Kids like to help in the kitchen. Kids enjoy cooking. I think one of my favorite recipes for kids is Dump Cake. This is literally a cake where you dump everything into the baking dish and then bake.
Dump Cake
20 ounces crushed pineapple
16 ounces cherry pie filling
1 package yellow cake mix, dry
1 1/2 sticks butter, sliced
Dump all ingredients into baking pan and bake at 350 F until brown, approximately 1 hour.
Have fun with the kids. Try blueberry or strawberry instead of the cherry pie filling. If you like nuts or coconut, throw some of that in the dish also.
If you prefer a chocolate cake, try a chocolate cake mix instead of the yellow cake mix.
This is such a fun recipe and kids love that they made the cake.
Another of my favorite kid recipes is trail mix. The kids get to make their own trail mix. Buy a bag of nuts, a box of Chex cereal, a bag of chocolate chips, a bag of pretzels, a bag of raisins and any other goodies you want in the trail mix and then get out the snack size Ziplocs. The kids get to make the trail mix and bag it up for lunches and snacks. When they make it, they love eating it. This is a great healthy snack.
Have you ever had a waffle sandwich? Buy some Eggo waffles. Let the kids toast the waffles and then spread peanut butter and jelly on them. You can also let the kids cut up bananas and add them. They love this breakfast sandwich that they can make all by themselves.
Do your kids like burritos? Let them make their own burritos. Set out containers of tomatoes, cheese, olives, chopped chicken and anything else you might have in the fridge. Give the kids tortillas and let them add the ingredients they like and then wrap and eat.
My final suggestion is kabobs. Kids love to make their own kabobs. Chop up some apples, pineapple or melons. Cut some cheese squares and let the kids make their own fruit and cheese kabobs. Use a yellow cheese and a white cheese. Use a red melon and an orange melon. This lets the kids make colorful and delightful kabobs that they’ll enjoy both making and eating.
Audrey Okaneko
When I tell people that my husband and have a blended family of five kids, two boys and three girls, I hear the obvious chuckle and the usual comment that our life is like TV show. They are, of course, referring to The Brady Bunch, an idyllic, fantasy-like sitcom of yesteryear where aside from Marsha getting hit in the nose with a football and Jan developing an allergy to flea powder, life was pretty much tame (and lame if you ask my kids). I do agree that my life is like a TV show, but more along the lines of a modern day reality program, like Survivor. When I see a group of adults bickering over coconut milk dressed in skimpy outfits in front of a roaring fire in the tropics all I can think is, “Big deal, where’s the challenge?” Try taking five cranky, bored, dirty, exhausted kids on a camping trip, in tight quarters, in the rain for five days. Survive that! Better yet, see if you can pack five lunches every morning, cook dinner for seven every night, attend four different soccer games in one day, wash twenty loads of laundry a week and feign interest in your daughter’s story about the weird kid in her class who eats paper.
My life is far from ideal. My dogs smell, my house is never clean all at once and I forget to water my plants until they die and I have to throw them out. We manage. I have my priorities. At least I don’t forget to feed the kids. How could I? They’re always hanging over me begging for food. Then of course there’s the constant juggling of schedules of five children alternating among three separate households. Who left green bunny at Dad’s or their math textbook at Mom’s? It seems like something is always forgotten somewhere. Remembering where five kids have to be all the time is challenge worthy of an NFL offense coordinator. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gritted my teeth at one of my children to “get your cleats on, get in the car, we’re going to be late for soccer!” only to discover I’ve driven to the wrong field and forgotten it was my turn to bring snack. Oh, how I wish my life were like Carol Brady’s. I’d have time to read, and sleep, and eat without interruption. I’D HAVE A MAID. My husband and I would never fight and I could go the bathroom alone. I try to take comfort in the thought that at least I have better hair and I’m not walking around in double knit plaid pantsuits.
