Guest Post- Cooking with kids By Palamity, LLC

Cooking with children can be a very rewarding experience in many ways. It can teach little ones very useful and valuable lessons in the kitchen, and it is a true bonding experience, one that might not always be felt in the moment. But without a doubt, it is one that is creating memories that will linger in your child’s mind well into adulthood.

~Palamity, LLC

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Cooking with kids is something that you either embrace or totally shy away from. In our minds we imagine it to be this wonderful bonding time with our kids, filled with laughter and collaboration to create something special together in the kitchen. The reality, though, might look a little bit different; a messy kitchen, mom telling little kids to wait for directions, ingredients being dropped on the floor, stressing over things not getting done properly, or the potential of someone getting hurt.  The majority of time, it may end up being something that we do not look forward to repeating in the near future.
Yes, cooking with children will be messy and a little crazy, but with a little planning we can definitely control how stressful it ends up being for the adult in charge. Cooking with children can be a very rewarding experience in many ways. It can teach little ones very useful and valuable lessons in the kitchen, and it is a true bonding experience, one that might not always be felt in the moment. But without a doubt, it is one that is creating memories that will linger in your child’s mind well into adulthood.

photo credit: Palamity, LLC

Our kids enjoy helping in the kitchen, and they benefit by learning an array of lessons from getting involved in this activity.  Lessons can range from enhancing fine motor skills and teaching kids practical life lessons in reading, math, and organizational skills. It’s also a way for them to work on their creativity and independence. We like to give them input on what they want to cook so they have a voice, but it is also important to include them in the process of cleaning up, so they can see and practice the cooking process in its entirety.  Cooking together gives you the perfect opportunity to remind your kids about the importance of hand washing and good hygiene when dealing with food.

Below we compiled a list of some skills that kids from different ages can learn from being involved in cooking activities.
Preschool aged kids:

• Learn fine motor skills by 
  • sorting ingredients
  • mixing 
  • portioning
  • peeling​

Elementary school aged:

• Practice reading the recipe
• Practice math by counting measured ingredients by cups, teaspoon, tablespoons
• Basic science lessons
• Practice fine motor skills 
  • cracking eggs
  • cutting/slicing (you can buy kids knives to help practice knife skills)
  • peeling
  • measuring

Middle to High School aged:

• Math lessons - Work on fractions by doubling or halving a recipe; proper measuring/weighing techniques; learning how to work with the metric system
• Understanding cooking terms
• Learning food science

The benefits of involving your kids in cooking activities far outweigh the stress. With a little bit of planning and a few helpful tips and tricks, you will be able to enjoy the process as much as your littles ones do.
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• Don’t plan on cooking with children on a busy weekday. Plan for a weekend day instead, when you will have time to prepare the ingredients and clean up the mess without the stress of dinner or bedtime routine.
• Cooking with kids is messy, so embrace the mess. Kids are learning throughout the whole process. If they drop an egg and it cracks on the kitchen floor, make sure to assure them that accidents happen and to involve them in cleaning the mess with you.
• Depending on the age of your children you might want to prep some of the ingredients ahead of time to save yourself some time and potential frustrations. If you are baking something with a toddler, either have the pre-measured ingredients ready for your child to just incorporate and help you with the mixing, or alternatively, have the measuring tools and the ingredients at the ready for your child to help measure the ingredients.

Below is an easy recipe to get you started  - Happy Cooking!

photo credit: Palamity, LLC

Kid’s Choice 2 Egg Omelet
(Serves 4; Ready in 45 minutes)

8 eggs
4 teaspoons milk
1 cup cheese, shredded
1 cup ham, cooked and diced
1 cup spinach, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, diced
1 tomato, diced
1 bell pepper (any color), seeded and diced
Salt & pepper to taste
4 teaspoons olive oil

Start by chopping all the veggies and ham, and shredding the cheese. Arrange the toppings (ham, cheese, vegetables) in small, individual bowls, so they are ready to add to the omelet. In a small bowl, beat 2 eggs with 1 teaspoon of milk, and a pinch of salt and pepper until the yolks and whites are thoroughly combined.

Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the beaten egg mixture to the skillet, making sure the egg spreads out in one even layer across the pan. Sprinkle ¼ of the meat, cheese, and veggies onto the omelet. Let the omelet cook for 2-3 minutes or until the edges are cooked and the center is slightly set. Fold the omelet in half and cook for another minute or until cooked through. Sprinkle cheese on top, if desired, and serve immediately.

Using the steps above, continue with the remaining ingredients to make 3 more omelets. Enjoy!

Note: Sauté veggies ahead of time for a softer consistency.
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