Baking Apprentices

     

So....baking (and cooking in general) are beginning to be the responsibility of the next generation of Barnharts here in Houghton.  Over the past several months, my goal has been to have each of the children make breakfast on "their day" (each child is assigned a day of the week...they get special privileges and responsibilities on that day, one of which is now to choose and prepare breakfast).  They've been pretty excited about this possibility because they get to do something in the kitchen, and also because then they're not having oatmeal on a very regular basis (I had gotten into a bit of a breakfast rut).  I'm excited about it because our breakfast menu has been greatly varied and I am not responsible every morning to get food on the table! (that's somewhat selfish - but they ARE learning to make food and have good kitchen skills)  Everyone has their favorite style of food (their go-to food) but they're venturing out into new areas.  And we've all been enjoying delicious morning food.

Here's a sampling of what they've made...

Elisabeth's day is Tuesday.  She pretty much always makes muffins.  Actually, I think that is all she's made.  But she has been trying out new recipes every week (I think she's made two of her varieties twice - and some of the other children have re-made one that they especially liked). Her favorite recipes are all from the King Arthur Flour website....and they've been very successful.

Fresh out of the oven.

Last week's variety was the Simply Sinful Cinnamon Muffins.

Frosting the muffins (there are also some cupcakes that Elisabeth and Andrew made in two of the 9x13 pans, and the leftovers from a batch of buttermilk granola muffins that I had made the day before)

Ready to eat

The cinnamon-filled center was amazingly delicious!

Two weeks ago, Elisabeth did a repeat of her first muffin recipe.  Lemon poppy seed.  Steve said they were the best lemon poppy seed muffins he had ever had.

Lemon poppy seed muffins with a lemon-y glaze on them.

Peter's day is Friday.  His favorite breakfast foods usually consist of eggs and meat.  Something hearty and substantial.  Muffins usually rank pretty low on his list.  But the Chocolate Breakfast Muffins that Elisabeth had made a while back he really enjoyed.  So....

A proud baker and his batch of breakfast muffins.

Chocolate Breakfast Muffins

Andrew's day is Monday.  He's chosen to make the widest range of foods for his day.  This week he chose to make biscuits and gravy (Peter's favorite morning meal).  I didn't have time to work with him on this one, so Peter stepped up and walked Andrew through the process.  My apprentice teaching the next one!

Andrew and Peter with their biscuits and gravy

Measuring ingredients

One evening, Elisabeth was a bit bored and we didn't have any sweets in the house, so she decided to make cookies and Philip wanted to help. They made my new favorite oatmeal raisin cookies. 

The finished product

(L to R) Regular whole wheat bread, trail mix bread (to turn into overnight French toast), and whole wheat sourdough tortillas

 
And even though I have lots of good kitchen help, I still do make some of our food myself.  This was one Saturday's worth of baking for me (I have found the top of our radiator to be the best place for my dough to rise, at least during the cooler months when the radiator is warm). Three separate doughs.  Lots of yumminess awaits. 

The sourdough tortilla stack