Cooking with a 3-Year-Old: The Mac & Cheese and Communist Celery Edition

In which my 3-year-old son Henry and I cook macaroni and cheese, boiled asparagus, communist celery, blueberries, and sweet potato fries for dinner while Sarah is out of town. Hilarity ensues.
Inspired by Hannah Hart: / myharto

[@Glowblue1]

I love how John talks to his son like he's an actual person and not a small child or a pet.

[@homeworkbreak4237]

That because HE’S A GENIUS!! also I just accidentally dislike your comment for a second so sorry about that if you saw it in your notifications okay bye

[@idontneedaname318]

@Lu Cheng nah it's that he's not using a baby voice or anything

[@donutsandgravy3150]

My mom did that to me when I was younger and it impacted me so much. It makes them feel so respected and seen.

[@MarinaFerreiras]

Small kids are people ?

[@cartkart1]

I really appreciate it

[@christianfaux736]

John's parenting technique, like telling his 3-year-old that he's ok with him being a communist because at least he's politically engaged at that age is EXACTLY something I intend to do with my hypothetical children.

[@nicolesong6199]

YIS

[@jfree1998]

Communism killed 4x as many people as Nazis.

[@shaky5754]

@@jfree1998 Capatalism killed 998x more than communism

[@comradebharat4786]

@@jfree1998 capitalism kills 20 million a year LOL

[@anthonyakator6181]

@@shaky5754 thats BS

[@WhiteAsianGurl]

Why John would put the Blueberries in the A dish, the Celery in the B dish and the Asparagus in the C dish is beyond me. D:

[@ihathtelekinesis]

I'm glad someone else is annoyed at that.

[@GarethBawden100]

It is the logic that my 3 year old uses.

[@Tcr810XP]

Because the blueberries are raw, and the fries were stick shaped. The celery was raw and stick shaped so it belonged between them. It's common sense

[@ye3s146]

Tcr810XP I think they mean because Asparagus begins with A and so should be in A dish. Bluberries is B dish and Celery in C dish :)

[@SilentHouseStudios]

Right because clearly there is only one way to sort data.

[@Pile_of_carbon]

John: "You don't like peanut butter on celery? What are you, a communist?" Kid: "... Yes." And there we have it, one of the many deep dark secrets of communism.

[@turdl38]

Asparagus? I could swear he said celery.

[@franloiacono9306]

Pile of carbon if all communists were that cute it would have caught on everywhere

[@GuardiansCreed]

are you sure?

[@omnidiscord]

ShiziMiki he sounded pretty sure to me

[@fernandamartins9851]

the secret is that all kids are communists

[@ratatoskrable]

"I'm just happy you're politically engaged at your age, I think that's great."

[@TactownGirl]

In a weird way I think I've learned more about how to actually be a good parent form watching John interact with Henry then I ever did from my own family. I like how John never talks down to Henry, and how he seems to listen to him, genuinely. I feel like my reaction would be less good, like "Let's have grapefruit juice!" "NO!" "Then what do you want?" "Grapefruit juice!" And rather then saying "Good idea" Like John did, I'd say "I just said that!" It's just... so different then how my parents raised me. I hope to be like that one day, when i have kids.

[@rionamusic7884]

Neala Ernswa +

[@stargirl7769]

+

[@beringtse]

+

[@tangiblethursday]

+

[@SalamanderMagic]

What does the "+" mean

[@isabelsong21]

Every time Henry is in one of these videos, I'm always struck by how much of an amazing father John is. He'll ask Henry questions and interact with Henry in a way that strikes a great balance between letting Henry lead and providing Henry with guidance and support. Plus, he talks to Henry like he does to anyone else, and as a result Henry seems like he's always ready and willing to contribute and express his own opinions and thoughts.

[@robinamoko3488]

+

[@skylerwitherspoon]

+

[@hambonefakenamington69]

Exactly. He isn't dominating. He's treating Henry like a person who's free to have opinions and choices.

[@moviemadness2009]

I can't make mac and cheese anymore without thinking "this is where it could all go wrong, but it all went right" when I go to strain the pasta.

[@aminavance2031]

Same!

[@SarahBecks713]

Every time!

[@Purplestraw]

I thought I was the only one

[@fathimamoolla]

+

[@LifeofMarie267]

I'm like that even if I make spaghetti after watching this.