Truthfully, I love my life and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. When my first marriage ended in divorce and I reentered the single scene at age 40 I truly thought my days of coupledom were over. With two kids under the age of 9, and struggling to support myself as a single mom, not only did I not have the time for dating, I didn’t have the confidence either. I worried that my children would not accept a new man in my life or worse, that a new man wouldn’t accept them either. Childless men I dated were impatient with or lacked the understanding of the demands and challenges of having children. On the other hand, men with families were in the same predicament I was–no time and no energy. Even though I considered my kids my greatest asset, I was soon confronted with the harsh reality that not all of my dating prospects thought so. Refusing to believe that my children were a liability, or “baggage” as one man put it, I gave up on dating, retreated into myself and worried that I would spend the rest of my life alone. Then I met and fell in love with Paul, a loving father of three and we decided to marry and blend our family of five kids, four cats, three dogs, two fish and a bird. As a newly remarried mother of two and stepmother of three, I’ve decided to start this blog because I feel I have a message of hope and guidance to share with parents and children who are already in or who are thinking about entering into blended families.
When word spread that my husband and I were engaged, people I barely knew, mostly acquaintances from my kids’ schools, would approach me at soccer games or in the grocery store and flood me with questions. “How did you meet him? Does he have kids? How do they all get along? What are the custody arrangements?” The more I answered their questions, the more specific they became. “How do you get them all to school on time? How do you split the holidays? Do you really cook dinner for seven people every night and pack five lunches every morning?” (Yes, I do. Every other week. See my RECIPES FOR FAMILY DINNERS page to learn tips and menu ideas.)
I quickly came to realize that not only did they want advice, they wanted inspiration and assurance that it was possible for them to remarry and blend their families too. One dear friend of mine, once a single mom and recently remarried into a blended family told me, “You are my beacon of hope.” If that is the case, then I will try to shine as bright as I can, and most importantly, tell is like it is. The same friend also told me she admired my honestly. I try to keep it real. I’m ecstatically happy now, but when life stinks, and often times it can, I’ll make sure to let you know. We all have challenges and no one’s life is a bed of roses. Please read and write comments so we can laugh and cry together, gnash our teeth, wring our hands, share our joys and triumphs, and most importantly learn from each other.
We are the Shwanda’s , which is not our real name. It is a combination of our two last names that our kids came up with one day when they were playing a computer game called Sims. The object of the game is to design and build a house and create a family to live happily in it, which is exactly what we did. This is our story.
Note: I know many people who read this blog already know me. With regard to the general public, in the interest of protecting my family’s privacy, I have changed their names. I will refer to my husband as Paul, his oldest son, 17 as Sam, the younger boy, 15 as Mark, and his daughter, 11 as Cheryl. My oldest daughter, 15 will be called, Sophia and my youngest daughter, 12 as Eva. As for me, just call me Carol. This should be very interesting since I can’t remember their names now.
To read my blog go to: www.shwanda.com
Carol Shwanda
http://www.articlesbase.com/parenting-articles/how-one-couple-took-a-second-chance-on-love-and-blended-five-kids-four-cats-three-dogs-two-fish-and-a-bird-722540.html
At last, flash-based cooking games are now on the web!
These games are currently the hottest right now among teens and teens around the world. Even better, most of these games are available for free on the internet, with no registration fees or installations charges. We all can recall those early days of the Internet when people couldn’t imagine entertaining themselves with stuff aside from those that come off the mall shelves, which were really costly anyway. In our case these days, for more details visit to www.300-chicken-recipe.com online games are a breeze to play with. Most children have a positive impression of the creative hustle and bustle of cooking, and only the absence of someone who teaches them correctly can lead the preparation to disaster. There are examples of online games that help your child to imagine in his head his breakfast in a particular organized sequence so that the kids understand and can remember. If kids want the easier levels, then they can learn the preparation of a cheese sandwich in several easy steps, illustrating the ready slices of bread to the grating of the cheese to sprinkling the needed condiments to it. The kids can also help their parents in cooking meals if not preparing the meal.
And all this is part of the game! Cooking games are, with all their rules and code of conduct and behavior, for more details visit to www.cooking-groundbeef.com the best means to inculcating lasting lessons into their minds. For one, the kids could learn facts and important information about the food that they would rather avoid. For example, they could learn about a certain vegetable that turns out to play an important role in a dish that is often eaten by the people he knows. These games are also surefire ways of showing the important role of nutrients in their diet.
