Watch out Bobby Flay!

Okay, I know it's been waaaay too long since I've posted. Sorry!

Matteo has discovered the world of the kitchen! Well, I should say, the world of what's above the bottom cabinets that have the locks on them. His new favorite activity is to stand on one of the barstools (I know, not so safe, but he hasn't fallen off yet) and help me cook!

One day it was dumping spices into a bowl and mixing them together (and did you know they taste better when you hold the measuring spoons as high as you can and then turn them over?). The next day it was putting potatoes into the pot and stacking and then rearranging all the spice bottles in the little rack thingy. He likes making salads, putting each carrot slice into the bowl individually. He has a one-for-you (salad) /two-for-me policy with the crumbled goat cheese (and then picks it out of the salad once it's actually in there). I thought he would like helping make pesto (being Italian and all) by transfering the basil leaves from the rinsing bowl to the food processsor but he was not into that at all.

His all-time favorite way to help with the cooking, however, is to drop the pasta (noo-noo) into the boiling water and stir it. It can be a pretty slow process though, so mommy and daddy have to help so that the first noodles aren't cooked before the last ones get dropped in.

I think the novelty may have worn off lately though- sometimes he'd rather climb onto the island and throw the apples onto the floor than do what I ask him to but I'm sure he's just embracing his toddlerhood. The Food Network can wait, after all.