Let's Get Cooking!

We recently retired Will's high chair to his friend Baby Carly, leaving us with newfound space in our kitchen that we forgot we even had. Never one to let a spare inch go unutilized, Mom quickly filled it in with a Learning Tower. While this piece of todder equipment is unimaginably, yes, even bigger than the high chair, the utility factor makes up for it. Most exciting is that Will can now cook with us!

We started healthy, with a Lentil Soup.


















We had some delicious ingredients assembled, including baby carrots, red onion, ham hock (from the Castro Farmers' Market), cauliflower, celery, bay leaves and chicken stock. Will had fun "dumptrucking" them all in the pot. He also had his milk cup handy, the toddler equivalent of enjoying a nice glass of red wine while cooking.


















Mama was going to help him pour in the stock, but as most almost-2 1/2-year-olds are inclined to say, Will wanted to "do it myself." So, he did!


















Any chef worth his salt has to sample along the way.












Now that's some delicious soup!













For his foray into desserts, Will hit the jackpot when Mom received some Sprinkles cupcake mix as a gift - his first homemade cupcakes wouldn't just be any cupcakes, but Sprinkles lemon cupcakes and red velvet cupcakes! (Note to fellow parents: when baking cupcakes with toddlers, stick with white, lemon or yellow. Not red velvet. Save those for yourself!)


















There was no way that Will wasn't going to try at least a little icing!


















After tasting the icing, Will took frosting very seriously.












Time for sprinkles!
























Our happy baker!