When I got the idea to do Cooking With My Misadventurous Kids it was a Godsend! My children have always been interested in cooking and have always loved being in the kitchen with me so it just seemed like a natural progression. Having them bring their unique personalities and perspectives to my blog has given Misadventures in Baby Raising something I feel it was missing! As my children get older and take on more tasks in the kitchen I’ve found many tips and tricks that I find helpful that I thought I’d pass on to all my readers! Not all tips are my own but I’ve tried to give credit where credit is due! Enjoy!
Tips for Cooking with your Misadventurous Kids
- Each Tuesday before I go to the grocery store I make a weekly menu,this helps save time at the grocery store and makes week night meal prep quick and easy. Getting your children involved in the menu planning and grocery shopping process does a number of things; it gets them interested in cooking and trying new things and it also helps them become a little more aware of how much things cost by having them help you comparison shop!
- Before we start an episode of Cooking with My Misadventurous Kids I always go over the recipe with them. I think giving them a clear plan for what they are doing helps avoid frustration on their part and saves us moms from becoming too stressed.
- Be sure to explain the need for safety in the kitchen with your children prior to cooking. If everything is spelled out in a clear and direct manner there is less of a chance that there will be an accident.
- Having an apron especially for your little chef will make your little one feel special and important and will no doubt help them take their “job” in the kitchen more seriously.
- Purchase a set of cooking essentials (mixing bowls and spoons, measuring cups, whisk) especially for little hands. (keep an eye out for a future episode of Cooking with My Misadventurous Kids where we get to review a great set of children’s cooking utensils!)
- Prep ingredients ahead of time. Taking the time to chop, dice, or julienne fruits and veggies before beginning to cook will allow your children to be more active in the cooking process…kids love to pour ingredients into the mixing bowl!
- Keep things simple (this is the reason we usually do deserts on CWMMK)!
- HAVE FUN! This is so important to remember when you’re elbow deep in a pot of chili with children at your feet begging, “Mom I wanna stir the pot!” Don’t freak out if your son is wearing more icing than the cupcakes, don’t lose your cool when your daughter gets part of the shell into the egg whites, and LET.THEM.LICK.THE.SPOON! Make cooking with your little ones a fun and rewarding experience for both of you!
Now on a separate, but related note some of you may have noticed that I recently acquired a new Cooking with My Misadventurous Kids button…go ahead and admire it I’ll wait…pretty cool huh? A great gal by the name of Kasandria of the blog Southern Bella’s Ways to Save was nice enough to make it for me! So go on over and check out her blog for awesome ways to save!
I’m feeling a little generous today, so if you grab my new button and put it up on your blog I’m going to give you 5 extra entries into ALL of my current giveaways! Just make sure you leave me a comment telling me that you have it on your blog!
This is such a great idea. I want to try this with my little one when she get older. She is still a little young.
ReplyDeleteI've got it on my blog's sidebar right under your regular button. :)
ReplyDeleteAwesome tips.
ReplyDeleteI am so grabbing your button.
Just catching up on posts now.
My life has been totally chaotic. But after Thursday...i hope everything ..welll ..we'll just see