Cooking with kids- Health and safety in the kitchen

This week I teach a class for parents and kids concerning cooking with kids. I love to bring my kids into the kitchen with me so they can try new things and have new experiences. I often find myself getting frustrated with the mess and their whimsical ways in the kitchen. So lately I have been thinking about how I can make it more fun in the kitchen.

I decided that I would divide my kids up (Jackson- age 5) and Olivia (age 2) into stations. After granting each one a special name as Sir and Madame Sous Chef I send them on their way of small, defined tasks. I also decided that I needed to have them help lead the way a little bit more. By asking them what was the next ingredient or by allowing them to make the next step they seemed more excited about cooking and the end product.

While doing research about cooking with kids I ran across a fun article written in the Vancouver Sun  that listed the top 10 kids cookbooks. I really liked the list and wanted to share the article with you. Click here to see the article. I think my favorite cookbook that was listed was Roald Dahl's Revolting Recipes by Felicity Dahl! I will have to invest in this one soon.

For other fun and interesting activities visit: Nourish Interactive. This educational and fun website is a great place to go when you need more nutrition education that is fun for kids.

If you are in South Florida this Friday make sure and stop by the School House Museum for the Munch and Move series on Cooking with Kids. We are going to read a book about cooking in the kitchen, sort through healthy and not so healthy food choices, make our own pizza dough and chef hats and then of course make a healthy snack (this week it is a fruit pizza) !

Visit our website for more fun activities: www.ABCDEatRight.com