[@Ell3m3nta1]

"It's like the fruit of the sea except it's from land" what does that even mean 😭😭

[@Fs3i]

Award winning author!

[@m-the-bug]

It means John is turnt on grapefruit juice, what else.

[@SlowMovingBird]

It kinda looks like a sea monster

[@shabditarajesingh6945]

Am I the only one...to whom it makes sense?

[@Arcangel0723]

I think it might be a play on a saying “fish is the chicken of the sea”. My dad would use that in response to my siblings not wanting to eat fish.

[@riverkoritko4411]

john-"are you a communist ?" henry-"ummm...yes"

[@The_Faceless_No_Name_Stranger]

God dammed adorable commie

[@nechma13]

I was dying

[@Face44445]

Well I'm happy that you're politically engaged

[@NoThisIsNotMyTime]

"what are you; a communist?"... "yes" "that's a surprise". i love your response john, you weren't correcting him, or directing him to a different view, you are just happy he's interrested in politics at his age. dftba

[@Fitz710]

+ThisIsNotMyTime John uses common sense when addressing life's common problems, a rare site in our society.

[@omnidiscord]

ShiziMiki lmaoo, you sure are dead set on correcting people about this joke on every comment in this section, huh?

[@idontneedaname318]

but that doesn't count as being interested in politics, he's just humoring his child's adorable quirks

[@SlowMovingBird]

Dftba

[@lisabrown2245]

It still frustrates me that the Asparagus, Blueberries, and Celery aren't placed in the appropriate A-B-C compartments on the plate😰

[@silpheedTandy]

+Lisa Brown WOW i didn't notice it before, but now i do and NOW I'M BOTHERED BY IT TOO. thanks for nothing ;)

[@Dan_The_Dude]

SAME

[@krim7]

+Lisa Brown You fiend! You have ruined this video for me! FOR ALL TIME! RUINED!!!!!

[@caitlynjones2147]

+

[@woahxitsamanda]

Lisa Brown v

[@haltopen12]

Anyone else want a vlog brothers cooking show called Cooking with John and henry?

[@noahcarver4232]

only EVERYONE!

[@TwonsOneManBand]

Cooking with SCIENCE!!!

[@reneeke3856]

who's the better cook?

[@NeilSonOfNorbert]

haltopen12 I recommend cooking fast and fresh with west.

[@fluxbird]

NeilSonOfNorbert There should be like a crossover episode imagine John, Henry, Misha and West in a single video cooking some weird thing

[@India.H]

I think we can all agree that John and Hank Green are two of the best human beings currently alive.

[@AlanmanAaron]

Yes, they definitely would be two people if the best people were alove, but i'm thinking they're more like some of the best people alive

[@Mothman1992]

No. And I can prove it His trays had a, b, and c on them And yet he put blueberries in a celery in b and asparagus in c He is a being of pure chaos

[@India.H]

Timothy Creighton John Green, novelist, father, supreme overlord of Chaos

[@stepht5436]

Indi Heaton with a communist son;) henry is adorable xD

[@India.H]

Steph T When his children are older they're going to watch these back and just cringe :')

[@atlassolid5946]

the fact that Henry is 12 at this point does not feel normal

[@mr.nuggit8240]

13 is crazy I've never imagined Henry as like ageing I guess dftba

[@Lellowcake96]

Communist celery is a phrase I'm going to use more often.

[@amarallis420]

May I ask in what context?

[@Lellowcake96]

+Amarallis "Make sure to add a 2 cups of communist celery to the soup." "Would you please pass the comunist celery?" And possibly other variations.

[@agbook2007]

Lauren Worley 😂👍

[@theocaratic]

"communist celery" would make a wonderful explative as well. it has a nice syllable flow to it.

[@TheRavenfish9]

Also a good band name.

[@ringstadschauffler1523]

every time i strain pasta there's john in my head going "and this is where it could all go wrong!", and then it always goes right.

[@caitlindonovanwest9192]

It's so true, my whole life hangs in the balance for that one moment

[@PossiblyNic]

DBFTBA Don't Bloody Forget to be Awesome! Now Henry is Communist and British..

