how we make dinner

With LOTS of help, of course. Seems to me the only way to get dinner made these days is to have someone across the kitchen island from me - either helping with my dinner plan, or more likely, choosing to work on their own dinner plan. Today, a favorite recipe of Adelaide's.

Needed:
every measuring cup, spoon and wooden spoon in the house
sifter - optional, but strongly desired
an apron - like Mama (or Papa) - (additional clothing optional)

Ingredients:
3 cups dinner-in-progress scraps - carrots, onions, leeks - anything will do
8 cups water - carried - cup by cup - across the kitchen
2 cups mystery pantry food - unidentifiable, forgotten dried beans? Yup.
2 tiny precious drops - something chosen from the fridge door
6 parts - clean up
2 parts - patience
10 parts - laughter

Mix & stir until everything has been added. If the other dinner isn't done yet, um....add more water. At this point, the excitement can usually be transferred to setting the table (seriously), 'showing' the soup to everyone, and then...carrying it very carefully to its ultimate destination outside with much fanfare.

We call it Compost Soup.

Comments

[Bree]

Love this post!

[liz elayne]

this brought a wide smile to my face...

reading these posts (maybe i have said this before), these posts that show such love you have for your children...these posts invite me to see how i could do this, bring children into this world and love them with a wide, open heart.
(thank you)

[Carrie]

You are such a great Mom to let her do that! You have very lucky kids! I love the "optional" sifter part of the directions!

[Christy]

How funny...I remember a babysitter I had when I was about 2 or 3 letting me do the same thing with "dinner-in-progress scraps" in her kitchen sink. I loved making "soup!"

[joy]

sounds delicious. can't wait to try it. :) Thanks Adelaide!

[Kim]

Yum! We like crushed egg shells in our "soup" too... plus crushing them in is soooo much fun!
:0)

[helen]

That's how Maya and I do it too. Our kitchen is tiny but we always manage to squeeze in there together and she loves cooking with the bits we're not using. She's nuts about laying the table too. We don't have a garden so we can't compost, sniff.

[Julie @ Letter9]

My little sister went through a phase when she wanted to make dinner for everyone but refused to use recipes. Her pizza crust was the worst, I think. UGH.

[Veronique]

brilliant :-)

[Annie]

Wow- BraveMama is more like it. I should totally be less uptight about letting my daughter follow her kitchen whims... Thanks for the reminder :)

[amy h]

I have no idea why I've never thought of doing this. Here I am, trying to have her help with the real dinner. This is so much better and more fun!

[jenny]

Your words are pefect.

It is so easy to imagine that little aproned one toddling to the table with dinner nearly ready, setting the table and calling her brothers to eat!

Children are the same the world over!

Jen

[Megan]

This post is so adorable. While I don't have kids yet...I will make *note* of this - many parent's don't encourage kids to help cook (especially if it's just 'Compost Soup') but I love that you encourage her creativity and just use the leftovers you have for her creations!

Love the idea!

[Monika]

I like the name of the soup the most! It sums up all.

[Suzanne]

Mine loves to do this also, and for some reason, the onion peels are a requisite item these days. Now that they're older, they're insisting we cook their contributions, and every once in a while I do!

[Eva]

Adorable! The cute little belly is the best part. Plus, if she continues her creative recipe development, Adelaide is going to be one cool grown-up.

[Jackie V]

I wish I had made compost soup with my girls more often. I was a busy working mom and didn't always spend the time I now wish I had. Enjoy them. Before you know it they'll be 34 and 31!

[Ali]

My eldest used to adore playing this. His favoured ingredients included flour and instant coffee, together with water and whatever food waste was going. One day, he summoned my Mother-in-law to taste it and the crazy woman actually ate a spoonful. Despite him shrieking 'No!' as he realized she was going to really do it. I laughed so much I thought I was going to pass out!

