5 Free Recipes to Empower Your Kids In the Kitchen December 25, 2018 By Bekki 9 Comments This content may contain affiliate links.Inside: Teaching kids to cook the easy way, {5 free recipes- Printable}, and Cooking Camp for Kids Mama, Picture this. Onions being diced by an 11-year-old. Broccoli being steamed by a 13-year-old. A mouth-watering, oh my goodness I cannot believe he just made that, sauce being whipped up by an 18-year-old. All to the soundtrack to your favorite movie playing in the background. Recently, I had minor surgery on my foot that has required me to be off my feet for about three months. Three painfully slow months of no standing, no driving, no walking. And you guessed it, no cooking. Did you know you need to stand to cook? My husband wisely decided that each of our five boys would take over one meal each week to help feed our wonderful family. Yes, he’s a brilliant man! Cooking Camp was born! So far, the results have been outstanding. Last night’s dinner was the best version of Chicken Divan I have ever eaten. I am still dreaming about it. Related: Old Schoolhouse Review The best part is that it was made by our 18-year-old. Kids love to cook. My oldest son began his cooking debut when he was about three-years-old. He had decided to make eggs on his own. Imagine his surprise to find his scowling mama frozen in her tracks as she looked upon a dozen broken eggs just outside the refrigerator door. The boys have come a long way. We have made it a goal to teach the kids to cook. They love to be helpful in the kitchen and find great joy in making new dishes. 5 and a Half Great Reasons to Teach Kids to Cook Children who cook become children who taste, and sometimes eat. Children who cook say “I can,” not “I can’t.” Cooking is a way to talk about health. Cooking is a way to talk about healthy ingredients. Cooking brings cooks of all ages closer. Half reason: There is little as satisfying as knowing your child will be able to cook for themselves when they grow up, spread their wings and fly. {Printable} 5 Free Recipes to Empower Your Kids in the Kitchen Here’s a Secret Cooking with your kids really isn’t about making a meal. It’s about building lasting relationships, teamwork, responsibility, diligence, and fun. When you coach your kids in the kitchen, keep it fun and safe. When Kids are young, it’s best to be right by their side as they work in the kitchen. You will never forget the memories you make in the kitchen, so make them count! Enter Cooking Camp Thanks to my husband’s brilliance, I immediately saw and tasted the benefit of having children who could manage a kitchen. My boys are older and had already had practice, but this raises awesome to a whole new level. Matha Stewart agrees that there are skills that every adult should master before they are 30. Why wait? Included in Cooking Camp: everything from name tags to knife skills, certificates of accomplishment and mouth-watering recipes, crafts, how to present food as gifts and so much more! Teaching kids to cook is as wonderful as learning that chocolate is a good source of energy and a glass of red wine is as good for you as an hour of exercise. (That’s a true fact) Tools to make Cooking with Kids Spectacular: Cooking Camp for Kids, as seen in The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Cooking Camp for Kids “Uniforms”- Apron and Hat set This hat/Apron Set comes with mitts Safe Cooking Tools and Equipment- Commercial (inexpensive) oven mitts, Little helper stool (best) (How I wish I had this when my kids were little!!!) Little helper step stool (good), Safe knives for littles Cookbooks Designed with Kids in Mind Cookbooks for Kids Remember: Kitchen tool sets, aprons, and cookbooks make great gifts sets. But don’t forget the secret ingredient: YOUR Smile and company!
David Stephens says September 27, 2016 at 10:08 pm Great post looking forward to reading more from you, 🙂 Reply
Eileen Burns says March 29, 2018 at 11:51 pm So true its sad how many teenagers and adults can’t make the simplest of meals Reply
Bekki says March 30, 2018 at 6:33 am I know! My husband and I want to empower our kids to know how to do all the basics: cook, clean, manage a budget, run a schedule, chop wood… you know- basics:) Reply
Annette V says December 1, 2018 at 6:39 pm I find cooking with kids fun. It’s a great thing to do and a good skills to perpetuate. 🙂 Reply
[…] After a long day, the last thing I want to do is figure out what to feed us. We also have taught our kids to cook. Each son is executive chef for a certain day of the […] Reply
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