Kids grow up really fast nowadays.  My eldest niece Ally used to love working in the kitchen with her mom and her grandmother seemed to have outgrown this fondness with cooking and moved on to other activities.  And though we miss her company in the kitchen, we are delighted to see her progress in playing the guitar and earning recognition in sports.  Last weekend, I got a pleasant surprise when she came over for an overnight visit armed with her own menu plans for breakfast, lunch and dinner that she insisted on preparing herself.

I was so glad that she hasn’t lost the foodie in her that I happily obliged in shopping for the ingredients with her and give her an extra hand as well.  Here’s a peek at what she had in mind for a whole day of gustatory treats for her aunt and grandparents.

Breakfast:

French Toast

Ham and Cheese Omelet

Fresh Fruits

Coffee or Tea

Lunch:

Vegetable Soup

Cream Dory in Lemon Butter Sauce

Pasta Pomodoro with Sundried Tomatoes

Garlic Bread

Brownie Ala Mode

Dinner:

Pork and Mushroom Soup

Fresh Garden Salad

Pan Grilled Chicken Breast

Baked Brocoli and Cheese

Fiesta Fruit Salad

We had a delightful time cooking with Ally in our kitchen.  Preparing all the dishes is quite a feat for this little girl who is on her way to becoming a young lady.  We’ve seen how she has moved from baking sugar cookies and preparing breakfast for us to preparing a whole day menu for the family.  The best part of the meal was the serenade that she gave us, singing Taylor Swift and Katy Perry songs that grandma and grandpa don’t recognize but nevertheless appreciate.  She was really great that I’m thinking about saving up for the fantastic epiphone hollowbody that she has been raving about since summer.  For now, we are simply thankful for her musical gift that made our weekend meals real special.