Thursday, September 7, 2017

Incentive

When it comes to making sourdough bread, my son doesn't need much incentive, to jump in and help. He loves to get his hands dirty. So when it comes to kneading the dough, he gets a little ball of his own.


Honey & sunflower - his small portion, front


He tries to knead the dough, but ends up rolling it, instead. Then he sometimes treats it like playdough - making things with it. Being such a small amount, it doesn't make a huge difference how it's kneaded. Because his dough, always turns out the same as mine, anyway.


Putting it together


While he doesn't NEED incentive to help make sourdough, I decided to reward him for his efforts, all the same. With something he could take control of, and see through to putting in the oven, himself. What better, than a mini pizza...


Ready to prove for an hour


The little ball of dough, gets special treatment. After being rolled flat, it gets a layer of home made chutney, a sliced twiggy stick (salami), a sprinkling of herbs from the garden, and grated cheese on top.

Then his mini pizza proves in the oven, along with my sourdough bread. Which he often gets impatient for! I have to remind him, sourdough takes a while.


Freshly baked


Once it's cooled down, and sliced - he gobbles it off his plate. Such a sense of satisfaction, knowing he helped make it and got to eat it too. I don't have to worry about leftovers, because mini pizza's are just the right size for kids.

He often asks me to make bread now, because he knows what's on the menu afterwards!

Is there anything you do, to encourage others to help in the kitchen with you?


10 comments:

  1. That's a special treat indeed, Chris! What a lovely way for him to be involved in the process and to make something himself that he can eat. i bet it tastes pretty good! Meg:)

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    1. He seems to think it tastes good. It smells awesome too!

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  2. Well done you, children need to know how to cook rather than just warming food.

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    1. Unfortunately, I didn't appreciate how to do this with our first. It's disappointing I didn't, because kids really need to do this stuff for themselves. It's important to set the patterns early. :)

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  3. Just like his mother eh, Chris? He has a great sourdough teacher :-) Looking forward to your workshop next month.

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    1. Hehe, I hope I can teach him, as it's seems to all be about play. But that's okay too. He's getting exposure. I hope to show some new things at the sourdough workshop. :)

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  4. It is such a great idea for him to be involved in making his own food. So much life education rolled into one activity.

    And this is always the sort of things children remember. It reminds me of reading how my great aunts and great uncles along with my great grand-parents would all join together in the farm house kitchen to make jam. They always remembered working along with their parents in this activity.

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    1. Oh yes, preserving days were very common, when people did a lot more for themselves. It's easier to take on such a big task, with so many hands to help.And everyone got to take something home, afterwards. Great stuff!

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  5. That looks like so much fun and so delicious! Such a great way to instill a love of real food in children.

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    1. Oh, yes, pizzas says it all! Home made pizza, that is. ;)

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