[@laxboy332]

So he is the second coming of Karl Marx

[@Emmett_7321]

Spelled Right Samurai +

[@laxboy332]

Corvus 2015 was a simpler time when you could be wrong on the internet and no one would care.

[@morganeppard9349]

At least 50 of these views are me.

[@nataliemccarthy9140]

The rest are me

[@L0Ldude11]

steven universe!

[@aurathedoof3037]

Slacker.

[@femangel]

haha forreal

[@CloudNine661]

I read your comment before watching this video and was like thats weird. 2 days later ive watched it 5 times and still going

[@victactoria]

What a great dad. This is really adorable. I love that John treats him like a little human with good ideas. It's great.

[@steveregan7149]

Isn't he?

[@littlestbroccoli]

Almost as though...

[@BornAScout]

Suddenly realized that (since this video is 10 years old) Henry is now roughly the same age I was when I saw this video for the first time. 🤯 MAKE TIME STOP

[@EliseLoveZzyouu]

Henry is already a miniature genius

[@reneeke3856]

duh he knows how what paaasta is

[@matthewbornhorst5655]

And he knows that not putting peanut butter on celery is obviously communist.

[@MasonAtha]

John, you must put the asparagus in the bowl section labeled 'A,' the blueberries in the section marked by the letter 'B,' and the celery in the part identified by the letter 'C.'

[@kalliejolson]

That's exactly what I was thinking!

[@overallsarecool9903]

Exactly

[@originalname28]

Now he's the communist.

[@LauraLou122]

I love how, even though he's only 3, he doesn't talk down to Henry or belittle his ideas and opinions. That's good parenting :)

[@cllw325]

Apologies for the comment on the old video but lately I've been worried about becoming a parent because of OCD, and just having general intrusive thoughts about how I'm gonna be terrible and ruin my kid's life. Seeing someone else with OCD being a good parent was exactly what I needed today, so, uh, a very belated thank you.

[@worldsbiggestholdthegirlfan]

3 years later and I still call people who I don't like "communist celery" I'm fun at parties

[@sqlointer]

how about 10 years later?

[@loveyourword]

Yeah, how about now?

[@TheAmyrlinSeat]

Communism!

[@LeAwkwardKnees]

If Henry and West Collins dont eventually make a cooking video together I will be quite put out

[@starrynightsky416]

Oh my god yes!

[@shannonsacoman2720]

This--all day long! That was my first thought when seeing that this video was a thing.

[@sarahniccolls4381]

YES! This has to happen now!

[@theatrelover9920]

Can we look forward to similar videos in about three years with Hank and Orin?

[@tamarasdreamworld]

Theatrelover99, I don't think so. John doesn't show his children anymore, we've never seen Alice, and I think Hank will be the same.

[@theatrelover9920]

Tam ah well that's understandable

[@mvwinf]

Well, Hank showed his baby in the dad jokes video, so it's possible!

[@Neha71580]

At first I thought you wrote Henry and Orin, and suddenly I thought of "OMG VLOG COUSINS: The Next Gen!!!"

[@driverjayne]

Hello from the future! The answer is... no. Alas but understandable.

[@UCH6H9FiXnPsuMhyIKDOlsZA]

"It's like the fruit of the sea!" Wait, what? "But it's from land." Oh, OK.

[@phoenixvaughn5995]

this video makes me wonder what my parents would say to me when I was too young to remember and what gems I came out with. like, did I also declare myself a communist at age 3?

[@Eyliaq]

Henry is an advance little 3 year old I mean he can talk properly than other 3 year olds tbh

[@linkusofepica]

-He's John Green's son, what did you expect?- NO SERIOUSLY, STOP +1ING THIS COMMENT

[@turdl38]

In my experience, most 3-year-olds who have no ear problems or anything and whose parents don't use any baby talk talk this well.

[@cakemason6411]

turdl38 ah no :/ not all. I'm babysitting two 5-year olds and they talk terrible D: And the ones in kindergarten arent't much better :/ Which really surprises me bc our generation could talk properly at the age of 3 or 4

[@turdl38]

Olivia Mason I work with small children pretty much every day. It 100% depends on the kid. Those whose parents are engaged more and read to them regularly, etc, talk this well. Those who are talked to as something sub-human or something, do not. Plus I have about 1/3 of my kids who either do or should go to speech therapy due to a tongue tie, a minor autism spectrum disorder, and/or hearing issues. I also have 2 nephews who are 4 and 2. The 4-year-old has no technical diagnosis that I know of, but is in speech therapy because his pediatrician recommended it. He and the 2-year-old are equally easy to understand and have similar vocabularies. It totally depends on the kid, but MANY can and do talk this well at 3 years old.

