Little Chef

Ella Reese is always asking me to cook along with me.  Dinner time cooking is never the best time.
So I decided to make lunch time into a cooking lesson.
It also helps emphasize following instructions.

All you need is drawing supplies and whatever food you are going to prepare.

On paper, draw out and number the steps to making the meal.  I know drawing is a challenge for many...so I thought a solution would be to do a collage instead of draw.
A collage is where you take simple shapes and cut them out of colored paper  Then you put those shapes together to make a picture.  This could also be an art lesson with your child.  For example. if you want a piece of bread, but out a brown square.  If you want a slice of meat, cut out a red circle.  Then she can stack these on each other and glue them.  Think what shape that piece of food most closely resembles.

I did this quickly today ( like when Ella Reese told me she was hungry I pulled it together) but I can always expound on this.  I could have the kids make up a restaurant name and make a sign.  I could have them invite a lunch guest over.  If I was teaching about table manners or table placement, I could incorporate that.  I could make the meal more complex than sandwich and chips.
The sky is the limit.

I am keeping our "recipe" for this lunch.  I plan on doing more and finding some kind of "recipe box" to hold them all.  It will be fun to have her go through all her recipe and on occasions have her choose one.
My little chef.  If you have ever seen Ratatouille the movie, there is a rat that sits under a chefs hat.  And that rat is the one that does all the cooking.
One day after Ella Reese helped me with some baking, she said to me...." Mom, I am a good little rat!".
Instead of, "I am a good little chef!".  Too cute....