Scott makes Spagetti

Scott started cub scouts about a month ago and one of the requirements for Wolf is to choose an evening where he gets to set the table, plan and prepare a healthy dinner and do the dishes afterward. It was like my birthday or Mother's Day. All I had to do was take pictures.

I thought spagetti would be an easy meal for an 8-year-old.

This is Scott's first time draining the noodles himself. My camera is in one hand and the other hand is ready to help if he needs it.

Mmmm, the meat. Scott is cooking up what our family calls Italian Caribou. Ground caribou with italian sausage seasoning and no extra fat added.

He adds the sauce. He has learned to use the can opener that opens the can without leaving sharp edges.

He adds the caibou.

Look at that smile. He is very proud of himself. My husband and I thought it was the best spagetti we have ever had.

The vegetables were a delicious toss-the-bag-in-the-microwave variety. It is a mix of yellow corn, white corn, carrots and asparagus.

James and Toast

James makes his own piece of toast.

I love this:

"Mom, can I have some toast?"

"Yes."

He gets his own bread, puts it into the toaster...
...and when the toast is done he can even spread the butter on himself.
Sometimes he spreads the butter like it was frosting on a cupcake, thick and messy.

That's okay. He's doing it himself and he will learn not to use so much.
James can make himself toast anytime.

Mac & Cheese

Emma has taken the next step at learning how to cook:

Macaroni and Cheese

Macaroni and Cheese is a huge favorite at our house, parents included. I have always liked Macaroni and cheese and I love having it on hand. It's an easy dish to prepare.

I gave her instructions and she prepared it all by herself. I didn't get any pictures this time but I was thrilled at her willingness to do it herself. She even took care of James by getting him settled with his own plateful of Mac & cheese. At this moment its not just the cooking that I love, its also learning to take care of her younger brother. Emma is the oldest of five and with being the oldest comes a little more responsibilty.

Sunday Brunch

As tasty and as fun as all other recipes have been, I decided to go back to basics, like the cheese tortilla and grilled cheese sandwich. They like starting out with simple things.

Scott wanted to learn how to make "sunny eggs", as he calls them, since it's his favorite way to eat an egg. In the past when he would crack an egg and try to break it apart over a pan, he would end up getting nervous and crushing the egg. But with a little practice he is doing much better.

(The meat cooking next to the eggs is a combination of homemade pork sausage and caribou sausage. Delicious!)
He even flips the egg by himself. This also took some practice.Great flipping doesn't happen all the time. His dad jumped in to help.

Emma helps out with Sunday Brunch by making waffles. Again we are back to basics, something simple. She does very well. I helped mix the batter and she took it from there.

I even taught her to scrape the bottom of the measuring cup on the edge of the bowl to help prevent a bunch of dripping across the counter. Along with the cooking, I would like my kids to learn about clean-as-you-go in the kitchen for easier clean up when you are done.
(And then I don't have to do it.)

She was a little nervous about taking the waffle off the hot iron but she got over it quickly.

I can't wait until they can do this by themselves. I sometimes imagine that I am doing what I want to do when I hear the words, "Dinner/Lunch/Breakfast is ready, mom!"