Kid Inspiration

I had set the pace for Sunday in advance. I am determined on managing tone and pace. There were things to do, but if there is time to relax, then everyone feels like it's manageable and there are less moments of opposition. Also The Kid asked if there would be time to kick around at home.

At swimming lessons,  I watched The Kid swim back and forth across the width of the local pool (with breathing yay!) and I was very proud. His class practiced diving for the first time. It was a beautiful Esther Williams moment of belly flops of the cute and shivering.

We had big bowls (size small!) of albondigas soup and ate beans and cheese with guacamole and chips for lunch  and fresh squeezed orange juice, even though The Kid said he wasn't hungry. right.

We came home and there were some small chores (left mostly unfinished) and individual play. We let The Kid flip some channels while we knit and read and he lounged in his post lunch food coma. He finally found the Food Network. More specifically he found, The Pioneer Woman. I have read her blog on and off through the past few years because there is usually something accessible to me and she's not snooty.

He got really into it. He pointed out this recipe and said, "I think we could do that!"

I said, "Yes, we'll use some good jam."

"Oh, squares? Hmm, I would cut them in rectangles, like bars."

"We can do that." (sheesh, presentation critic eh?)

The other recipe that caught his eye was her broccoli and cheese soup, served in little bread bowls. He loves soup, and though he's not a fan of broccoli, he was intrigued by the bread bowl and the kids his age, gushing over the meal.

Meanwhile his father walks in and starts commenting on the recipe. "Hmm, I don't think I would cook the broccoli in the cream. I would boil it in stock chicken or veggie and ..."

But The Kid and I were not having any of it. We're going to try HER method first and then he can Iron Chef his version afterwards. I think it's important to let The Kid explore what his first inspiration is. He doesn't have a lot of recipe experience. He needs a baseline. It's like the experienced knitter that prattles off the mods you can do to a pattern to achieve something. But if you want what the pattern is ... you follow the pattern the first time to understand it. Otherwise you're getting something different. (that's okay too. I'm just trying to further justify why my husband is wrong. ha!)