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Dawn
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I looked for a thread on this topic, but couldn't find one, so I'm starting one here!
Do you cook with your children? Do you have any tips you could share?
My boys are eager to learn to cook and I really need to help them learn some basics about the kitchen and food in general. I just posted about a nice children's cookbook I found, Cooking with Children ...
Any ideas for making these kitchen moments easier and more enjoyable for all involved? 
Resources, handy gadgets, helping your children appreciate food, how you make time for it ... ?
Thanks for any thoughts! 
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Elizabeth
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Dear Dawn,
My approach to cooking with children is pretty much the same as my approach to everything with children: just do it. My children rotate turns cooking with me every night. They are assigned real tasks that are necessary for the preparation of the meal. We start as soon as they are old enough to stand on a chair and pull it up to the counter. Come to think of it, babes in arms are always given a wooden spoon or something with which to play. The children use real kitchen utensils--the only thing that's miniaturized is the aprons. While we have several children's cookbooks (all downstairs and if I go get them, said children will awaken and want to cook breakfast, thus ending my time with you), they usually cook with me, using adult cookbooks.
Cooking has such an appeal for children: they naturally like to mix and pour, play with different textures,inhale different scents. OUr kitchen is literally and figuratively the center of the house. I didn't set out to make it so--I'm just there all the time and they are there with me. I think part of my kitchen approach is tempeamental or inherited or something. I was always in the kitchen as a child and it seems as natural as breathing to me to have them with me. It completely drives my father-in-law  to see them all there--he wants to follow around, wiping tiny spills and admonishing for neatness and warning against any potential safety hazard. Usually we make a greater mess than one mom alone would make. But lately, we've been working on being a "clean cook."
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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stefoodie
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Hi Dawn, yes, I cook with my children, more so now that they're all big enough to help out. I have one child helping me everyday. No special recipes, just whatever we're preparing that day. If it's dessert, they ALL want to help out, esp. if it involves anything chocolate. Two days ago, my 9-yo helped me prepare "Pollo en Escabeche" from The Cuisines of Spain and "Chickpeas and Chard" from The Vegetarian Hearth.
No special tools either because I want them to be able to handle real cooking tools right away. The girls have aprons (there's a cute little toddler apron at Ikea), but I haven't really bothered with the boys. When cooking at the range, I guide their hand so they know what it means to saute or stir-fry. Always with a firm grip on their small bodies (they stand on a chair) so they don't accidentally fall into the pot  . I do have little tools for the 4-yo that I got at Ikea. And they have their own set of cookie cutters and rolling pins to use with play dough. But when they help in the kitchen they use the adult tools. Knife skills I start teaching around 9-10. They peel garlic, make broccoli florets, top and tail beans, mix and whisk and fold and operate small appliances (with Mom's help) starting at 4 or 5.
More of my thoughts here -- this was an entry for a Filipino food blogging event -- many Filipinos are unfamiliar with homeschooling and have the usual misconceptions/prejudices, so I'm trying to promote the homeschooling lifestyle in this post .
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Rebecca
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We love to spend time in the kitchen together as a family. I do buy small sized, real utensils for the very little ones like tiny whisks instead of the large one that I use. I think this allows them to have more control over their tool. When they are bigger, say 5 or 6, they use the regular tools that I use in the kitchen. Out of time now but here is something I wrote about our times in the kitchen. I look forward to checking out the book you recommended!
God Bless,
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Magnificat
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Hi Dawn-
My 3 kids are always helping (especially with the dessert!)
Regina (4) is famous for her salads-we have a couple of the crinkle-cut knives that she loves to use for everything!! The other two are always "stirring something up"!!! Pun intended! One morning, Tim (9) decided he wanted "something different". He made a quick pie crust-small. Then scrambled some eggs, stuck them on the pie crust, stuck in some ham and cheese, folded it over and baked it. He had made his own hot pocket! It smelled great, and he did it all himself.
They also love using the manual chopper, that has been great for my 4 year old too...
I'll think of some others..we just made some wonderful banana bread..I'll post the recipe on my blog later. It's awesome!!
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Jenny
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Same as the others: Each child gets a night to help cook. Every week a child is assigned "kitchen" that means their job is too help serve the food, get drinks, set the table, clear the table, plus they unload the dishwasher for that week.
I made the girls aprons out of scrap material 2yrs ago & they Love them. I need to make one for the boy as he is 2 now & in the kitchen constantly.
My oldest, 7, cannot walk by a stove without stopping to stir whatever is cooking
They are in the way, they do make a bigger a mess, they do ask alot of questions while you are trying to measure, mix and pour...They do smile constantly, hug alot and spontaneously say I love you in the middle of a cooking session 
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marihalojen
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DD keeps copies of favorite recipes she's tried or wants to try or are from Grandmas or Aunts, and recently recopied them all onto cute recipe cards found at the dollar section in Target. She also picked up the coupon holder and pasted the veggies from the cards over the words "Coupon Holder" to store the recipes in. Really cute in a retro way...and makes for great copywork that is a bit different than poems, bible verses etc... Variety is the spice of life!