[@EnchantedWebkinz]

yeah this kid talks better than my 6-7 year old sisters and we read to them every day at least 3 times and they have nothing wrong with them so?

[@audreyv5142]

CUTEST THING IN THE WHOLE ENTIRE OBSERVABLE UNIVERSE AND POSSIBLY THE WHOLE ENTIRE UNOBSERVABLE UNIVERSE AS WELL AHHH

[@colemacliver7826]

AHHHHHH

[@GideonGleeful95]

AHHHHHHHHHHHHwhyarewescreaming?AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

[@GhoulishGwyn]

NO EDGE

[@MrRoboskippy]

John, your kitchen is nice, but Henry is just adorable.

[@annalisemiddleton8217]

"We could make fresh squeezed Grapefruit juice " And then Henry said "No, how about we make grapefruit juice" Ha ha that's so funny plus he is adorable.

[@kaileeamburgey302]

after all these years I still say “this is where it could all go wrong” to myself daily

[@pokeanand]

When I was 3, I didn't understand a word my family said. And this guy knows what spiking is O_o

[@giulianaimpini]

Ricky Hanselstone He knows what a communist is!

[@christine1902]

Ricky Hanselstone I think you underestimate yourself. When I was 3 my mum was pregnant, and I understood it perfectly. I understood that I was getting a baby brother. And loved him very much.

[@Waterdreamer1290]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't a cheesy tortilla just a quesadilla?

[@m.w.kaplan447]

but not a GOOD one. john knows he's Wrong and knows the difference lol

[@cordeliabryant8259]

I think that a cheesy tortilla only has one tortilla but a quesadilla has two tortillas probably 😀

[@jackfinlander3359]

John is a really good dad

[@THEMANIACALPOTATO]

THE CUTENESS IS OVERWHELMING DBFTBA

[@THEMANIACALPOTATO]

I know. I'm quoting what Henry said(or at least tried to say :P)

[@ramzikawa734]

Don't Be Forgettin' To Be Awesome I didn't know Henry was so Street

[@MuckyPuddleDuckling]

"We have to get ...?" "GWAPEFOOTSSS."

[@didi1232001]

friendly note that this video was almost 3 years ago. 3. years. ago.

[@minimooster7258]

HENRY IS SIX YEARS OLD!!!

[@Dan_The_Dude]

Holy cow!!

[@BlackSparklePrincess]

NO.

[@Niyati99]

his son is 6 now😨😨

[@phoenixliv]

Whaaaaaaaaat?! I can't even!! I miss these kids!!!

[@HnabniC]

i see why people think john is problematic now he lied to his child in the first 20 seconds what a monster this vid is unbelievably cute tho

[@ladywentworth]

Henry has an impeccable way of pronouncing words so clearly!!

[@sirkowski]

Communist celery is better than situationist turnips.

[@plywoodman8626]

or fascist corn!

[@woodauto1122]

My new favorite vlogbrothers video

[@zephyrvescent]

You sure he's only 3?? Sounds more like a 5 year old! But then, he DOES have a smart daddy and uncle. And I'll bet mommy is off the charts smart as well! Would love to see more father/son vids!

[@beverlymiranda3044]

his conversations with Henry are so cute i cant

[@SpaceshipKev]

Life was so much more simple when this video came out. I was a freshman in high school and now I just graduated college. I miss this time.

[@ellieringler8299]

Hank, that's not how you cut citrus for juicing but who am I to rain on your parade.

[@theaderby9297]

Eliska Ringler That's John

[@animalover21218]

John is a type of eclipse that occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, and the Moon fully or partially blocks ("occults") the Sun. This can happen only at new moon when the Sun and the Moon are in conjunction as seen from Earth in an alignment referred to as syzygy. In a total eclipse, the disk of the Sun is fully obscured by the Moon. In partial and annular eclipses, only part of the Sun is obscured.

