What is your happiest memory?

The day when the Old Woman who lived in a shoe stopped by. It had just started to rain and I was coming in from my garden with some ripe pumpkins, corn and beans when I saw The Old Woman and her children huddled on my porch. The Old Woman had soo many children and she didn’t know what to do – wait out the rainstorm or make a dash for it. I decided for her and invited the whole family in for dinner.

Do you have any advice for new cooks?

Go for it! Even if you don’t get every step just right, you can usually eat what you make. It helps to read the recipe the whole way through. Start with ingredients you know – like pasta or eggs – and build from there.

One word to describe you would be …?

Adventurous! Believe it or not, I used to be a very picky eater. I only liked plum porridge and corn. One afternoon Little Boy Blue came over with some corn and blueberries – and showed me how to make his favorite salad. I knew I liked corn, but I wasn’t so sure about blueberries, but I tasted them and they were good. All my friends like something different, you know, Peter Piper just lives for peppers. He picks a peck every week. My friends taught me about different ingredients and I got braver and braver…now I like a lot of different foods – and blueberries are still one of my favorites.

What advice would you give parents?

Be patient. When I was a gosling in the kitchen, I just wasn’t as fast as the grown-ups. And sometimes I spilled. I used to worry about it, but now I know it’s ok.

What do you like to do for fun?

Besides cooking you mean? I sing, play music and dance around the Mulberry Bush. I like to read, tell stories and solve riddles. I love it when children read to me, too. I am happiest when I am with my family and friends.