Some of my fondest childhood memories definitely include baking with my grandmother. She was always so patient with me, which I believe made me more interested in learning and everything tasted so good. She was teaching me math and science skills long before I started school. Though most importantly she created a warm and nurturing environment that years later still warms my heart while passing along culture. When you involve children in an activity that they usually see adults perform it also boosts their confidence. There are so many factors that contribute to our cultures. Culture is passed from generations through language, story telling, and traditions. All things that are important to me while raising J & A. This week we made my favorite Pumpkin Bread (Muffins in this case). This recipe isn’t from my grandmother’s kitchen but I think it will stay in mine for years to come because it is absolutely delicious!!!
The children and I made pumpkin muffins this week. It was a lot of fun and they really enjoyed helping. They were so eager to help. I split the tasks up so they both took turns. It was good for them to learn what a recipe is, the importance of following directions, how to use measuring cups & spoons, difference between dry and wet ingredients.
The conversation we had was also very interesting. With every ingredient we talked about what it was, the color, the scent (if any), how much we needed. J my little engineer in the making didn’t take long to ask what was making the mixer turn. He wondered where the motor was and why he couldn’t see it. (I of course practiced extreme caution with having them help me with the electric mixer.)
I find that as the children get older I give them more responsibility when baking. I use to measure everything out then they would just dump things into bowls. As you can see they were definitely more involved in the process.
Just another great opportunity to nurture young minds.
Here’s the recipe for the delicious Pumpkin Bread
