Recipe Roundup: December 2020
As sweet as the cakes she bakes!
by Cally Peterson
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| Aftin Boling looks on as her 10-year-old daughter, Addy, gets busy in the kitchen. Photo by NDAREC/Liza Kessel |
Getting kids involved in the kitchen may make them more likely to choose healthy foods, suggests a 2014 review by the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation. Whether involving kids in the kitchen makes them more likely to do the dishes, however, remains to be seen.
“Clean-up is the hardest part about cooking!” says 10-year-old Adelyn “Addy” Boling.
(Agreed, Addy. Agreed!)
And based on the sheer volume of meals, recipes and cakes Addy has made, she’s done her fair share of dishes.
A fifth-grader in Miss McDonald’s class at Des Lacs-Burlington Elementary School, Addy plays volleyball, flute and ukulele, enjoys art and has become quite the chef.
“She’s been cooking since she was 4,” Addy’s mom and mother of four, Aftin Boling, says. “She’s always been my creative one.”
CREATIVELY CARING
Addy developed an interest in cooking and baking early, helping her mom and grandma, Darla Fimrite, a member of Verendrye Electric Cooperative, in the kitchen. Her earliest dishes, Aftin says, were of Addy’s own creation. As her kitchen skills evolved, Addy’s creations have, too. She recently made a batch of cupcakes that resembled hamburgers. The burger patty was a brownie, placed in a cupcake she had cut in half.
“It’s more fun when you can be creative with it,” Addy says.
“You have to be willing, as a parent, to let them be a mess,” Aftin says. “I always say our whole house is a bit of a jungle gym. We’ve always kind of let them explore and figure out what they want to do for fun.”
Beyond the fun of the kitchen, Addy shows her love and care for others through food.
On her parents’ anniversary, Addy asked Grandma Darla to run to the store for a few groceries. She surprised her parents, who were working late that day, with a homemade two-layer cake with frosting and ganache to celebrate.
While home from school this summer, Addy made lunch for her brother, Graham, each day. And on the family’s busiest days, she helps prepare supper. Some of her favorites include Swedish meatballs and chicken enchiladas.
“There’s some days we don’t have a lot of time, so we pick recipes she can do, ones we can eat quick and head out the door,” Aftin says.
And, Addy doesn’t miss the chance to bake a family member’s birthday cake. Her mom and aunt, Brenna Ohman, who is the finance director for the North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives, are twins. Addy didn’t like the thought of them having to share a birthday cake, so naturally, she made two. She also recently made Sonic the Hedgehog-themed birthday cupcakes for her brother, after learning some tricks from her aunt, Nyla, who is a professional cake decorator.
When her uncle, Eric Ohman, suffered a heart attack earlier this year, Addy whipped up a pan of breakfast burritos to keep the family fed.
Her heart is, surely, as sweet as the cakes she bakes.
Add these deliciously fudgy sweet treats to your Christmas cookie platter! These cookies are a top pick for Addy, because they resemble her favorite cookie on the Panera Bread Company menu.
CHOCOLATE CRINKLE COOKIES |
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½ cup all-purpose flour
Addy made up this apple pie filling recipe to stuff into pie crust for a perfect individual hand pie. Grandpa Andy Fimrite is still (impatiently!) waiting for his apple hand pies. Perhaps he’ll find some under the Christmas tree this year?
APPLE HAND PIES |
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PIE DOUGH
Cally Peterson is editor of North Dakota Living. She can be reached at cpeterson@ndarec.com.
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