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Mary G
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Dawn -- we try to hook cooking/baking with whatever we're doing. So when we read Little House books we try to make something from the Cookbook -- like the cornmeal mush or a bread or cake.
We also tie-in cooking math -- if we double how many 1/4 cups, etc. I try to do this with them at least once a week.
During the Fall and Winter, to warm up the house, we do lots of baking of bread and casseroles, etc.
I'm with Elizabeth, just do it. The important thing is to show them how to measure, stir, bake and then show them the final result -- dh is especially good and ooing and ahing over their work...
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Dawn
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I love all the ideas here! I think my problem has been looking at it as a project ~ something to plan and prep for, instead of just having them pitch in and help when I am cooking. My dh is actually really good about that; he makes "Father's Famous Flying Flapjacks" every Saturday morning and all the boys help out. I admire his patience and humor! He even tosses the pancakes from the pan onto a plate held by a ds standing across the room. How the boys love that!
I guess a balance is good, because they do want to make special things too ~ like brownies and cake and other fun "kid" things. My goals would be for them to:
1. be comfortable in the kitchen
2. know some basic techniques
3. eat better and be more adventurous in their eating habits, and ...
4. help me start a family recipe collection (like Jennifer's daughter has ~ that sounds so cute!)
... is that all too much to ask? Or am I crossing over into project territory again?
As an aside, I spent the whole morning today cleaning my kitchen. I was so inspired by Jenn's recent post at her blog, about cleaning and managing your home ... so I have given myself an early Mother's Day present: no lessons for the rest of the week and stay-at-home days the next three days so we can just clean!! Sounds great, doesn't it? Well, actually I love to clean, but I never seem to make time for it. And I'm hosting brunch here Sunday and I don't want to spend the hours between Mass and brunch running around like a crazy woman trying to cook, clean and get everyone ready!
Also, part of the reason I don't get into the kitchen as much as I'd like (with kids or alone) is it has become so cluttered and unmanageable in there. I don't feel like I want to cook or create or share in my kitchen when the cabinets are messy and the counters are crumby. I mean how many cans of brown bread does one family need? It's been a while since I've done more than a quick tidy, so it's a "gift" to me to get to work on this. The boys are keeping busy with audio books and Legos.
Of course here I am whiling away my "lunch hour" at the computer, so I'd better get back to work!!
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kingvozzo
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When you are rotating through each child having a turn, what are the other littles doing? Are you dh's home while you're making dinner? Dinner prep here is always so hectic (it doesn't help that I'm not very comfortable in the kitchen), and dh is not usually here. If I let one child help, they ALL want to help, and that just makes it unmanageable.
My dd rec'd this cookbook for Christmas, and it's been enjoyable to use these recipes with her. But that can only really happen when dh is here. It's actually been a helpful cookbook for me, too 
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Mary G
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Maybe what y'all should start with is doing things you can do in the morning or afternoon (during littles nap times). Don't try to make a 3-course meal the first time out. Start with something fun and easy for them to accomplish...and it doesn't have to be sweets. In the book Three Stalks of Corn by Leo Politi, there is a great recipe for tacos -- simple and fun to make....and much can be done before the dinner time rush....
Does that help? I posted more detail about how I do this with my littles (3, 6 and 7!). That might give you some more info.
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Elizabeth
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kingvozzo wrote:
| When you are rotating through each child having a turn, what are the other littles doing? Are you dh's home while you're making dinner? Dinner prep here is always so hectic (it doesn't help that I'm not very comfortable in the kitchen), and dh is not usually here. If I let one child help, they ALL want to help, and that just makes it unmanageable. |
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Our rotation isn't formal at all. Whoever is around helps to cook. Yesterday, it was the three littles. They were set up assembly-line style, dipping chicken tenders in egg wash and seasoned corn flake crumbs and then drizzling with butter. They had crushed the corn flakes and grated the cheese for the seasoning. I was just there, directing. They were home; I was home; it was time to make dinner. Sometimes it is chaotic, but usually, I can think a step or two ahead and avoid total chaos. I also admit that I have a very high chaos and mess tolerance in the kitchen. It's all washable...
Meal preparation is a "project" in my house, it's just life.I also take great joy in it myself, so that rubs off. I love to do it, so of course I love to do it with my kids.
Cooking does take some planning. I need to know what I want to make and I need to make sure I have the right tools and ingredients. But it doesn't have to be intricate. I want them to learn to cook for themselves and their families. What better way than to spend years and years cooking real food for our real family?
