Cooking With Kids

If you have children, you learn pretty quickly how curious they are about food and cooking. Though you may want to forbid your child/children from the kitchen, you should consider the fact that cooking could actually be a great learning experience for them.

They can learn everything from their colors to what foods are the healthiest. Also it can help to improve a child's motor skills and eye-hand coordination.

Cooking with children is as much about the experience and memories made as it is about helping children learn new skills.

Here I am going to share with you some recipes that you can share with your children. Each recipe allows you to teach your child a different skill. So get ready for a little messy fun!

Breakfast Banana Split

Melon scoops like ice cream which helps to make this a fun breakfast and you can use any combination of fruit you'd like. Also you can freeze the melon overnight but be sure to pull it out of the freezer to thaw before you serve it. This recipe gives your child a great opportunity to learn about color, texture, and fruit in general.

Ingredients:

• 1 Cantaloupe or honey dew melon, halved and seeded
• 1/2 cup fresh pineapple or kiwi cubes
• 1/2 cup blueberries
  
• 1/4 cup low-fat lemon yogurt
• 2 bananas
• 2 tablespoons honey(optional)
• 1 cup crispy cold cereal, such as granola

Equipment:

• small ice cream scoop
• plate or baking sheet
• measuring cups
• small bowl for mixing fruit
• spoon
• plastic knife for slicing fruit
• spoon or honey dipper for drizzling honey(optional)

1)Use small ice cream scoop to scoop out rounds of melon. Place melon scoops on a plate or baking sheet and store in freezer while you prepare the banana and toppings.

2)In a small bowl, toss together the pineapple cubes and the blueberries. Stir in the yogurt and set aside.

3)Use a plastic knife to cut the bananas in half, crosswise. Cut each half in half again, lengthwise. Place 2 banana pieces in the bottom of 4 small bowls. Top with the scoops of melon from the freezer.

4)Spoon the pineapple mixture over the melon and drizzle honey evenly, if using. Sprinkle a little cereal on top and you have a healthy and tasty breakfast.

Baby Pancakes With Strawberry Sauce

    This recipe is great because it uses macerated berries (slices berries sprinkled with a little sugar to draw out some of their juice) instead of sugary syrup.  Your child can learn about shapes with this one. All you need are some cookie cutters!

Ingredients:

• 1 pint strawberries
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1 cup low-fat milk
• 1 cup low-fat plain yogurt
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Equipment:

• Plastic Knife
• Medium bowls(2)
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Large bowl
• Forks for stirring and beating
• Wide spatula

1)With a plastic knife, slice the strawberries and stir them together with 2 tablespoons sugar. Set aside.

2)In a large bowl, stir together all purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt till well mixed.

3)Crack the egg into a medium bowl, then add the milk, yogurt, and vegetable oil. Stir until smooth. Then stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture until blended.

4)Lightly grease a nonstick griddle or skillet and place over medium heat.

5)Pour batter onto skillet using a 1/4 cup measure leaving the pancakes several inches apart. Cook on one side till small bubbles appear on the top and the pancake starts to puff and is lightly browned on the cooked side. Flip with a wide spatula. Cook until other side is lightly browned.

6)Cut with all shapes of cookie cutters(optional) and serve with strawberries and the juice that forms in their bowl.

The thing you want to remember is this is supposed to be a learning experience for your child/children. Here are some tips to help them get as much as possible out of the experience.

• Let them help you buy the ingredients. Take advantage of their natural curiosity as you introduce them to different types of foods and their colors, textures, flavors, and smells. This is also a great opportunity to teach them about storing food and about food labels.
• Show them how to follow a recipe. This can help reinforce math and reading skills. They will also be able to begin to learn how to follow sequential directions.
• Tell them about what you are doing step-by-step. Maybe even let them help you measure a few things. This will help keep them interested and make them feel less left out when you get to things that would not be safe for them to do. Explain kitchen safety to them.
  
• Let them help with the cleanup. Children love to help and it's a great way to make your child/children feel like they are contributing.