heaven's kitchen

We tend to play a lot of games whenever we take a ride in the car.

There's the always popular, "I Spy." Followed by, "I'm thinking of an animal..."

For this game, we will describe without fully giving away, any animal that comes to mind. For example, "I'm thinking of an animal that is grey and white and lives in Eucalyptus trees in Australia." Whoever answers "koala" first, gets to go next.

One of the games that I recently started playing with the children has to do with distinguishing between what is naturally occurring and what is man-made. I've explained to the children that anything that is naturally occurring is something that is made by God. Anything that is man-made is something that is made by people.

Simple enough.

Today on the car ride home from swimming lessons, Carolyn initiated the game by asking, "Who made airplanes? People or God?" William and Elizabeth both shouted, "People!"

Convinced that he answered first, William went next. "OK girls. Who made clouds? People or God?" Elizabeth piped up, "People!" And William laughed, "Nooo. How would people get up there in the sky? They would fall down!"

While Elizabeth took a break to eat a handful of animal crackers, I jumped in next.

My question was, "Who made ... strawberries?!"

The children hesitated before I heard shouts of "People!"

Suspecting that this might confuse them a bit, I explained that strawberries are the fruit of a plant and a plant is something that occurs naturally. Although, when we go to the store and we buy a box of strawberries, the box is something that is made by people. People pick the strawberries to put in the box, but the actual strawberries, are made by God.

I could tell Elizabeth thought about that for a moment before she asked, "Who makes ... BANANA MUFFINS?!" Carolyn and William both hesitated before responding, "Uh. God?"

Elizabeth shot back, "No! Mommy makes banana muffins!!" Then she added very matter-of-factly, "God can't make banana muffins." She sounded so sure of herself that I asked, "Why can't God make banana muffins, sweetheart?" And she replied, "Because he doesn't have an OVEN!"

Edited to Add: This afternoon, while I was continuing my violent collapse from trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle baking my all time favorite treat, I thought about my four-year-olds logic. Although she may be spot on, it certainly begs the question, who then came up with O'Henry bars?

They really are heavenly.

And after some discussion with various family members, the majority consensus is that they need to be baked for 12 minutes as opposed to 10. If they stick to the pan > make sure you are using enough Karo Syrup. Did I mention that the Oxo Good Grips Pastry Scraper is ideal for getting them out of the pan and directly in to your mouth as expeditiously and cleanly as possible?

At least I think that's what my sister ... burp! ... told me.