Following the Child

CHEF OF THE WEEK : ONA

Ona is always very clear about what she wants to do, can do and will do. It was the week preceding the big Bring Your Parent To Work Day and there was already an air of frenzied anticipation. Ona was happily caught up in it.

The previous Friday, when making the shopping list, I had asked her for 5 of her favorite fruits, she said "Starfruit, starfruit, starfruit, starfruit, starfruit. Is that 5, Ms Deepa?" I hastily corrected my question and asked for 5 different KINDS of fruit. She added apples, strawberries and bananas.

During the week, she had had experience with coring and slicing apples - they were smaller and not as crisp as the ones she had kept aside for the platter. Today, she donned her apron and pushed up her sleeves and said, "I'm ready, Ms Deepa." I commented on the enormous apples and she said, "Yes, they were planted by a giant." The GIANT apples were tough to core and after a few grunts of effort, she said, "You can do these. They are not working for me." Once the apples were sliced, she began placing them meticulously on the platter - the red slices on one half and then the green slices on the other. She let out a sigh of satisfaction when she she completed the oval shape.

Then came the strawberries. She pulled out the greens determinedly and when I recommended slicing them in half, she was shocked. "The knives are too sharp for me - I am only 3," she protested. But when I reminded her of all the works she COULD do in the classroom and that sharp knives were not dangerous if we used them carefully, she was very amenable. She did ask me to tell her family she should now be allowed to use them at home as well. When I reassured her I would, she was off like a pro, slicing the strawberries exactly in halves.

The beloved starfruit was last. They were only able to find 1 in the store but it was huge one. A small group congregated around Ona as many had not seen the fruit before and were curious about its name. Ona said, "Because it looks like a star." Noone else seemed to think so until she (with some help) sliced the fruit. There was a collective gasp when her classmates suddenly saw that each slice really did look like a star.

One of Ona's audience members suggested she place a star over the strawberries. She considered it for a few moments, with her head tilted to the side and then agreed.

CHEF OF THE WEEK : WES

Though it was the first time ever that Wes was formally the Chef of the Week, he has had several prior experiences with preparing snack. You see, this was always the BEST way to distract him from tearful drop-offs early in the school year. He has also hung around the snack area, over the school year when others were preparing snack, always ready to bring the compost pail, take used dishes to the dishwasher, or refrigerate leftovers.

So when it was his week, it was different and yet not novel. He spent a significant amount of time trying to choose between a red apron, a pink apron, a green apron and one with animal prints. The animal prints won!

It was an exceedingly simple soup - but Wes was invested. He carried the broth cartons one by one to the kitchen, commenting on the fact that he was only able to do this heavy lifting because of his super muscles. He tried very hard to open them by himself. And only after several independent attempts did he ask for help. I twisted the cap open just a tiny bit and he was then able to open them. With great care and excellent precision, Wes poured the broth into the rice cooker. And switched it on. When it came to a rolling boil, (he found the term "rolling boil" hilarious and his eyes crinkled up in laughter!) Wes empited a packet of Egg Noodles into it, with even more care. Within minutes his Soup Noodles (or Noodle Soup) was ready.

His classmates were heard politely slurping up the soup and as they complimented him saying it was the best soup ever, he nodded sagely and said, "I know."

CARROT MUFFINS

1 ½ cups flour ▢1 cup sugar ▢½ teaspoon cinnamon ▢½ teaspoon baking soda ▢½ teaspoon baking powder ▢½ teaspoon salt ▢½ cup vegetable oil ▢⅓ cup brown sugar ▢2 large eggs, at room temperature ▢2 teaspoons vanilla extract ▢2 cups finely grated carrots, not pre-shredded carrots, they should be freshly grated Instructions Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin tin with paper or silicone cupcake liners (or grease well with cooking spray).

In a medium bowl whisk together flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl combine oil, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla and mix well. Stir in grated carrots. Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients until completely incorporated. Fill muffin liners 2/3 full. Bake in preheated oven for 20-22 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffins comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to continue cooling.

Gluten-free and Vegan Granola:

3 1/2 cups gluten free old fashioned oats 1 cup sunflower seeds 1/2 cup maple syrup 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Preheat the oven to 320°F/160°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In a large bowl, add the maple syrup, melted coconut oil, vanilla extract, salt, and cinnamon. Whisk together until combined. You may need to heat the mixture again if the coconut oil starts to solidify. Add the oats, sunflower seeds, and shredded coconut to the bowl and stir until everything is coated in the maple mixture. Pour the mixture onto the parchment paper lined baking sheet and spread into an even layer. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes. Let it cool completely before serving.

ANTS ON A LOG - Sunbutter / Soybutter on a piece of banana and dark chocolate chips.