Cooking With Young Kids

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I just had the best day!  I was invited to cook with two aspiring great cooks and their young daughters.  It was so much fun for me, and hopefully the kids got worn out so they’ll sleep great tonight!

We started out with the idea of having a tea party.  First we had to settle on which apron each girl wore.  They each tried on each apron, which is really half the fun.  

Put on an Apron and Let's Get This Party Started!

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Then we sat up to a beautiful island to work on making some teas, and some “finger” sandwiches.  It went so quick I hardly have any photos, but it was a really fun way to get together, and the kids all were welcome to taste new things.  

 

--> Since their moms were there, I told them they didn’t have to eat anything they didn’t like, which oftentimes makes them willing to risk it.  The kids also took turns cutting up carrots and pineapple, and helped mix together the sandwich fillings. 

Learning how to use a knife.

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Once we ate and cleaned up from the tea party, the kids ran off to play with each other, and we started our second menu.  This was a longer than usual class with the two agendas, but it was so much fun that the time flew again. 

While we were busy cooking the second meal, we had a little helper join us.

Nobody is Looking...

Be Quick

Oh No!  Busted!

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The idea behind this menu was that these young moms wanted to find ways to have delicious food without cooking a fresh meal every time.  We created a menu that was enough for two meals, and then the leftovers could be changed into a slightly different meal.  Most of us get tired of eating the same thing 3-4 days in a row so it’s nice to know how to do intentionally cook less frequently while creating more meals.

Chicken Skewers served with...

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Pineapple Fried rice.

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Chicken Skewers went into the oven while we made some pineapple fried rice.  This was one of those sneaky ways of getting kids to taste new foods because it was so colorful.  Don’t push it, but trust that they won’t always see this as “weird” food. 

Herbed Potatoes.

Since we were already in the kitchen working so hard (and having fun) we made a second meal of Pork Tenderloin, a Balsamic Pan Sauce, and Herbed Potatoes.

These dishes make great leftovers.  For instance, you can take leftover chicken or pork, dice it up and combine it with the fried rice for a one-dish meal. 

I would love to help you make easy meals this way too.