You may be curious how to go about how to use online cooking games to help your child to be comfortable with the more mature and demanding real-life cooking game. How? Start cooking in the kitchen while at the same time, your child logs on to the web to play the game. Girls maybe more adept at it than the boys and hence the girls may learn faster. Nevertheless, this doesn’t mean that the guys will be allowed to give up on cooking as a very essential social skill. In any case, these young minds are forever asking questions and they should be supervised on the web to get some creative outputs from them.
On the web, it may help to know that many people actually share on the game forums their culinary ideas and comments about cooking, including recipes. Another smaller caveat is about the language barrier. There is really no worry here, since although these games may turn out to be in Asian languages, they are so informative just the same due to the easy to interpret graphics involved. Check out the latest free cooking downloads of cooking games now!
Khushwant
http://www.articlesbase.com/cooking-tips-articles/how-to-go-about-how-to-use-online-cooking-games-to-help-your-child-721727.html
Blue berry muffins make an excellent treat for your snacks. Light, fluffy and bursting with flavour, these sweets become must-haves for the cravings of the kids. This is enough to keep the playful kids to rest and give you some quite time. While most of the kids content themselves eating and salivating over the delicious goodies, there are also those whose cravings for blue berries do not end with the eating of the muffins. There are kids who also ask their moms to teach them how to do the muffins by themselves. Of course, moms would not allow intruders in her kitchen especially the kids. Instead of having headaches over their limitless pursuance of your teaching for the task, give yourself a break by keeping them busy with cooking games.
You need to things, rest for you and satisfaction for the kids. While you cannot of course teach the kids to do real cooking, you can satisfy their whims by giving them the freedom of cooking blue berry muffins through virtual cooking games. At the same time this will give you also the peace of mind.
Get the kids to prepare the ingredients to make the blue berry muffins with cooking games. They will need all-purpose flour. Baking powder, baking soda, salt, butter, sugar, eggs, yogurt, grated lemon peels and of course, the blue berries.
The virtual kitchen is safe for the kids and you do not need to worry about their safety. Kids get to enjoy on the most part since they are the most involved in the activity. Now let us start baking the blue berry muffins and make a palatable goodie!
Using the wire whisk which can also be found at the cooking games, mix altogether the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt for the muffin mixture. Meanwhile, set aside the powder mix and in a large bowl, beat the eggs, cream butter, sugar, grated lemon peel, blue berries and yogurt. After being able to prepare the mixture, pour in the powder mix to the syrup and mix thoroughly to remove the clumps. This will ensure that you will have smooth tasting blue berry muffins.
Spray olive oil to the muffins before placing it inside the oven. When the muffins turns brown remove from the oven and you already have blue berry muffins! You do not need to worry that you might get burns with the hot tray or the muffins; since the cooking games are virtual you can do the cooking plainly safe and out of trouble.
Cooking games give the kids actual cooking experience on how to cook. While they have unlimited chances to play the game and cook as much as they want, give them the pre-caution that cooking games are different from the actual. Make them the virtual chefs with cooking games online.
Cookie Jeans
With the hustle and bustle that goes on in families these days, it seems that nobody has time for each other anymore. Children are off to school, moms and dads are off to work, then it is soccer practice, piano rehearsals and homework for the kids. With such little time to be together, it is difficult to find time to spend together as a family. The money crunch adds another dimension to lack of family time. Still, when made a priority, family time does not have to be short or expensive. Pick a weekend night and don’t let anyone make other plans for that date. You may even want to pre-schedule similar family time on a monthly or weekly basis.
Prepare a Great Meal Together
Instead of “pizza night” or the typical take-out fare, plan a day that includes everyone taking part in preparing the evening meal. Children like to have choices in what they are given for their meals. Have your kids plan a meal together by offering them several menu items from which to choose. To keep things healthy, you may want to insist they pick something from every category: bread, dairy, vegetable, fruit, protein and the all-important dessert! A great way to cook an easy meal is with a crock pot. Just make sure that everything on the choice list goes well together so when you put the food in the crock pot, you don’t end up with “supper surprise”. Once the plan is laid out, it is time to go shopping.
