Now that I'm a dad, I'm practicing what I call 'one- handed cooking,' because I've got something more important in my other arm. I'm whipping up lots of frittatas and omelets.
I like to cook. We always sit down together, my daughter and I, and have dinner - baked chicken breast or a piece of fish with green beans, rice or potatoes. And I love pasta.
Preparing food is one of life's great joys, but a lot of times, parents ask their kids if they want to cook with them and then tell them to go peel a bag of potatoes. That's not cooking - that's working!
My husband has the philosophy that if you can work a Nintendo control, you can chop an onion. So, we have our children in the kitchen. We sit down every night for dinner. We're trying to give our kids a sense of what's going into their bodies, and it's also good for family time.
Cooking with kids is not just about ingredients, recipes, and cooking. It's about harnessing imagination, empowerment, and creativity.
It's really great to get your kids involved in the kitchen. Not only will they have an appreciation for food, but their palates will expand.
One way I get my kids to try new things is by cooking with them.
Look at cookbooks with your kids and ask them what sounds good.
When I cook with my son, I might chop vegetables and have fun with different shapes. Cooking is a way to teach kids about other things, like reading or math with all of the weights and measures. There are so many things that are part of cooking that are also very educational.
Bringing your kids into the kitchen doesn't require you to be a top chef; only time and maybe a willingness to get a little messy.
When kids help cook, even if its just shredding the herbs or stirring the pot, they eat more and they eat better.
Kids are so busy with different things and are occupied with other things, so when they do find themselves to be creative, it's often that they can be creative in the kitchen and they get the opportunity to bond with family, friends and talk. It just opens up their lines of communication. We need that now for these young people.
I have a squash casserole that everybody, even my kids, love. I won't tell my kids how to make it.
My own kids are absolutely allowed to help me cook it. They of course have the added bonus of knowing how to bake. That wasn't really a concept when I was a kid - I learned it at school in home economics, then started properly when I was home with my children. They love helping me.
I love every minute in the kitchen with my kids, even the mess (I've learned to embrace it!). I find that in the car on the way home from school, I often get one-word answers when I ask about their day. But when we're cooking, I get in-depth stories.
I love giving little ones fun tasks that make them feel like they're part of the team but keep them safe. My go-tos are topping pizzas, decorating cookies, stirring ingredients, and, of course, taste-testing!
