Dear Shayna B.,

I love to bake, but my dad says it’s too messy. He won’t let me bake and is stifling my creativity. How can I become a famous chef if I’m not allowed to cook? What should I do?

Sincerely,

Chocolate Cake Chaya

Dear Chocolate Cake Chaya,

Maybe you can cook without actually cooking. (Read with cool voice.) Does that make sense or does that make sense! You can try cutting up cucumbers or bananas and sticking toothpicks in them. Toothpicks make everything fancy. Make fruit kabobs.

Start out slow, then ask to do something a little more advanced. Then a little more and so on. Create other dishes that do not require cooking. Cookies and milk, a dish of ice cream, or frozen yogurt, to name a few. Shakes and floats come to mind, not many ingredients, lots of taste. You can also cook outside. Less mess.

If you enjoy culinary arts, you might consider cooking camp in the summer. You can make a mess there and your dad would definitely not mind.

Best of luck,

Shayna B.

Shayna is a fifth grader and understands what kids in elementary school are going through. She is happy to help others navigate this tricky time. She can be reached at [email protected]. She is looking forward to hearing from you soon.