What do you do when yout teenage son want's to cook a pie? Short answer: You let him.
Oh sure, you can start out by trying to give him some advice. Explain what to do, what steps to follow. You can explain the dial on our stove is off center, so when it says 350 it's really only heated to about 275. Or, say something really useful, like "cook it on a baking sheet so it doesn't drip on the oven and start burning so the house smells". Then you see his eyes glaze over and you realize you are taking the "fun" out of it for him. So you stop talking and let him do his thing.
What do you do when the pie turns out looking like this?
Here are my 5 rules:
1. You eat a piece with him, and tell him how great it is.
(You see his face flicker for second...a cross between "thanks mom" and "I know she is lying to me")
2. The next morning you ask him if he would like you to pack him a piece for lunch at school and laugh when he says "I don't think my friends would understand why I was sucking pie through a straw" and you assure him again..."It wasn't that bad".
3. You throw a good size piece of it in the garbage disposal while he is at school. And when he comes home and asks who at it. You say "I did...I'm telling you, you almost nailed it...it really wasn't that bad".
4. It's dinner time, you ask if he would like some pie for dessert. (kinda sarcastic because he is my kid and well....he gets me) and when he says "No, I think we need to throw it away" you say "Okay if that's what you want" You are now relieved , BUT, for good measure you take a finger and taste it front of him one more time. When he says "Ewwww why did you do that"??
You say..."Because...I'm your Mom, I love that you tried....that's why".
oh and 5.???? Before you dump it, you take a picture of the pumpkin pie soup so you can blog about it.
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