This post is sponsored by Stonyfield. However, all he opinions expressed here are my own. Journaling. It’s long been a part of my daily life. It easily became a part of my curriculum when I started teaching High School English and now it’s part of our daily homeschool ritual.

It’s my secret tool to dig a little deeper into the mind of my soon-to-be six year old. I ask her things like what makes you feel frustrated? What makes you feel happy? Or what are you looking forward to? Sometimes those questions yield some unrelentingly honest answers, ones that make me cringe a bit. Like when I asked her what made her feel sad and she answered, “When Mommy yells.” Yeah that one.

And sometimes they give me little insights into her own needs. Like when I recently asked, “What can I do to make you feel loved?” And she answered, “Give me attention.”

I realized she needs my full attention. She needs my eye contact. She needs me present and engaged and interested. Not saying: hold on, wait just a second, in a minute. Lately I’ve been spending more time with her by going to the grocery store together. We get two little carts and push our way through the store: I shop for our groceries and she shops for the dish she wants to make. She’s a fan of MasterChef Junior and lately has been inspired to reproduce some of the dishes the kids are making. It’s fun to watch this interest blossom.

And I don’t think it is a passing phase. When I asked her another journal questions last week, her answer was revealing:

I never thought of cooking or food as a love language, but now I’m seeing it as one. Her desire to cook delicious food for others is her way of saying “I love you.” Her little journal entry has changed the way I look at meal planning and cooking. When I meal plan and cook iI’m really saying I want you to be nourished. I want you to thrive. I love you.

And what I cook for them is just as important as why I cook for them. I pick out the best fruits and vegetables. Grass fed meats and cage free eggs and organic dairy products like Stonyfield Milk and Yogurt. And now my little girl is doing the same. This weekend she picked out some wild caught salmon, organic arugula and made a spicy aioli that included Stonyfield Greek Yogurt.

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Here’s her recipe:

Sophia’s Salmon Sliders

1/2 lb wild caught salmon

one fresh baguette and butter

organic arugula for garnish

1 Tbs organic mayonaise

2 Tbs Stonyfield Greek Yogurt

Juice from 1/2 lemon

1 tsp siracha or chili paste

Salt

pepper

Organic olive oil

1. Heat olive oil in medium high pan

2. Season salmon with salt and pepper and cut into small portions 1”x2” pieces

3. Once skillet has reached temperature place salmon flesh-side down in pan and cook for 3 minutes then turn to skin side down and cook for an additional three minutes. Small pieces may cook quickly so keep an eye on them.

4. Slice baguette on the bias and butter, toast in a skillet on low heat until golden brown

5. Combine aoli mixture of mayonnaise, Stonyfield Greek Yogurt, lemon juice and siracha

6. Assemble sliders by removing skin from cooked salmon and placing on toasts, garnish with aoli and arugula.