tum, ta-tum, tum, TUMS!!

I love my nieces and nephew... alot... however, my tummy isn't such a fan... While I was babysitting last night, we watched "Chopped" on the Food Network. After the second round when the ingredients were presented to the contestants, one of the kiddos said, "Aunt Liz! Can we make you a dish and you pick the best?!" Who I am to squash the creative passions of youth?

Ummm... as they started to ask me questions, I started to re-consider my willingness to participate...

"Aunt Liz, do you like pretzels?"
"Yes."
"Do you like marshmallows?"
"Yes."
"Do you like peanut butter?"
"Yes."
"Do you like broccoli?"
"Yes... Wait what?! Are you combining all those?"
"Aunt Liz, do you like cashews?"
"Yes."
"Do you like cheese?"
"Yes."
I then overheard them say... "Can we add water?"
"NOOOOO!!!"

Oh man, I'm going to have a runny, green, sticky mess... Where are the Tums?!

First up: Caroline. "I've made a sort of dessert with some good healthy things. There are chips that hold the marshmallows, and I added some Oreos for texture.

Next: Big Will. His approach was much more organic. There wasn't a lot of chopping involved. But he exclaimed, "Aunt Liz! You're gonna be full!"

Finally, Sallie G. "Well, to start, I heard broccoli and peanut butter are good together for some people. And here I did some strawberries with a little bit of broccoli. And over here, some marshmallows with broccoli.

There were some adorable moments in all of this.

Sallie: "Oh man, my work station is a mess! I need to clean it up now."

Caroline: "I love watching them make stuff (the chefs on TV), because it encourages us to make stuff!"

Sweet Caroline again: "Aunt Liz, have you ever had a kid make you something before? This is my first time making something." What was I thinking?!

The best part though is that they tried each others' dishes and LOVED them.

Here's to creativity and fun in the kitchen! -E

small sidenote: I must admit that I am in love with Bravo's "Top Chef Masters." It is so refreshing to see a competition show where the contestants are kind and complimentary to one another. They laugh and are enjoying themselves!! Loving it!! :) Ok, bye!