[@samp-w7439]

Four years later, I noticed this too and was slightly annoyed.

[@zeiger256854]

Dbftba= Don't be forget to be awesome- Henry Green (Can we put that on a shirt?)

[@fernandacardenas07]

THIS COMMENT!!!

[@icyjon923]

+Jillian Zeiger OH I thought it was a question! Dbftba= Don't boys forget to be awesome?

[@N05K177]

+Jillian Zeiger store.dftba.com/

[@fuzzmeisteroooo]

“I’m just happy you’re politically engaged at your age.” 😂😂😂😂😂

[@alannar.5520]

Henry should team up with West so they can have their own cooking show.

[@LucasBenderChannel]

I do regularly quote stuff from this video in my dad to day life. 😅 From "This is where it could all go wrong! But it aaaaal went right." to "Patsdaaaa" and "What are you? A Communist?".

[@AnneBonaparte]

I'm not gonna lie, I never get tired of this video

[@jyjryu22799]

Hits gonna be great when henry is in middle school or high school and the teacher turns on crash course and Henry gets to learn biology or history from his uncle or dad. :)

[@reesemcgeese824]

dont be forgeting to be awesome

[@rachelsun3021]

"You don't want peanut butter?" "No" "What are you, a communist?" "Yes" GAAAA the cuteness is unbearable.

[@ImmaBinks]

I can't believe that you didn't put your food alphabetically when you have Asparagus, Blueberries and Celery! The letters were right there! And John, you are an awesome parent - you treat Henry like an adult and you don't patronise him. :)

[@pianobooks42]

This video lives rent free in my mind. I’m not sure why it’s stuck with me for 8 years, but I definitely think about it regularly

[@april9586]

I've watched this video so many times. Makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. :)

[@turdl38]

I just love that daddy eats off the kid plate too

[@katiegriffitts4311]

And drinks from the kid cup

[@merci.petras]

It doesn't surprise me that john likes asparagus, especially not after "the fault in our stars" as he, clearly, could not spare a gus.

[@miriamrosemary9110]

It's 2020 and this is still one of my absolute favorite vlogbrothers videos! ❤

[@Lyniex]

DBFTBA: Don't Bloody Forget To Be Awesome.

[@KrissLucia]

YOU'RE AS BAD OF A COOK AS I AM! Oh I'm so happy.

[@ellap6828]

I've watched this WAY too many times. I'm usually sad that I'll probably screw up my kids because I had a bad home life, rather than being a good father like John. But it also makes me happy to see such great parenting. I've literally seen this so many times that I'll sometimes say to myself, "This is where it could all go wrong...But it all went right!"

[@juliakawano]

rewatching the old cooking videos after the most recent dread potatoes - 3-year-old henry is such a joy :)

[@Poppamunz]

That's the way he talks, Henry is saying "Don't Be Forgetting To Be Awesome"

[@nicholealbers1507]

I watch this video a lot, mostly whenever I'm sad because it cheers me up with its cuteness.

[@esmereldarox]

can I suggest you try watching Misha Collins' cooking videos with his kid, West? They're similar and equally as hilarious if not more!

[@katiegriffitts4311]

Same here :)

[@MalescoM]

PETITON TO HAVE JOHN & HENRY + MISHA & WEST COOKING SPECIAL!

[@littleneri3761]

AGREED

[@Brookeva]

YES YES YES THIS IS THE FIRST THING I THOUGHT WHEN I SAW THIS VID

[@rpauline2001]

YEEYEESYESYES

[@ronanbyrne9913]

I DIDN’T KNOW I NEEDED THIS BUT I DEFINITELY DO

[@theBeatlesrawr]

John I know its been six years but the fact that you didn't put the celery in the "c" part of the plate and the blueberries in the "b" and the asparagus in the "a" keeps me up at night.

[@harles115]

"What are you, a Communist?" "ummm...Yes" "You are?" "Yes" "Thats a surprise. You know what, I am just happy you are politicaly engaged at your age."

