Our Little BhivePower Bistro

The second time she tried, she nailed it. We told her to lay off the salt and add more marinara sauce this time. She wanted to do it all, too. Make the salad for us, heat up the meatballs, set the table. Everything. 

But it was what she called pizza bowls that were so yummy -- marinara sauce, cheese, cut up meatballs and chunks of sourdough bread mixed together. 

And yes, it was a gut bomb. A super yummy gut bomb. 

Our 12-year-old daughter, Beatrice, has been wanting to learn how to cook for awhile now. Both her and her younger sister, Bryce, have helped us make cookies, muffins and pancakes for a couple of years. More recently though Beatrice has been wanting to cook meals. During the school week sometimes, Bea helps to fix her and Bryce's lunches, especially if Mom and I are on work calls. 

Bea's been wanting to fix us dinner, too, so her mom Amy helped her plan her menu. Then Bea went to the store with Amy for the weekly grocery shopping and to get her ingredients she needed. Once Beatrice started fixing dinner, we told her we were there to help if she needed any, or even if she just had questions. Earlier in the day before she fixed dinner she made what she called peanut butter crumbles -- shortbread-like drop cookies with peanut butter and crumbled chocolate chip cookies. More super yum. 

I don't remember exactly what the first meal was that I fixed growing up (besides bologna boats for lunch with cheese and mustard). However, I do remember attempting to fix my mom sugar cookies for Mother's Day when I was about 9 years old. Because I didn't have all the right ingredients, and couldn't find the rolling pin, what I made turned into some kind of sweet sponge cake. Mom was so grateful and actually ate some of it with me, too. 

I do remember one of the first dinners my sister made when she was around Beatrice's age. She called them vita-burgers. It was supposed to be a healthier alternative (to what I wasn't sure) -- hamburger patties slathered in some kind of thick gravy with other things in the gravy (not sure what the other things were either). Yes, it was a gut bomb. A super yummy gut bomb. 

Beatrice worked hard making her pizza bowls, making the salad and putting everything else together. There were only a couple of times she needed cooking counsel. Otherwise, it was all her. I watched her moved back and forth deftly in the kitchen like a semi-pro in training. 

Then came the moment of truth.

"Come on, everyone. Dinner's ready," she said.

We were so proud. She was so proud. 

"I really wanted fix dinner for you Mom and Dad," Bea said. 

"And we're grateful for that, Beatrice," we said.

Amy and I take turns most nights fixing dinner, so it was a pleasure to have Beatrice want to cook for us. Learning throughout life is important, and the only way to know is to do -- and did she do. Of course, the dishes always fall on Dad most nights, but I'm fine with that (because I get to drum afterwards). Dinnertime is also good family time for us, a time to discuss the day and to share what we're grateful for. 

Now, if we could get Bryce to cook dinner for us someday, we'd be set with our little #BhivePower bistro.