[jane]

My 11-month-old usually makes puffed wheat, shredded apples, and whatever crumbs she finds on the floor . . . Of course, that entails all the measuring cups and spoons, too!

[Patty]

Amanda, That would be 100 parts precious and toss in another 100 parts adorable. Love your babes and the way the particapate in all family activity. God Bless, Patty

[mamie]

i want my boys to cook like her, now can we teach them to get as excited about cleaning?

[tyler]

yes, outdoor soup is just around the corner! i actually make quiche with my 2-year old "helper" atleast once a week. its a foolproof recipe -- toss in the last of your veggies, any cream or milk for whipping, eggs of course are super-fun to crack, and salt, pepper and cinnamin (i have a talented little shaker), whisk and voila! a little mess, as she does much of it herself, but always tastes perfect, buys me some time, and a new tradition in the making.

[Angela]

I don't believe I've ever left a comment; so I wanted to let you know that your blog is such a beauty for me to be inspired by. Thank you! The other day, my 3 year old looked up as we held hands to pray around the dinner table. He said, "We made a circle!" I thought of you mentioning that same comment recently! :) Sweet.

[Samantha]

I thought we were the only ones that did that! My six year old told me the other day that she needs more dresses to go with her aprons, so she can get the eggs in the morning. They have to have an apron!

[Meryl]

This is going to sound weird, but her hands are all grown up! I thought it might have been one of the boys. I have a little girl a similar age and I was noticing it the other day. They're at that age where the pudgy dimpliness is starting to leave and they're just looking more...functional. Like they can DO things. sigh.

[Denise]

Exactly. Sounds like my kitchen!

[Ruth]

Love it! I did that very thing with my mother (we lived in an apartment on the coast of France, so my concoctions went in the fridge - that was before the days of composting) and my children now love to "help" in the kitchen. My 7 yo daughter is now pretty competent at making a fruit and veggie salad of her own for real.

[robin]

Oh, JOY! Looks like our evenings, too:)

[Laura Reaux]

That is so adorable. WHY have I never thought of letting them "cook" the scraps while I'm cooking? Such a great idea for letting them help!

[sarah]

I thought it looked delicious! I was all "Mmm! I wonder what those soule's are cooking up now!" LOL

[geek+nerd]

*laughs* I love the action shot with the water coming out of the cup!

[Wendy]

That's brilliant. My nephew loves to help 'cook' and I'll have to try this with him next time he's over. (And I've got that exact same yellow bowl.)

[Ruth]

Sounds like my house, minus the dry pasta and half-eaten cookie crumbs. Delicious! :)

[Jannean]

Love it!

[Kate]

You inspired me to get my three year old son into the kitchen with me to make dinner last night. He washed the chick peas and the leeks! Thanks for sharing your amazing attitude. (I, too, watch things on DVD as we do not have cable...it really lends itself to addiction! No commercials, only 42 minutes, who can resist?)

[Nicki]

I remember doing this at my grannies every week as she cooked sunday lunch. I'd follow it with Fairy Meringues - which were washing up liquid and water whisked to "soft peaks" with a rotary hand whisk - such fun!

[Sharon]

I am going to ditto everyone on the great idea! I think we will be making lots of compost soup--my almost 3yr. old (like Adelaide) and almost 5yr old will love it!
That's why I need your book in my hands right NOW! But you know, it's great that you have this blog that we have access to you 24-7!

[Plumsource]

I was so inspired by this idea that I suggested it to my 3 year old girl who sometimes gets bored with "helping" me with soup and SHE LOVED IT! Thanks so much. If I could upload a pic of her compost soup, I would. It was very carroty - yum x

[RookieMom Heather]

I love it. We totally do this at my house. The trouble is getting the 13 month old not to eat the food scraps.

[Sarah C]

This is just too funny. Our toddlers must be on the same wave length as this is exactly what my 2 yr old was doing this week - we enjoyed celery soup. It can be seen on my last post of my blog.