Last week my preschool-aged son stayed all night with his grandma. She took him to one of their favorite places, Goodwill, and told him he could pick out a toy. Faced with an array of Hot Wheels cars and Lincoln Logs, he was inexplicably drawn to one particular toy: The Easy-Bake Oven.
The box was pink, with a girl on the front. He casually asked Grandma whether she thought a boy might be able to use such a toy. She assured him that his oldest brother likes to cook and bake, and that boys could use it, even though it was pink. He decided to buy it, as long as she carried it to the checkout.
Once in the car, he breathed a sigh of relief, exclaiming that they got out of the store and no one even KNEW that Easy Bake Oven was for him. Whew!
And then he spent a happy weekend baking cupcakes and cookies. This kid LOVES sweets, so why wouldn’t he love a toy oven?
He was nervous about what his brothers would think when he brought it home, but unwilling to part with it. He needn’t have worried. When he came home, laden with a box of yummy cupcakes, everyone was instantly intrigued. His 9 year old and 7 year old brothers love cupcakes just as much as he does, and they could hardly wait to start baking up their own treats. They diligently finished their schoolwork early so they could get to the good stuff!
Incidentally, the refill mixes for the Easy Bake Oven are rather expensive. I found a recipe online for converting a traditional cake mix. It worked great for us:
3 tablespoons cake mix
1 tablespoon milk
I even used a mix that called for additional oil and eggs, but it worked out fine with just the milk. Have the kids stir it up, spray the little pan with Pam, and you’ll be eating cupcakes in no time!
Hey, when my brother was seven or eight, he requested an Easy Bake oven for Christmas! I think it’s more common than we know!
Awesome! Two of my sons have been wanting one and so grandma bought them one and keeps it at her house. (so they don’t get made fun of).
Well, now that we have a girl, I guess I could get “her” one and they can share it. ; )
I know two boys who would love to join them!
But didn’t you just write something about not filling up on dessert?! lol
Cool! You have to know that I am fond of any boy that loves to cook. Keep it up!
We have one, too! Ryan & Connor love to cook in the kitchen with me, but every now and then when a quick snack is in order, they beg for a treat from their PINK Easy Bake Oven!
How we came upon ours was kind of funny. My dh commented one year that HE had always wanted an Easy Bake Oven when he was a child, but his Mom would never buy him one because it was a girl-toy. My Mom saw them in a Wal-mart Black Friday ad for $10 and went to get him one. He received it for Christmas when our oldest was two. Six years later, the “boys” – all three of them are still having a great time with it!
As for the pink, it’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Connor’s favorite colors are pink and purple – who says the more-vibrant shades of red and blue have to be reserved for girls?! 😉
How fun…just curious if your son’s bakes with a lightbulb or with the ice-cooling method. My daughter received a new one for Christmas that uses the ice-cooking method of cooking and the treats tasted yucky! I remembered mine as a kid turning out yummy stuff and of course, it used the lightbulb.
What a great incentive for your boys getting their schoolwork finished!
Yes, theirs has a light bulb!