Do You Know the Muffin Man?

I love to cook, but I hate to bake. I think it is like having a green thumb - either you have it, or you don't. When I bake, it is bound to be a disaster. I either severely under or over bake. But, I have been wanting to bake with Charlie for some reason lately. He loves helping with everything, and I knew he would get a kick out of pouring the ingredients and helping me mix. So, I decided to make some banana nut muffins with the Little Guy the other day.

I set everything up like a cooking show. All of the ingredients were measured and ready to go, the oven was preheated, and I had everything that I needed out so that Charlie and I could get right down to business. It was very Rachel Ray.

His little face lit up as soon as I lifted him onto the counter. I let him pour everything in the mixing bowl resisting the urge to help. We both got spoons to mix, and he even allowed my help at that point. He continued mixing while I spooned the batter into the muffin tins. He was so pleased with himself, and he looked so big pouring and mixing. I am so proud of my little man!

We watched the muffins rise in the oven, and then it was time to taste test. He has recently become very concerned with whether or not his food is too hot to eat. He often hands me a piece of food to blow on it or tries to blow on it himself, which usually results in the food being blow half-way across the kitchen. So, he was a little hesitant at first, but then he dove right in. He couldn't finish the entire muffin (Samson got to help since the unwanted muffin hit the floor), but he sure did look cute chowing down.