Cooking with Kids

For Christmas my mother got my daughter the neatest gift. All three of my kids adore cooking and baking. Marlee especially loves this. So my mother got her a beautiful pink wicker trunk full of cooking things!

Inside it was packed full of neat things!!! My mom had collected cookie cutters, decorating tips and bottles for icing, fun kids cookbooks, utensils, measuring cups, a tiny muffin tin with tiny muffin papers, a beautiful apron, and muffin mixes and cookie mixes. There was so much more, I can’t remember all of it! Another special thing was a special cookbook with recipes from Marlee’s grandma’s and aunts written in their own handwriting. Marlee has made apple cinnamon muffins and also monkey bread so far! She wants to do cookies next!

Cooking with kids is a joy! Yes, it can get messy, but it’s fun! There are so many neat websites out right now that give great tips and ideas and easy recipes. I like to go to the local library and check out cookbooks, many of which are made for kids! The best thing to do, just include your kids while you cook. Have them near you in the kitchen. It will be wonderful memories for them. I love thinking of when I was a child and my mom or grandma’s would be cooking. The smells!! YUM! Give your child a task. Let them stir the bowl. Let them crack an egg. Let them lick the spoon! Have them help you meal plan. Let them look through the cookbooks or online recipes and see what they think sounds good. This is awesome for picky eaters also, a lot of times when they get to pick it out, and help make it, they will eat it!

Enjoy spending time with your kids!! Happy parenting!