Kids love to help their mother with the shopping. If your kids range in ages, it is a good idea to send them off in groups of two, with the older children being in charge of the younger. Give them each part of the menu list, making sure your children understand the brands you usually buy. As they come back and put food into the cart, have them add up the cost with a calculator. There is no harm in teaching a lesson in thriftiness and better appreciation for parental budgets while you are having fun.
The prep-time for crock pot cooking is short as all that is needed is for the foods to be cut up and thrown in. Of course, only older children and parents should be handling the chopping and slicing, but smaller children can always get a start on dessert by mixing things up and greasing the pans. This is a great time for kids to learn about herbs and spices and how to use them at appropriate measurements. Don’t worry about teaching too many lessons, though — this isn’t school but a fun family dinner!
While the food simmers in the crock pot, why not spend some time outside at the park or if the weather is bad, inside playing some games? Crock pots are great for preparation and the long cooking time can be used as an excuse to find something entertaining to do. If it has been a while since you were able to do this kind of family day, remember that Mom and Dad need to relax, too!
Jo Thompson
Kids love roller coasters. Moms don’t — well, at least not the ones that take place inside our homes! I’m talking about the “spike and crash” syndrome that describes the rapid ups and downs of children’s blood sugar levels when they eat too much sugar and overly processed carbs, especially on an empty stomach.
Foods that are especially high in sugar — even natural sugar and honey — are known to cause a very quick rise in blood-sugar levels. They are rated high on the “glycemic index” (GI) — a measurement of the effect a food has on one’s blood sugar level. The higher the rating on the index, the more rapid the increase in blood sugar level. The spike doesn’t last very long and is followed by a corresponding fast drop in blood-sugar level. (often it drops even lower than it was before we ate). This is commonly referred to as the “spike and crash syndrome.”
Children seem especially susceptible to this phenomenon. After they eat the kid-favorite jelly beans (the ultimate sugar spike), particularly when it’s on an empty stomach, parents notice them acting as if they’ve had four cups of coffee. They’re bouncing off the walls and then, in a predictable amount of time, they crash — growing sleepy, lethargic, and cranky. The reason is that refined sugars (or carbs) raise blood-glucose levels too quickly, causing a surge of insulin, which soon removes even more sugar than when the person started; the loss of sugar is what makes him feel lethargic. For people who are particularly sensitive, the crash may be accompanied by shakiness, irritability, fogginess, and a feeling of intense hunger even though they just ate an hour ago. Almost all packaged snack foods and cereals that are marketed to kids today have this effect on them.
Examples of slower-burning carbs (those with a low GI) are high-fiber foods such as whole grain breads and crackers, vegetables, beans, legumes, brown rice, oats, and whole grain pasta. These high-fiber foods not only add nutrients, but they also contribute to the feeling of being full, which prevents children from overeating. Including low-GI foods in recipes keeps the blood sugar levels balanced, reduces subsequent cravings for more sugar and the snacks that contain it, helps manage weight, and has a positive influence on moods and concentration, among other things.
We need to get kids to eat these low GI, slow-burning foods more often, and at the right times (along with the high GI snacks, for example). That’s just what the recipes below do, yet none of these sneaky additions are obvious. When your kids eat a Sneaky Chef Corn Muffin (below), all they know is that it’s delicious. They stay satisfied longer than if they’d eaten a donut or candy bar, have more sustained energy, feel happier overall, and don’t crave as much junk food. Your little muffins won’t realize that the muffins they ate had enough fiber from the hidden vegetables, wheat germ and stone ground flour to stabilize their blood-sugar levels. They have no idea why the Sneaky Chef Chocolate Chip Cookie was so gratifying to eat. After all, it tasted just like any other chocolate chip cookie, so they couldn’t possibly guess that it contained pureed white beans, whole grains, and half the sugar. The only one who knows these little secrets is you (and their healthier bodies).
