hurt (unless he sticks his hand in the mixer, which I have already told him would be a bad idea). Yes, I know he will probably want to be a chef for two days, and then it’s off to the next thing, but the question is still important. How will his allergies hold him back from what he wants to do in the future? This thought brings tears to my eyes. This crushes me. I hope and pray that whatever passions the Lord has instilled in my children will be things they can accomplish despite their allergies.

One thing I know for sure, I will never be the one to kill their dreams. For however long my son is interested in cooking, I will teach him all that I can and nurture that time. Whether he just becomes a husband someday who knows how to cook his family a meal or he opens his own thriving restaurant, every minute spent with him will be worth it. I’m learning that cooking with my 2 year old is a huge blessing. He is learning to listen carefully, follow instructions, and see a meal emerge from ingredients. I am learning it’s ok that the kitchen gets a little dirty and it's alright if it takes a little longer to get supper on the table.When I asked my son if he might want to be a chef someday, he replied with an enthusiastic, “UH HUH!” Then, I said, “You could open your own restaurant where everyone could eat…even people with food allergies, like you!” “UH HUH!”

I'm Making Waffles!

Every time I want waffles, I can't help but think of the movie, Shrek, when Donkey says, "...In the morning, I'm making waffles!" If you haven't watched the movie, this won't sound very funny. Just do a search on YouTube or borrow the movie from a friend. You will thank me (and probably want to make waffles too).

We keep our son’s life threatening allergens (peanuts / tree nuts) out of our house, but for his less severe allergies, we simply keep HIM from eating the items we prepare that contain those ingredients (eggs). I do my best to alter recipes that commonly use eggs in order to include him in that meal or special treat. He tolerates denatured eggs in baked goods, but the denaturing process is one that doesn't seem to be an exact science. For this reason, I've never been confident that waffles get hot enough and are cooked for long enough to really make the egg safe for my son to consume. Today I tried to find an alternative to our normal waffles, and the solution was so easy! I left out the egg, and they tasted exactly the same. It was that simple!

I never ever buy frozen waffles at the store. I don’t like to eat things with ingredient lists I cannot understand and use lots of unnatural ingredients. Instead, I make a from scratch mix similar to Bisquick and keep that in my fridge for times I want to make biscuits, pancakes, or waffles. Then, I simple mix in some milk and vegetable oil, and plug in the waffle iron. Any extra waffles get packed up and put in the freezer for the next morning. I will suggest that you don't mix in things like chocolate chips or blueberries because these things can burn when they get stuck to the waffle iron and can make cleaning so much harder after you are done cooking if your waffle iron cannot be submerged in water. Just use the normal mix in items as toppings instead. Problem solved!

The homemade baking mix recipe I use can be found at Kitchen Simplicity.

Then, if making waffles, I use the mix above in the recipe found at Betty Crocker (minus the egg).

So if someday you have a family member or friend with an egg allergy OR you find out that someone put the empty egg carton back in the fridge instead of in the trash, you don't have to reach for the cereal! Just leave the egg out and enjoy your breakfast! I cover my waffles with Sunbutter and drizzle (ok, maybe more like drench) them with syrup. My sister claims she can make syrup from scratch, and I find that fascinating! Maybe I can get her to teach me her syrup secrets so we can try that too.