Normally for Valentine's Day we buy a heart shaped cookie cake, but this year I decided to try it out for myself.  Just because it's heart shaped, doesn't mean that it can only be done for Valentine's Day.  I prefer a cookie cake over a real cake for my birthday every year.

Michael loves to hang out with me in the kitchen, even plays with his play kitchen while I'm cooking.  He always wants to help, but I didn't have any kid friendly kitchen utensils that he could use.  I happened to run across a company that specializes in just what I was looking for, Curious Chef.  I put the foundation kit on Michael's wish list and my step-mom ended up getting it for him for a birthday gift.

My husband had bought some cake mix with the intention of making it for Valentine's Day, but that never happened.  Yesterday I thought that I would try something out that I haven't done with Michael, let him help me out with making something in the kitchen.  Michael is always in the kitchen at my feet when I'm trying to cook dinner, but I've never let him get involved because I'm always trying to get things done and never have time to go at his speed.  I decided that I would let him be involved with making the cake.  He seemed to have a great time helping me out.

I brought one of the kitchen table chairs over to the kitchen island so that he would be able to watch and help.  I opened the cake mix bag so that Michael could pour it in the mixing bowl.
He actually did pretty good.  Got almost all of the bag in the bowl!  I then cracked the eggs.  After I cracked the first egg, I handed the shell to Michael to throw away (he loves to throw trash away in the trash can).  He touched it, made a face, and handed it back to me.  After cracking the second and third eggs, I handed them to him and he hopped down from the chair and threw them away.

I then measured out the oil and handed it to him to pour into the mix.  He did really good and got it all in the bowl.  The same with the water.

Now to the part I was a little nervous about, the mixing.  I started the mixer and showed him how to use it.  He loved it, as I'm sure must boys do.  I mean it's the kitchen power tool!  He wanted to use it so I let him control it, but with me still holding it.  He had a blast!  Here's the video that I took:
He did such a great job!  I think I might have to let him help me a little more when I'm cooking in the future.  Maybe I have the next Chef Gordon Ramsay or Chef Robert Irvine living with me!
The whole entire time, he had a smile on his face.  I asked him after the cake was baked and cooled if he wanted to help with the icing and sprinkles and he said no.  He was too caught up in his TV show and I was ok with him not helping.  I probably avoided a big mess.

What are some things you've let you toddler help you with while cooking?  I do think that I will try and involve him in the future while I'm cooking in the kitchen.  That is, if he's interested in doing so.