You Know…it’s all about the little things
So, guess what? My granddaughters came over to hang out with me for a whole four days! You won't believe how happy it made me when they both got super excited about cooking. My older granddaughter has cooked with me before, but this was the first time my younger granddaughter wanted to join in on the fun, too!
Always willing to whip something up in my kitchen, my little granddaughter and I started off by making pimento cheese for our yummy sandwiches for lunch. Since I like to make it from scratch (a Southern specialty), my granddaughter needed to shred the brick of cheddar cheese and drain the chopped jar of pimentos. I handed her the cheese block and the grater, and she started moving the cheese back and forth instead of up and down, clearly unaware of how to use it properly.
Engineering moment here--She had never seen a cheese grater before. Hmmm. I explained to her how cheese is shredded by running the brick over the sharp protruding part of the grater. Mission accomplished. I also watched to ensure that she didn't shred her knuckles/fingers when she was down to the nubs of the cheese brick. The last thing I wanted was a run to urgent care and having to explain bloodied knuckles to the attendant.
But I digress…
Next, find the colander. Simple? I asked her to get the colander from the cabinet. I pointed to the cabinet. She opened it and just looked perplexed. Clearly, she had never encountered a colander before. I took the chance to enlighten her. I pointed it out, and she readily got it down. We drained the liquid from the pimentos. She now knows what a colander is. It may seem like a small accomplishment, but to me, it signifies another success in the journey of learning and discovery.
It was finally time to make the pimento cheese. Note: This is a mix of pimento cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, and good ol' Dukes mayonnaise (because, well, we're down South). Then came the moment of truth – how to actually mix everything together. She began by mashing the mix. I stepped in and showed her how to scoop and fold the mixture to thoroughly mix it to get that perfect blend. I put my hand over hers and guided her through the process of how to fold ingredients together.
We then enthusiastically toasted the bread, adding a touch of warmth and crispiness that would perfectly complement our exquisite pimento cheese spread. She smeared the creamy cheese onto the bread with great care and attention to detail, creating mouth-watering sandwiches that would inevitably win over the most discerning palates, or so I thought.
The pimento cheese was seriously impressive, but when I gave my little granddaughter the sandwich, she flatly refused to even take a bite of the sandwich. To my surprise, she had never had a pimento cheese sandwich before and just wasn't interested in trying it out. I guess she's still in the chicken nuggets phase – kids.
It was disheartening, but I remain hopeful that one day, she'll willingly expand her culinary horizons and realize the fantastic flavors she's been missing out on.
As grandparents, we often don't realize how much our grandkids might not know. So, when planning a grandparent day or week visit, keeping some of the fundamentals in mind is essential. Kids are like sponges, and they're eager to learn new things, even if it seems like regular stuff to us.
They really do crave guidance and supervision. Spend a few minutes and think about the little things you do as part of your daily life, like washing dishes after a meal, making your bed in the morning, doing laundry, and sweeping the kitchen floor. These may have become a habit for you over the last 50+ years, but any and/or all of these activities may be new experiences for them.
This isn't about throwing the parents under the bus. Realize parents are super busy and generally do this stuff themselves to save time, not often thinking about that children need to learn these activities too. That's where we come in, as grandparents! And remember to mix it up with some fun activities to help them take a break from their phone addiction. How about teaching them to cook, like making delicious pimento cheese together? They'll gain so much knowledge from it, and you'll get to bond with your grandkids in a meaningful way.
