The Next Julia Child

...or Betty Crocker, or Emmeril....
Emily LOVES to help in the kitchen. We've let her assist in the making of cookies and cinnamon rolls, but last night, we ventured even further. She wanted to make dinner. She chose everything: bow tie pasta with red sauce served with cooked broccoli. I opened the cans for her and she dumped them in the pot. I handed her the seasonings and she shook them into the pot until I told her it was enough. She put the broccoli in the pot to cook and loved stirring things (especially if she could taste-test the sauce some more). She even boiled the noodles. She was quite proud of herself and called her Daddy to tell him. (Eric loved the dinner so much that he actually had seconds, which he normally doesn't do.)
Today she wanted to cook some more, but we figured the breakfast Eric was making wasn't child friendly (too much grease involved and popping...not a good combo w/a small child). So, for lunch she asked to cook. We stretched the meaning of that word and showed her how to make a peanut butter sandwich (no jelly for this girl...she wants the PB straight up!). Again, pleased as punch, she gobbled up her sandwich.
I can see it now...in a few more years I won't have to figure out dinner...she'll decide and cook it for me!!! =P