Cooking for Kids, With Kids
The big day is coming up: the day you send your baby off to college. You've taught him, cleaned up after him, and most importantly, cooked for him. You don't want him to starve -- how will he ever get along without you?
Luckily, you're jumping the gun a bit. The big day is actually still about 10 years away, so you have plenty of time to prepare him for the days and nights of fending for himself -- really just filler for when you're not overnighting him your homemade macaroni and cheese or those oatmeal raisin chocolate chip cookies he loves so much.
Of course, it might just be easier to teach him how to make all that great food himself. Which you will, in due time, but for now you don't want to overwhelm him, so try starting out with some easy kids' recipes. It might not seem like it, but by showing him how to make his own meals, even super simple ones, you'll be instilling in him a sense of independence and self-sufficiency that will serve him well as he grows older.
A lot of people dread cooking with kids in the kitchen, but by keeping yours involved in the process and showing him how easy it is, it'll be a treat for both of you. Start by introducing him to some basic and fun breakfast recipes.
Recipe #1: Bacon, egg and cheese pita pocket. You'll need:
2 eggs; 2 pieces of bacon; 1 slice of cheese; 1 piece of pita bread
First, toast the pita, then let the cheese melt onto it. Cut up the bacon and cook in a pre-heated frying pan for about 2 minutes. When it's done set it aside, and then scramble the eggs. Stir them together, spread over the pita, fold and enjoy!
Tip: You can also add some cut up tomatoes or peppers for a healthier meal.
Recipe #2: Yogurt parfait. You'll need:
A large glass (the size of the glass will determine how much of each ingredient you'll need); Yogurt of choice; Granola or cereal; Cut up fruit (strawberries and blueberries are recommended)
Alternate pouring layers of each ingredient in the glass. Use thinner layers of the yogurt, as it's denser and heavier than the rest.
Tip: Sprinkle some chocolate chips in with the granola, if it doesn't already include them, or cereal for a special treat!
Recipe #3: Crpes! You'll need:
1/3 cup of milk; 1 egg; 1 tbsp. sugar; 3 tbsp. flour; 1 tbsp. butter
This one's a little more involved, but still fun. Stir everything together but the butter. Melt the butter, then add it to the mixture. Pour half of the batter into a pre-heated frying pan, and flip when the edges are cooked. The best part about a crpe is that you can fill it with whatever your child wants, like peanut butter and jelly, Nutella, or eggs and sausage.
Need some more cooking ideas for kids? You can search online and find tons of easy kids' recipes -- there are thousands of resources -- or better yet, go straight to the source and ask your child what he wants to eat. Grilled peanut butter and pickle sandwiches might sound gross to you, but that's the palate of a kid -- go figure!
Luckily, you're jumping the gun a bit. The big day is actually still about 10 years away, so you have plenty of time to prepare him for the days and nights of fending for himself -- really just filler for when you're not overnighting him your homemade macaroni and cheese or those oatmeal raisin chocolate chip cookies he loves so much.
Of course, it might just be easier to teach him how to make all that great food himself. Which you will, in due time, but for now you don't want to overwhelm him, so try starting out with some easy kids' recipes. It might not seem like it, but by showing him how to make his own meals, even super simple ones, you'll be instilling in him a sense of independence and self-sufficiency that will serve him well as he grows older.
A lot of people dread cooking with kids in the kitchen, but by keeping yours involved in the process and showing him how easy it is, it'll be a treat for both of you. Start by introducing him to some basic and fun breakfast recipes.
Recipe #1: Bacon, egg and cheese pita pocket. You'll need:
2 eggs; 2 pieces of bacon; 1 slice of cheese; 1 piece of pita bread
First, toast the pita, then let the cheese melt onto it. Cut up the bacon and cook in a pre-heated frying pan for about 2 minutes. When it's done set it aside, and then scramble the eggs. Stir them together, spread over the pita, fold and enjoy!
Tip: You can also add some cut up tomatoes or peppers for a healthier meal.
Recipe #2: Yogurt parfait. You'll need:
A large glass (the size of the glass will determine how much of each ingredient you'll need); Yogurt of choice; Granola or cereal; Cut up fruit (strawberries and blueberries are recommended)
Alternate pouring layers of each ingredient in the glass. Use thinner layers of the yogurt, as it's denser and heavier than the rest.
Tip: Sprinkle some chocolate chips in with the granola, if it doesn't already include them, or cereal for a special treat!
Recipe #3: Crpes! You'll need:
1/3 cup of milk; 1 egg; 1 tbsp. sugar; 3 tbsp. flour; 1 tbsp. butter
This one's a little more involved, but still fun. Stir everything together but the butter. Melt the butter, then add it to the mixture. Pour half of the batter into a pre-heated frying pan, and flip when the edges are cooked. The best part about a crpe is that you can fill it with whatever your child wants, like peanut butter and jelly, Nutella, or eggs and sausage.
Need some more cooking ideas for kids? You can search online and find tons of easy kids' recipes -- there are thousands of resources -- or better yet, go straight to the source and ask your child what he wants to eat. Grilled peanut butter and pickle sandwiches might sound gross to you, but that's the palate of a kid -- go figure!
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