Let's be Chefs!

If there is one thing Ainsley loves, it is to help in the kitchen.  I do my best to find a job for her, but so many times that job is just setting the table.  Even a two year old knows that this is not an important job.  No, Ainsley wants a much more important job.  She needs an actual dish to prepare.  I once again threw caution to the wind and decided to teach her how to make biscuits.  

"I just lick this quick, Mama."

She helped to pour the powder and milk into the bowl.  This is a job she usually gets to do, so this was old hat for her.  She immediately knew that stirring with a spoon would come next.  

"I don't need help.  I do it by I-self."

 In order to keep Durham safe and entertained, he was given an assortment of finger foods to practice picking up.  Here he is with his veggie straws.  

Yum.  Easily entertained.  

Here's where Ainsley got excited.  She's poured and stirred before.  She's never been allowed to DUMP FLOUR ON THE COUNTER.  I thought she'd be so excited she'd burst into interpretive dance moves.  

Nope.  She acted like this was something she does all the time.  I attempted to get her to pool the flour together in the middle of the counter.  She felt that the flour would work better if it formed a "tree".  Whatevs.  We were making a mess anyway.  It didn't matter anymore.  

Now it was time to knead the dough.  Once again, I was expecting elation.  Once again, she responded with no enthusiasm whatsoever.  

She would grunt with exertion with every knead of the dough.  

I was impressed that she wasn't constantly licking her fingers.  She showed amazing restraint.  

It was all a bit too much for my type A personality.  We decided to wash our hands off.  Whew.  At least we had clean hands once again.  

Oh, thank heavens.  

And now, first time with a rolling pin!  This time, she started smiling.  Now THIS was exciting.  There were a lot of "I don't need help"s and "I never rolled before!"s.  I was feeling pretty much like a rock-star parent.  

Happy as a lark.  

She picked a cup to use to cut the biscuits.  I showed her how to put her weight into the cup, spin it, and lift the dough circle out.  She was simply amazed by the whole process.  

"Here?  No.  Here?  No.  HERE!"

I just sat back and took pictures while she worked.  

My girl is the sweetest and naughtiest thing on two legs.  She hasn't been the easiest two year old.  I've no experience with other two-year-olds, but from what I can tell, some of them are timid.  Some of them hide behind their parent's legs.  Some of them want to hold their mother's hands when in a strange place.  

Not this child.  She just wants to know how to do everything so she can do it BY HERSELF.  

She'll even clean up if you let her do it BY HERSELF.  

 After baking the biscuits, she couldn't wait for dad to get home to see what a great chef she was.  She was going to sell her biscuits to him so he could eat supper.  

Enjoying her treat.  Complete with butter put on the biscuit by herself.