Monkey See, Monkey Do ... Banana Cream Pie

Tuesday was our anniversary, and the kids were very excited about the whole thing.  My Wonderful Husband had recently asked for a banana cream pie, and we decided to surprise him with one after dinner that night.

Generally speaking, I like to make things from scratch, but it's always helpful to have a few shortcut-ready items around the house.  I never cheat on real piecrust, but on the graham cracker kind ... I can't tell the difference between the from-scratch and ready-made varieties.  With a pudding base, that makes this a perfect pie for kids to make!

I showed my Big Girl how to hold a knife and slice a banana.  (Before you panic, this was a special table/butter knife designed for kids that had absolutely no sharp edges or serrated pieces anywhere.  She couldn't have cut herself unless she fell off the roof and landed on it.)  She was so proud of herself for learning how to do this!  One banana is usually enough to cover the bottom crust, but if you like lots of 'naners, do another!

Next, my Little Man used a short-handled whisk to stir up the pudding.  We used your basic sugar-free banana cream flavor.  He loves doing this!

Tip for making pudding with younger children:  Put the pudding mix and milk in a small, lightweight bowl with a tighth-sealing lid.  While standing over a non-carpeted floor, allow them to dance and shake the container.  You'll soon have pudding, and they'll have helped without the stress of trying to keep it in the bowl!


After the pudding begins to thicken, I poured it gently over the bananas and we chilled it for a few minutes before moving on.

My Big Girl then smoothed on some whipped cream, and voila!  You've got fresh-tasting banana cream pie without the fuss - and it's kid-friendly to boot.  With knives, wire tools, and mounds of fluffy white goodness, what kid wouldn't want to help make this??