It’s funny, because usually, I know several days prior what I will be writing about, but for this one, I had nothing. I had a few ideas brewing and they were more about me (Dad, what were you like in the 90’s, March Walking, and something else called Just Do It). It wasn’t until Friday night as I going to sleep where I got the inspiration, and I wrote these words the following morning.
On Friday, and while I was on a work call at 10 am, Niko appeared at my office door with a huge grin on his face. He then proceeded to put a bowl of macaroni and cheese on my desk, he smiled again and gave me a thumbs up, and went back upstairs. As soon as my call ended, I went upstairs and asked him if he made it? Yes, was his answer. Next, I asked him if he measured the milk and butter, and he replied he eyeballed it. I was so proud of him and thankful. My only issue was he gave me a tiny bit and he took the rest, well, we both like it and I don’t blame him. When I make it, I give us each half.
It also got me thinking that he is a very good chef in the kitchen, and could definitely have something that Gordon Ramsey would be appreciative of!
Chef Niko makes a really good batter for waffles. He gathers all the ingredients, and it’s a lot. If he can’t reach it, he finds his stool to use. The secret to this is he actually measures everything. My job, during this, is to keep it clean, put ingredients away, scramble an egg, and eventually, when ready, put the batter in the waffle maker or even if I decide to make pancakes, fry them. When Nina wakes up, Niko’s first words are, I made waffles, try them!
On queue, yesterday morning, Niko made his batter and wanted pancakes. I cooked a few perfectly, but burned some as well. The only ingredient fail was he put some cream in the mix, and it was frozen, so it went in the bowl as a glop. He did tell me one of the pancakes tasted like glop. Despite that, Niko still enjoyed them all and scarfed them down. Later on, Nina (and under the watchful eyes of Niko), turned the cream into butter and buttermilk.
Niko also makes hot cocoa that is much better than anything from the local coffee stores. He heats milk in the microwave and water in the electric kettle, and throws in other ingredients that make it very flavorful. When it gets warmer, he will make his own fruit smoothies.
He is not quite comfortable using the frying pan, so whenever anything he prepares (grilled cheese sandwich, a pizza tortilla, or a quesadilla), I am the fryer man. Does anybody else use all the types of cheese you have available for the grilled cheese. You can tell when he really likes it, as he will search YouTube Kids for grilled cheese videos! He does enjoy watching the butter melt as both of us are butter boys, and we can just eat the butter! Sometimes, he will get his own spatula and move the butter around the pan for better coverage.
Obviously, he uses the microwave (mainly for popcorn), and afterwards, he will heat up a little bit of butter as his topping of choice. We do have a Ninja toaster, but it can also be used to be bake things or air fry things. When Niko uses it, he can start it up, but needs his fryer man to get the hots things out when they are ready.
Getting him to put his ingredients away is a daily challenge.
Getting him to put his dirty dishes away is a daily challenge.
Getting him to put trash away is a daily challenge.
But, he is learning! Slowly…
