Chef Anna

In her chef outfit from a friend's birthday party.

Anna likes to cook...well, she likes to help Mommy cook.  Whenever I start making dinner or baking a treat, Anna comes right over and wants to be a part of the action.  If I don't let her 'help', she ends up right under my feet or hanging onto my leg.  So, I've been putting her in her highchair and wheeling her into the kitchen next to me.

Sampling the gingerbread batter.

Anna's 'helping' usually consists of tasting various ingredients, shaking or trying to get the tops off of spice jars, and mixing small amounts of stuff with her little whisk.  You can often hear her saying, "Misk, misk!" as she stirs vigorously.  She also likes to play with the measuring spoons and cups, banging them together and throwing them on the floor.  She seems to really enjoy being in on the action.

After trying to taste the flour she was stirring.

Her next favorite thing to do is to watch the food in the oven as it cooks.  I turn the light on and she will peer in through the glass.  I've even found her sitting on her little step in front of the oven, watching what's inside.  When the timer goes off, she runs over to me crying, "Uh-oh!" and then reminds me that the thing I'm taking out of the oven is "Hot! Hot!"