As “The Sneaky Chef,” I’m known for coming up with simple solutions that we can use right now, without radically changing our lives, but that make families healthier without a struggle. I live in the real world where kids eat sugar, junk food, and pizza, but I’ve found ways to boost all their foods with extra nutrition and help offset any ill effects of a less-than-ideal diet.
So here are 7 simple ways to prevent the sugar “spike and crash” syndrome and give your child lasting energy:
1. Sneak vegetables into high-carb foods — these low-GI veggies add not only important nutrients, but lots of fiber that helps slow down the sugar rush. For example, hide pureed cauliflower and zucchini in corn muffins (see muffin recipe below).
2. Sneak whole grains into high-carb foods — the high fiber grains not only slow the sugar rush, but help make kids feel satisfied so they won’t be as likely to overeat. For example, mix wheat germ and whole wheat flour with white flour for homemade baked goods (see cookie recipes below).
3. Sneak beans into high-carb foods — low GI beans add not only important nutrients, but lots of fiber that helps slow down the sugar rush. For example, hide pureed white beans in homemade chocolate chip cookies (see recipe below).
4. Make snacks into “mini-meals” — instead of giving kids a “snack” of high-GI carbs alone (like potato chips, most cereal bars, even most fruits), make it a “mini-meal” and pair that fast-burning carb with some good fat and protein like a cheese stick, slice of turkey breast, or a handful of almonds to help slow the sugar rush.
5. Avoid high sugar foods before going to bed — this can cause the child to wake-up already in a sugar low and on the way to a downward spiral. If you’re going to have the classic bedtime cookies and milk, make it the Sneaky Chef’s high-fiber, low-sugar cookies below.
6. Start the day with fiber and protein — this is far more important than a glass of juice which has too high a sugar count. A whole grain breakfast of old-fashioned oatmeal with almonds (grind them up to hide them, if necessary) will hold a kid way longer than orange juice and a bagel. So will a slice of cheese melted on a whole grain English muffin. For a fast, “grab and go” breakfast loaded with whole grains and protein, try the recipe for Breakfast Cookies and Milk below.
7. Sprinkle cinnamon on cereal, desserts, and juice — One of the easiest ways to balance your blood sugar for the day is to add a sprinkling of cinnamon in oatmeal, hot cocoa, chocolate milk, apple juice, or cereal. Cinnamon has been found to be one of the most effective ways to balance blood sugar levels and prevent the “spike and crash.”
Recipes:
Breakfast Cookies
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Corn Muffins
Sneaky Chef’s Breakfast Cookies:
Makes 16 to 18 large cookies
2 cups whole grain cereal flakes (such as Wheaties or Total)
¾ cup Flour Blend (¼ cup white flour, ¼ cup whole wheat flour, and ¼ cup wheat germ)
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 large egg
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup canola oil
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¾ cup low-fat ricotta cheese
Cinnamon sugar for dusting
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or spray with oil).
Using a rolling pin, gently crush the cereal (in a sealed plastic bag) into coarsely crushed flakes. Alternatively, you can quickly pulse the cereal in a food processor.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together Flour Blend, crushed cereal, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. In another bowl, whisk together egg, sugar, oil, vanilla, and ricotta cheese. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix just enough to moisten dry ingredients. Drop single tablespoonfuls onto the baking sheets, leaving about an inch between cookies. Flatten cookies with the back of a fork and then sprinkle tops generously with cinnamon sugar (or just sugar if your kids don’t like the cinnamon flavor). Bake about 18 to 20 minutes, or until nicely browned and crispy around the edges.
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Sneaky Chef’s Chocolate Chip Cookies:
Makes about 50 two-bite cookies
1 cup Flour Blend (⅓ cup white flour, ⅓ cup whole wheat flour, and ⅓ cup wheat germ)
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup rolled oats, finely ground in a food processor
2 tablespoons blanched, slivered almonds, finely ground in a food processor (omit if allergic)
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ cup White Bean Puree* (see Make-Ahead Recipe below)
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove butter from refrigerator to let soften.
