Kids In The Kitchen

posted October 12, 2009
  by Pamela Chester, Kiddie Chow

Children can get so much out of learning how to cook and being involved in cooking projects. Not only will they gain a new appreciation for what’s on their plate, the process of cooking teaches so many basic concepts, from math and fractions to reading, teamwork, and following step by step directions. The kitchen may be somewhat messier for it, but learning about food can help children develop a lifetime of healthy eating habits. Not to mention, it can be a lot of fun!

For several years I was the leader on a project for a volunteer organization in which I developed and taught a children’s cooking program at a local community center. The age range of the children was between eight and ten, and this group was especially fun to work with. The kids were old enough to be open to new ideas and able to perform a lot of the necessary prep work, and very cooperative in learning new skills. They even worked hard at getting the cleanup done on time. Plus the kids loved trying their homemade creations and I loved watching their excitement grow each week as they tried new foods.

We had a good number of volunteers come so children could be supervised one on one when using a knife or attending the stove. It is nice for children to learn knife skills or how to cook on a stove but always keep an eye to safety and only let them do so if they are going to be completely supervised.

It’s enjoyable to teach kids to cook at any age. In fact I have my just about two year old son pull up a chair and stand at the counter to watch when I make simple recipes (he is a climbing pro but I do still have to keep a close eye on him). I give him his own bowl and a whisk and he loves it. His absolute favorite thing to see is the cracking of a fresh egg. As a busy adult, it really helps you appreciate the simple things in life to see the wonder that simple kitchen tasks can inspire. Another easy way to have the littlest apprentice chef help in the kitchen is with washing and sorting fruits and vegetables.

You can get started with easy recipes that are family favorites and move on to more challenging ideas. Brunch is a good menu to begin with and a nice way to spend a relaxing weekend morning as a family. Kids love to see the end result of a homemade batter in pancakes, waffles or breakfast breads like muffins. A nice healthy addition is a mixed fruit salad that all family members can take part in helping to create.

A simple brunch recipe for some lovely seasonal pumpkin pancakes is below. You can pour them onto the griddle in pumpkin shapes and serve with pumpkin butter if you really want to go with the pumpkin theme. I encourage you to experiment and come up with your own family favorites to cook together. Let me know if you have any recipes or cooking ideas you would like to share.

So get cooking with your kids, and you might discover a whole range of creative new possibilities!


Pumpkin Pancakes Recipe
http://www.cdkitchen.com/


Serves/Makes: 8 pancakes
Ready in: < 30 minutes

* 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
* 2 tablespoons sugar
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
* 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
* 1 cup milk
* 8 tablespoons canned pumpkin puree
* 2 tablespoons melted butter
* 1 egg

Whisk dry ingredients together.

In a separate bowl, stir together milk, pumpkin puree, melted butter and egg.

Fold wet mixture into dry ingredients.

Melt some butter in a skillet over medium heat

Pour in 1/4 cup batter for each pancake.

Cook pancakes about 3 minutes per side; serve with butter and syrup.

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