Mariah and Billy went looking for Jolena. They found her in the kitchen.
"What are you doing?" Mariah asked, climbing up on the tall stool Jolena always uses to reach the counter.
"I'm cooking," she said. "I'm making something called burritos for supper."
"What kind of toes?" Billy asked.
"Burr-EE-toes," she replied. It's sort of like supper rolled up in a piece of very flat bread called a tortilla (tor-TEE-ya)," she explained. "It's filled with cooked beans with some sauce and some cheese, and I'm going to slice some avocado on top. I'm cooking the beans now. I have water in the pot, some seasonings and some onions. I just have to add the beans."
"That sounds yummy," said Mariah.
"We're going to have broccoli-kale slaw with it tonight," Jolena said. "I've made it already. It's in the refrigerator.
"I'll bet it's fun to cook," Billy said. "Is it hard to learn how?"
"It isn't too hard," Jolena replied. "You have to learn how to cut things without cutting yourself, and to be careful at the stove, so you don't get burned or catch on fire."
"That sounds scary," Mariah exclaimed.
"Not if you're careful," Jolena said with a laugh. "You have to tie back your hair, if it's long, and wash your hands before you start. You also have to pay attention to what you're cooking, so it doesn't burn. I usually set a timer, so I don't forget to check the food if I'm doing something else, like helping set the table."
"I'll bet I could learn," Billy said. "Is that all you need to know?"
"Well," Jolena considered, "the most important part is knowing what to cook. When you eat what someone else has cooked for you, you know that they have planned the meal to help you stay strong and healthy because they love you. They have included a variety of foods so all you have to do is enjoy the meal. They have worked to make it taste good, so you will enjoy it. When you cook for others, you have to know how to do this yourself, and they are counting on you to feed them the right things."
"But we're always strong and healthy, unless we pretend to be sick," Mariah pointed out. "We're dolls."
"Yes, but children learn from dolls," Jolena said. "We have to set a good example for them, so they understand why they are eating. We pretend to eat what they should eat. It's why we're here. Parents sometimes worry if children don't eat. Children sometimes think their parents are just being bossy. They need to learn that their parents want them to eat the right things because they love them."
"So we dolls pretend to eat our food so we can show children how much we enjoy it," Mariah suggested, and Jolena nodded.
"How do you know what to cook, then?" asked Billy.
"It isn't hard," Jolena said. "Each day we need some fruit, some vegetables of different colors, some grains like this rice." She took the lid off the rice canister and showed them the rice inside.
"Bread is made from a grain called wheat. We also need milk, and foods that have something called protein. You say it PRO-teen" She said the word slowly. "Those foods are meat, fish, eggs, cheese and dried beans, like these."
"It's good to have some of the vegetables cooked and some raw," Jolena continued. "Then it's important to know how to cook these foods so they taste good."
"How about cake and ice cream?" asked Billy. "I love cake and ice cream!"
"Yes, you missed Charlotte's birthday party, didn't you?" Mariah said. "We had cake, but no ice cream. The cake was yummy."
"Well," said Jolena, "cake, ice cream, candy, cookies and chips are what we call 'extra foods.' That's why you save them until after you eat. We pretend to eat fruits and vegetables, grains, milk and protein foods because they taste good, but also because children's bodies need them. Cake is something we pretend to eat only for how it tastes. Besides, if you pretend to eat cake first, the other foods don't taste as good as they would have if you had saved the cake for later. That takes a lot of the fun out of eating."
"So how do you make the burry-toes?" Billy asked.
"Well, I put the beans, a little spicy sauce and some cheese on the tortilla." Jolena said. "Then I fold it up. I'll make six of them. I put them on a cookie sheet in the oven and cook for half an hour. When they are done, I'll slice some avocado on top. Come back at supper time, and you'll see."
Mariah understood what Jolena said to be a hint that they were keeping her from her work. "Come on, Billy. Let's go see what the others are up to.
When it was time for supper, they saw this on their plates.
It was yummy, and they pretended to eat it all. Jolena is a good cook!
Billy was a bit disappointed that there was no cake for dessert, but he was happy to have a cookie. "I'll bake a cake tomorrow," Jolena promised. Billy said he could wait until then. Then he pretended to be patient.
What do you have for supper?
Cast--
Jolena: Götz Happy Kidz Lena in Aspen
Mariah: Götz Happy Kidz Mariah, "Chosen" from My Doll Best Friend
Billy: Götz Happy Kidz Lily of London
"The Doll's Storybook" is not affiliated with Gotz Dolls USA Inc. or Götz Puppenmanufaktur International GmbH.
Watch for the next story each Friday afternoon at 1:00 PM Pacific Time.
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