In a large bowl, whisk together Flour Blend, baking soda, salt, ground oats, and ground almonds (optional). Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and both sugars until creamy. Beat in egg, vanilla, and White Bean Puree. Add dry ingredients and mix on low speed. Stir in chocolate chips. Make two-bite cookies by dropping rounded half-teaspoonfuls, spaced 2 inches apart, onto nonstick or parchment-lined baking sheets.
Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool on a metal rack.
Store cookies in airtight container at room temperature.
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*Sneaky Chef’s Make Ahead Recipe — White Bean Puree:
1 15-ounce can white beans (great northern, navy, butter or cannellini)
1 to 2 tablespoons water
Rinse and drain the beans and put in the bowl of your food processor. Pulsing in on/off turns, puree the drained beans with just 1 tablespoon of water in processor until smooth, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl. The goal is a smooth, but not wet, puree. (You are aiming for the consistency of peanut butter.) If necessary, thin with a little more water by one teaspoonful at a time until there are no flecks of whole beans visible.
Store in the refrigerator up to 3 days, or freeze ¼ cup portions in sealed plastic bags or small plastic containers. Makes about 1 cup of puree.
Double this recipe if you want to store another cup of puree.
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Sneaky Chef’s Corn Muffins:
Makes 6 large muffins (or 12 mini-muffins)
½ cup Flour Blend (3 tablespoons white flour, 3 tablespoons whole wheat flour, and 2 tablespoons wheat germ)
½ cup yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup canola oil
½ cup White Puree* (See Make-Ahead Recipe below)
½ cup fresh or frozen corn kernels, pureed
Optional toppings: ¼ cup chocolate chips or ¼ cup shredded low-fat cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin tin with paper liners.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the Flour Blend, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until well combined, then whisk in the oil, White Puree, and pureed corn. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until flour is just moistened (don’t over-mix or the muffins will be dense).
Scoop the batter into muffin tins, filling just over the top. If you’re using mini muffin cups, scale back quantities to fit into the smaller sized cups. Top with a few chocolate chips, or sprinkle with shredded cheese, and bake for 22 to 24 minutes until tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
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*Sneaky Chef’s Make-Ahead Recipe — White Puree:
2 cups cauliflower, cut into florets
2 small to medium zucchini, peeled and rough chopped
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1-2 tablespoons water, if necessary
Steam cauliflower in a vegetable steamer over 2 inches of water, using a tightly-covered pot, for about 10 to 12 minutes until very tender. Alternatively, place cauliflower in a microwave-safe bowl, cover with water, and microwave on high for 8 to 10 minutes until very tender.
While waiting for the cauliflower to finish steaming, start to pulse the raw peeled zucchini with the lemon juice only (no water at this point). Drain the cooked cauliflower. Working in batches if necessary, add it to the pulsed zucchini in the bowl of the food processor with one tablespoon of water. Puree on high until smooth. Stop occasionally and push contents from the top to the bottom. If necessary, use the second tablespoon of water to make a smooth (but not wet) puree.
Makes about 2 cups of puree. Double recipe if you want to store even more, which can be done in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze ¼ cup portions in sealed plastic bags or the small plastic containers.
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© Missy Chase Lapine, all rights reserved.
Missy Chase Lapine
http://www.articlesbase.com/parenting-articles/how-to-avoid-kids-blood-sugar-spike-and-crash-130410.html
Most of us think that kids and cooking school does not suit together but the truth is very much different from this thinking. All of us are aware of the fact that children are good at learning. They learn quickly how to create and design then why not opt for cooking. The best part is that childhood is the time which is most suitable to learn cooking.
Kids and cooking schools can go together easily. Many schools undertake this responsibility to teach kids and parents the art of cooking. You can also teach the same to them at home. If you feel that it is difficult to do so, then let them attend cooking school courses from local schools near to your place. For several reasons, this could be an ideal arrangement.
Now the question arises of what kids should cook. There are various reasons for which kids and cooking schools work. Some of the reasons on why you should invest your time or money in teaching children cooking is as follows:
1) If your kid wants to become a professional chef, then it would be a boost for his or her morale and career to enrol him or her in a cooking school. Kids always love such arrangement. Some may become baker one day or a next restaurateur who would rule the world by his or her taste. By letting the kids to explore their interest you would help them work for their future.