[@gabby-by5mq]

honestly if I don't marry someone like john I will fail at life

[@eirianwells]

This has just proven that John green should adopt me

[@saramclaughlin7927]

this is one of my comfort videos i watch whenever i’m down or need something to listen to while i study/eat/clean i’ve watched this vid so much it’s so cute

[@skylerwitherspoon]

This video shows up in my recommendations every once in a while and I always want to watch it, no matter how many times I've seen it. It's so lovely to watch

[@andrewsugrue2170]

Cooking Show Idea: DFTBA Kitchen starring John and Henry Green

[@ceceliabartemes2262]

oh my god Henry is 10 and i still cannot look at pasta without going "pahhhhhstaa!!!" like he does

[@grantbaugh2773]

This is still one of my favorite KZbin videos ever. It never fails to make me smile.

[@redhawlive]

This came up on my recommendations today randomly and it made me so happy. This video always is able to bring a smile to my face and provide a good laugh and I think we all could use a some laughter during these times!

[@Quarternote22]

This is and continues to be my favorite vlogbrothers video

[@WickedlyRachel]

This is simultaneously the most entertaining, cute, and funny video I've watched in a long time. Thanks for that John. Also you're a great Dad.

[@KiroOsexXIII]

So there's actually people who like grapefruit? I thought it was a ball of bitter evil, never intended to be eaten!

[@jilliankatie9711]

Yes. I'm allergic to grapefruits! They're PURE EVIL.

[@eisbaeraurora]

I love grapefruits and grapefruit juice. But I wouldn't be surprised to find I'm in a tiny minority.

[@kayruby7941]

that's really funny. I also intensely dislike grapefruits, but here in Israel I appear to be in the minority. Almost everyone here LOOOOVES grapefruits.

[@green4free]

I love grapefruit

[@noahcarver4232]

Eisbaer Borealis You Are Not Alone!!

[@kytykat]

i love this video, i rewatch it from time to time and it’s such a life inspiration

[@jcoel123]

"The best way to know when your asparagus is done, is when you're bored & you don't want to wait any more to eat it." John is awesome XD

[@echelontimepieces22]

what a lucky boy

[@reasoncaren]

This popped up on my feed today. What a old hug this feels like from a different time. It also reminds me of the peas you grew, the labor they took and how to measure the worth of the few peas you reaped, by weight or by the experience of growing them. DVFTVA damn I've been a nerdfighter for a long time

[@markisabelle7003]

When I'm feeling upset I watch a Cooking with a 3-Year-Old video. Hasn't let me down yet.

[@l.tc.5032]

Is Henry happy to be a cousin now?

[@gelpy27]

i can't believe Henry is a teenager now.

[@rachelsun3021]

Honestly I think this is one of my favorite vlogbrothers videos ever

[@ellap6828]

I just LOVE this video, its one of my favorites to just rewatch along with the other Cooking with Henry video. It's so wholesome and cute and really shows off what a great dad John is. I know we're all human, but this always reminds me that this is how I should be with MY kids and that no, I am not overreacting, my parents actually do kinda suck at being parents (though they try their best). It's just a good reminder of how things should be, and it warms my heart :)

[@ryleew.3085]

You guys should do cooking with Henry, Alice, and Orin!

[@ryleew.3085]

Kayetlin Alexander you're probably right.

[@justmissa23]

"D-B-F-T-B-A?" "It's pretty good" haha!

[@nicoleru8838]

this forever remains one of my favorite vlogbrothers videos

[@CapsPage]

Sometimes if I am having a hard day or I just want to watch something nice before bed, I like to watch John cook with Henry. Thanks for making things that consistently cheer me up.

[@martijnsmolders291]

Well, I just came to a weird conclusion. I watched this video around when it came out but I kinda stopped watching vlogbrothers until recently. Now I'm an adult and I eat pasta almost every weekend and each time my dad asks what I'm eating, I yell PASTAAAA, just like how John and Henry do in this video. I totally forgot where I picked that habit up, but I'm glad I found out

[@bethgleek98]

This is amazing! I honestly laughed the whole way through this. He is adorable!!! And can I just say celery with peanit butter on is the best thing in the world. That was my mum's craving when she was pregnant. I have to admit it sounded awful but I love it now!! DFTBA Henry!

[@kristinabeiermann]

Five years later I still come back to this because it’s still one of my favorite vlogbrothers videos.

[@thefairydream]

Is it weird that I watched this video like 7 times by now because KZbin recommends it to me from time to time and it just makes me so happy to see them cooking and improvising.