Grinding Oat Groats

Last week, I bought a hand-crank grain flaker from the website You're the Cure.

Now, that website sells many different versions of grain flakers, ranging from this $97 version that I bought, all the way to up a super-duper $697 version with many more capabailities.

Here is why I love the simple one I bought. This morning, I say to my daugher, who is turning 3 at the end of the month: "Hey, wanna make some oatmeal?"

She comes over, struggles to open the drawer under our kitchen table in which we keep the flaker. She pulls out the parts (body, funnel, cap, clamps) and puts them on the table. Places the funnel in the body, and the cap on the funnel. I use the clamps to secure the device to the kitchen table.

I then bring out two different measuring cups -- 1 cup, and 1/2 cup. I ask her to read them, and see if she can recognize the numbers.

I fill the 1/2 cup with oat groats. She pours them into the funnel.

Then we take turns turning the hank crank to create the oat flakes. Together we count the turns.

On her turn, she counts to ten keeping beat with turning the crank.

Then, together we measure 2 cups of water. I take over the process from there because her mother doesn't want her working on the stove (for good reason).

How many wonderful things did we accomplish this morning?

1. teamwork
2. construction (ie. putting the thing together)
   
3. counting
4. exercise (turning the crank is hard work for her)
5. following a recipe
   
6. self-sufficiency
7. healthy meal
8. quality time with dad (added at the suggestion of kim)

You can get much of the above with the $697 version of the flaker -- but you can't get it all.  To get all of that benefit, you need the simple version I bought.

I'm looking forward to my daugher being able to swing my wood splitter.