2) Art of cooking would help chidren develop life skills that would be beneficial for them all over the life. It would help them to take proper care of themselves even after they leave nest. Such children would not have to suffice on junk meals as they can prepare healthy snacks and meals for themselves.
3) Cooking helps to teach kids responsibility, eating healthy food and learn about the foods. In long haul, the knowledge about the food they consume makes them aware of what they are intaking in their bodies and helps them to control their diet. It also helps them to teach food safety, kitchen safety tips and how to manage their money if they had to purchase vegetables or other types of food.
These are only some of the many reasons for which you should teach your kids the art of cooking. Various opportunities are there if you are looking for a cooking school. You may opt for professional culinary arts schools or community colleges for people of any age group.
Moreover, if your child is capable of prepairing his food then he or she can try various new foods. Kids would love to eat this healthy diet they have cooked.
Abhishek Agarwal
http://www.articlesbase.com/cooking-tips-articles/3-benefits-of-teaching-your-child-to-cook-708676.html
Everything revolves around the kitchen. People are naturally drawn to this room of the house and kids are no exception. Whether its watching a parent or adult role model cook or getting the opportunity to help prepare a meal, children welcome the opportunity to be in the kitchen where the action is.
Teaching and allowing little ones to cook and help prepare meals is a great way to help them develop an appreciation for a variety of foods and tastes. Kids are more apt to eat what they have been allowed to help prepare. So if you have the time, and in some cases the patience, you should take the time to show your little ones how to cook. And just think, the day will come when you will be invited to their house for a meal. By creating a solid foundation as a child, you will be assured of a great meal. Until then, find some time to show your little ones the fundamentals of cooking, no matter how simple the meal or dish is.
These no bake quick recipes for kids will provide them some scrumptious desserts and healthy treats. The kids will have fun and you can relax while the kids have fun preparing their own treats.
No Bake Peanut Butter Balls
Ingredients:
*1/2 cup peanut butter
*1/2 cup honey
*1 cup crushed corn flakes cereal
*2 tablespoons powdered milk
*Set corn flakes aside.
*Mix all other ingredients well.
*Roll into balls.
*Then roll again in Cornflakes until covered.
*Refrigerate leftovers!!
Great with milk
Waffle Sandwich
Kids can make their own breakfasts and snacks. They can even experiment to create their own designer sandwich.
Ingredients:
*Two waffles – frozen or homemade
*Peanut butter
*Jelly
*Marshmallow spread
* Bananas,
*Chocolate chips
*Honey
*Dried fruit…
Spread peanut butter on one waffle, jelly on the other and make a sandwich — it’s that easy. Set out all the ingredients so the kids can experiment with several combinations to create a one-of-a-kind creation.
No-Bake Yogurt Pie
Ingredients:
*1 9″ graham cracker crust shell
*1 8oz. container of orange flavored yogurt
*1 C. thawed whipped non-dairy topping
*1/2 C. canned mandarin orange slices – drained and
broken into pieces
Instructions:
1.Combine yogurt and whipped topping together in a bowl and stir with a spoon.
2.Add mandarin orange slice and stir.
3. Spoon into the pie shell.
4. Cover with plastic
5. Wrap and chill.
You can freeze this pie and thaw slightly before serving.
Appetizers and Snacks
Vegetable Dippers
Ingredients:
*Bowl of carrots,
*Celery, cucumbers and
*Cherry tomatoes
Instructions:
1. Mix a 16oz. container of light sour cream with dry soup mixes like tomato, vegetable or onion.
2. Allow the dip to blend over night or mix it up in the morning.
Cream Cheese Dip
Ingredients:
*1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese with chives
*1 (5 ounce) container sharp processed cheese food.