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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Jenny
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[QUOTE=kingvozzo] When you are rotating through each child having a turn, what are the other littles doing?/QUOTE]
Trying to get in on the action I just shoo them to the counter where they can watch or give them the non creative jobs, like trash or sweep...surprisingly that doesn't even clear them out
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JennGM
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I was discussing this very thing with one of my sisters. She said she always has 3 chairs in the kitchen, as the oldest three are always wanting to help.
My first thought process was to have ds wash dishes as a practical life activity, but also food prep. He wants so much to help.
We have woefully inadequate chairs that "tump" over easily. So I was asking advice for suggestions of safer alternatives. He's a little guy still, so just a little step stool isn't going to work. She suggested a step ladder that she bought from Bed Bath and Beyond. The Learning Tower is magnificent and perfect for what I want, but it's too expensive. 
We also don't have an apron for him. He loves to use the apron, and likes to stay clean, and be "like Mommy" but so far he's only used mine.
I find having him help me in the kitchen requires me to give myself extra time for preparation and patience. Sometimes I'm down to the wire, as I'm trying to plan the meal to be on the table the minute dh walks in the door. Hurrying is not an option when you have a toddler helping. His curiosity overrides his safety net...so I have to have extra eyes and be near him.
And it does seem that he will always want to be at your elbow, so I'll have to think ahead. I have the added stress of making sure no food allergens are around for him to come in contact, but dinner is usually allergy free.
There are a few kid-safe tools I like that. My sister is a Pampered Chef consultant, but I liked their products before she became one. They have some fun tools for children to use in the kitchen, such as their Crinkle Cutter, Food Chopper, Apple Wedger. One of my nieces actually had a Pampered Chef birthday party, everything hands on. Not that you have to buy PC products, but you can see little ways to do hands on that have some safety measures.
I've also brought in ds little table so that he can cut vegetables at his level. He just loved that. We made hamburger stew, with all sorts of veggies. He usually doesn't like "mixed food" but he relished eating it because he remembered the whole process, and retold it every bite.  That's part of the connection with gardening food for the table. But I haven't done it often enough.
I long for the day where I could do the connections like Mary G. talks about...the cake in Thunder Cake, straight out the book. But I must bloom where I'm planted.
Sorry for the long post...short answer, I'm trying to figure this one out for myself, too!
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Meredith
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Dawn, I'm so glad you started this thread, I wish I had more time to peruse all the great links and cookbooks here. I've had to re-vamp my kitchen attitude tremendously so I can just chill out and know that it will all wash up like Elizabeth states so nicely below!
Elizabeth wrote:
Our rotation isn't formal at all. Sometimes it is chaotic, but usually, I can think a step or two ahead and avoid total chaos. I also admit that I have a very high chaos and mess tolerance in the kitchen. It's all washable...
Meal preparation is a "project" in my house, it's just life.I also take great joy in it myself, so that rubs off. I love to do it, so of course I love to do it with my kids.
What better way than to spend years and years cooking real food for our real family?
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I LOVE the idea of the rotation, although being that my older three always want to help with something I try to dish out tasks and make them come out as equal as possible, this can be tricky sometimes
Jenn, I want that tower too, maybe we'll win the lottery and everyone can have their own
Thanks for all the great ideas here!
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MaryM
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FOr anyone looking for children's cookbook ideas (and cooking math fun) this thread from the beginning of the year has a lot.
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JennGM
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MaryM wrote:
| FOr anyone looking for children's cookbook ideas (and cooking math fun) this thread from the beginning of the year has a lot. |
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Yes, thanks, Mary! I meant to dig that up and post it. I just used it to form my decision on a cookbook for a niece's present, recently. I decided on "Honest Pretzels" but I'm waiting to see if it hit a home run yet.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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marihalojen
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marihalojen wrote:
| DD keeps copies of favorite recipes she's tried or wants to try or are from Grandmas or Aunts, and recently recopied them all onto cute recipe cards found at the dollar section in Target. She also picked up the coupon holder and pasted the veggies from the cards over the words "Coupon Holder" to store the recipes in. Really cute in a retro way...and makes for great copywork that is a bit different than poems, bible verses etc... Variety is the spice of life! |
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I went ahead and posted a picture of dd's recipe collection and wrote a bit about cooking with her on our blog last night. So...in an effort to continue conversations here on the forum as well as on individual blogs, I thought I'd share.
Blogs are a great place for pictures and extended musings, don't you think?
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Magnificat
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Hi-
If anyone is interested, I have posted our banana bread recipe on my blog. Enjoy!
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Dawn
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Magnificat wrote:
Hi-
If anyone is interested, I have posted our banana bread recipe on my blog. Enjoy!
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Charlotte, it sounds delicious (and I left a comment saying so ). I love the addition of cream cheese ~ must make it very moist and smooth! Of course the nuts are out for us ~ we're a bunch of "silly eaters" here! Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Which reminds me to go looking for a thread on teatime goodies ...
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4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Topic: Cooking with children
