Yummy Jack food!

One of the perks Im certain comes from homeschooling, is the opportunity and time made available for cooking. Cooking, granted, comes several times a day, but when kids are running off to school and stressed with homework and activities who has time to walk them through the fine arts of baking and putting together a beautiful meal?

DVD's! haha... Ok, so truthfully, most everyone knows our family loves to cook and create, and even here in Vientiane, we DO try to make the most of what we have. Anything other than veggies and meat tend to be imported and rather expensive, but sometimes you MUST invest in youthful 'Jamie Olivers to Be'. And as I am no adult Jamie Oliver, I admit to owning his dvd's and gaining scads of insight from him. Its brilliant. (In my other life, Im English! :) )

Now, truthfully, homeschooling HAS afforded us more time and therefore patience in cooking.

Jackson has been with me in the kitchen since he could stand. I have journal entries (no lie!) of him helping me stir and bake, measure and pour since he was 2. He just has that Garcia gene in him that Has to be in the kitchen. The past 2 years my Gabriel has been showing the same Jack symptoms. He has this 6th sense ... even if I sneak into the kitchen to start working, he comes out of nowhere and has to help. I realized he would always come, sit and watch, but not be verbally demanding of me that I let him participate. Im so slow!!! He has gotten more bold in the past 6 months or so and has a knack for knowing what to do. Initially I would tell him to just watch since Jack was always doing the work and then I realized, Poor kid! He wont have a chance to learn if I dont allow him the same opportunity Jacksons always had!

Getting Jackson to 'allow' for another cook in the kitchen has NOT been easy. Apparently he already has a cooks mentality that two cooks do NOT work in the kitchen and there is not enough room for his mind and more people. sooo funny!

Gabriel creations will be coming soon Im sure, but for now, Im posting pics of Jackson at work with his attempts either at his own ideas or take off's of Jamie Oliver creations. He has been begging for weeks to make Tiramisu, but the ingredients are Seriously expensive and hard to find. In times like this I have told him to get creative, do some research and find ways to make it a bit different without compromising the beauty and taste of the dessert. He is keen to give it a go.