Fruit Dips-1
Ingredients:
*2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
*1 cup brown sugar
*2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Fruit Dip -2
Ingredients:
*Cream cheese
*Crushed pineapple
Instructions:
1. Combine cream cheese and crushed pineapple
2. Stir until you reach the desired taste and consistency.
Christine Steendahl
http://www.articlesbase.com/cooking-tips-articles/cooking-kids-698589.html
Getting the older kids cooking healthy snacks that are simple will help keep them occupied and train them into healthy habits. Young children always want to help out in the kitchen and letting them mix, measure and chop – with a plastic knife – will help develop their hand-eye coordination and their maths skills. Easy recipes for kids can be no-cook meals such as fresh fruit salad and coleslaw. As they get older they will be able to cope with simple meals.
When children are interested in cooking it improves their palate and teaches them healthy habits as they experiment with different recipes. Then when they leave home for uni or wherever, they won’t be so reliant on junk food to survive. Getting the older kids cooking healthy snacks that are simple will help keep them occupied and train them into healthy habits. Young children always want to help out in the kitchen and letting them mix, measure and chop – with a plastic knife – will help develop their hand-eye coordination and their maths skills. Easy recipes for kids can be no-cook meals such as fresh fruit salad and coleslaw. As they get older they will be able to cope with simple meals. Taking children to a farmers market will expose them to a variety of fresh and nutritious foods; letting them grow their own will provide variety too.
When children are used to helping out in the kitchen it gives them a sense of responsibility and makes them feel more confident. Cooking together strengthens family bonds and may even lead your child into a career in cooking that can take them to many different countries. Better still, cooking together can be great fun.
Melanie Click
http://www.articlesbase.com/cooking-tips-articles/getting-kids-interested-in-cooking-569235.html
Cooking is the act of making food for eating, and it consists of a wide range of techniques and methods; mish mashing of different ingredients which adds flavor or digestibility to the food and some other tools as well. For more detail go to: www.cat-head-biscuit.com.Or else it can be said that cooking is the process of blending of ingredients, measuring and selecting of ingredients in order to get the desired results. Cooking can add taste to any and almost every type of eatable food items. There are some of the best ways that are mainly used to cook food which are roasting, frying, baking, boiling, steaming, micro waving and many more at the same time preserving all the nutrients of the food like proteins, fat, liquids, and carbohydrates.
However, healthy cooking can be really a fun filled activity but can be annoying too for the working people but there is nothing to panic about, as there are some easy, fast and simple ways to cook food while maintaining all the health benefits simultaneously. In any case it should be kept in mind the type of food you are cooking and eating, as you can be surprised from the fact that eating more than a normal portion at meal intervals, could actually cause unwanted weight gain and other related health problems.
To divest this problem try to cut down the amount of food you eat, regardless of the type of food it is to minimize the intake of unwanted fats and calories. For more detail go to: www.july4-recipes.com. However, while cooking the food always remember the way you cook the food, whether you grill it or fry it make sure which kind of fats and oils you use to cook. If possible always try to avoid use of oils and high calorie fats for cooking as these are certainly unhealthy ingredients and may give room to some unnecessary problems. Especially, if you are cooking meat, always try to roast or grill it rather than frying, and if you have to fry it, than cook it with a very small quantity of sunflower oil, or some other low calorie oils which are available in the market.
Alternatively, in place of oil a little bit of low fat margarine can be used which is a healthy option for cooking. Apart the types of oils you use to cook food, make sure the vegetables and the other ingredients should be fresh and are not preserved from long as it may spoil the taste and the freshness of the food plus can be sometimes really very harmful and difficult to digest.
In addition to the dos and don’ts of cooking, and if cooking alone bores you, other family members as well can partake in cooking. As cooking not always involve using stove or oven, preparing sauces, sandwiches, and salads are also a part of cooking and making simple healthy snacks are a great way to cook with kids. And kids will really enjoy eating these items not just because of their taste because they too had a hand in cooking it. On the other hand cooking can teach all about the ingredients, the proper nutrition, and eating in moderate quantity.
bhawanpreet singh
http://www.articlesbase.com/recipes-articles/cooking-and-making-simple-healthy-snacks-are-a-great-way-to-cook-with-kids-709528.html