While my daughter was eating her favorite soup made by her grandmother, I thought it will be a good opportunity to ask her about ingredients.

Me: Teona, this is your favorite soup. I never asked you if you know what makes it so delicious. Why do you like it so much?

T: Because it is my favorite. Grandma makes it for me.

Me: What do you think grandma puts in it?

My mother usually cuts the vegetables very finely so it takes her a little time to observe them.

T: She puts a lot of noodles. They are my favorite.

Me: Do you know how grandma makes the noodles?

T: I don't know.

Me: Let's give it a try. The spaghetti for example, they are made from...?

T: Flour.

Me: Do you think grandma uses also flour?

T: Yes and salt.

Me: Ok, what else?

T: I don't know (again).

I explained her the way grandma does the noodles.

Me: What else can you see and taste in this soup?

T: Carrots, tomatoes, cherry pepper, salt

Me: This green leaf, what is it?

T: Parsley.

Me: Good. There is something else that grandma puts in a soup at the beginning, but you don't have it now in your plate, what do you think it is?

T: Salt.

Me: No. Grandma boils it to give flavor.

T: Meat. Chicken meat.

Me: Good. Why do you think this soup has this color?

T: I don't know.

The next questions asked were givin' the same answer "I don't know". I let her eat.

I guess this was not so challenging to her.

The second day, I changed the soup with one that she does not like, also made by my mother. It is a traditional soup "zer cu cartofi" (it is called in Romanian; a kind of buttermilk with potatoes). The vegetables are also cut finely. To make her eat it I challenged her. I said that if she can give me than 5 ingredients, I will try to give her another three and the one who said them correctly wins a chocolate croissant. We will also call grandma to ask about the correct ingredients.

I let her say first 5 ingredients because  three of them were easily to see but the others were hard to guess... So, I wanted to encourage her even to win (and to eat the soup). Next time we will change the strategy.

Me: Let's hear the ingredients.

T: Potaoes. Salt. Tomatoes. Carrots.

Me: I don't think grandma put carrots. We will ask her.

So, you said three. I do not agree with the carrots. Anything else?

T: I can't see anything else.

Me: (I helped her) What's this green leaf?

T: Parsley.

Me: Ok! So you have four. Look at the color of the soup.

T: It looks a kind of orange.

Me: Ok. Good. What do you think gives this color?

T: Oranges (the fruit)?

Me: I don't think grandma put oranges in this soup.

T: Potatoes?

Me: Are potatoes orange? Don't guess, just think. It's something that I put sometimes also in soups.

T: Cream?

Me: Yes. It has cream and... To give this orange color...

T: I don't know.

Me: I mix sometimes cream with what? In a bowl with a fork...

T: Eggs?

Me: Yes. Cream and eggs. Anything else?

T: I said five. Your turn.

I said oil, dill and green onions.

We called grandma and she confirmed that there were no carrots in the soup. But also she said another ingredients that the soup have: lovage, celery and buttermilk.