Cooking with children is one of the most delightful experiences of being a family cook. Their enjoyment of creating something from nothings never dulls, likewise the mess never ends and can be found hidden away in corners of your kitchen days later.
Introducing children to food at an early age not only encourages them to try new flavors it gives them kitchen skills and teaches them to appreciate good food….if not the person who makes it on a regular basis.
Turning your kitchen into a min-chef school does not mean you need to have chef skills yourself, but it does mean that you need patience, time and a tolerance for mess. This month I turned my kitchen into a mini-chef school with a few ingredients, a handful of simple recipes and a large stock of kitchen towels.
Mini-Chef Supply List:
Ready-made piecrust & pizza dough: A staple in our home, perfect for making jam tarts, pies, pizza and cheese sticks. You can always make your dough fresh if time is on your side, but having it on hand in ready made form means that you can start cooking with little or no notice.
Seasonal fresh fruit: The sky is the limit with fresh fruit; try making smoothies, pies, tarts, frozen fruit pops, or even a fruit salad. Stick with what they know and love, and always try to introduce something new to keep expanding their taste buds.
All-purpose flour: When working with pastry, having a heavy dose of flour on hand keeps everything moving along without the added disappointment of their creations sticking to the counter.
Tomato Sauce & Mozzarella Cheese: Everything you need for the freshest pizza in town.
Powdered sugar: Everything tastes better sprinkled with sugar. It also makes the best icing for those fresh from the oven cakes.
A box of cake mix: If you are pressed for time or prefer your children to avoid cooking with eggs, this is the perfect pantry stable for young bakers.
Juice and tonic water: With these 2 ingredients, every mocktail is within reach, especially when you garnish with fresh or frozen fruit.
Mini-Chef Tool List:
- Rolling Pin
- Cooking Cutters
- Spatulas
- Kitchen Towels
- Child safe cutting knives
- Plastic mixing bowls
- Popsicle sticks