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Let’s Get Cooking!
by Robin DeRosa Lundgren
If you’re looking for new ways to spend quality time with your kids,
fire up the oven and involve your kids in the preparation of family
meals.
The kitchen is a natural source of curiosity for young children.
Everyone eats and even the busiest of parents cook sometimes, so
everything you need is already in place. With a few modifications,
even very young children can have a hand in preparing everything
from appetizers and side dishes to main courses. Best of all, your
kids will gain a lot from working side by side with you.
In the kitchen, your kids can learn to read recipes and follow
directions, learn about weights and measurements, and can begin to
learn basic kitchen skills, something they’ll be able to use
throughout their lives. With childhood obesity and Type II Diabetes
on the rise, this also gives you a chance to teach them about
healthy eating.
You many also find that your picky eaters will become a bit more
adventurous in trying new things because of a feeling of ownership,
says Melanie McKula, a registered dietician in Great Falls.
“Kids will be more willing to try foods if they had a part in the
preparation,” McKula says. “They think, ‘I made this, therefore I
want to try it’, instead of Mom always saying, ‘here this is good,
try a bite.’
To get started cooking with your kids, pull a sturdy stool or chair
up to the counter, or use your kitchen table as a work surface. Have
your kitchen stocked with a set of individual measuring cups to make
measuring easier, a mixer or blender for ingredients that are
difficult to stir by hand, and a food chopper to make chopping
vegetables easier and safer for small hands. It’s also good to have
several small plastic bowls for kids to crack eggs into or mix
things in.
Most importantly, remember to start small and have fun together!
While your kids might not be whipping up soufflés anytime soon, you
may find that they are just as proud of their culinary creations.
Mini Turkey Burgers
1 lb. ground turkey
2 Tbsp ketchup
½ tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 c. shredded parmesan cheese
16 slices bread
Assorted burger toppings (ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, pickles,
etc.)
1. Parents should preheat the oven to 350.
2. Give your child a 2 inch cookie cutter or juice glass, and have
them cut 2 circles from each slice of bread and place them on a
baking sheet.
3. Have kids place ground turkey in a large mixing bowl with
ketchup, seasoning and cheese and mix together with a large spoon.
4. Let kids shape meat mixture into 16 small patties. (A small scoop
can help to keep the portions even.) Place the patties on a foil
lined baking sheet.
5. Parents can place burgers in the oven and cook for 15 minutes or
until they reach desired doneness.
6. Remove burgers from oven and broil bread for 2 minutes or until
lightly browned.
7. Kids can assemble burgers by placing one burger patty on a
toasted circle of bread, add desired toppings and top with another
circle of bread.
Parmesan Potato Wedges
4 medium potatoes
½ c. shredded Parmesan cheese
½ tsp Italian seasoning (or other seasoning blend)
1 tsp olive oil
½ tsp pepper
½ tsp salt
1. Parents should preheat oven to 375.
2. Parents, cut potatoes into 8 wedges.
3. Have kids place potatoes in a large resealable bag.
2. Let kids add cheese, seasoning, oil, salt and pepper. Have them
seal the bag and shake to combine.
4. Kids can pour potatoes onto a foil lined baking sheet coated with
cooking spray.
5. Parents, place baking sheet in the oven and bake for 25 minutes
or until soft inside, stirring once during cooking.
4. Remove from oven and serve.
Both of these recipes help stimulate a younger child’s cognitive
skills by following multi-step directions, counting from one to
sixteen and from one to thirty-two, and recognizing the circle
shape. Parents can encourage conversation by guiding an ongoing
narrative as to what they are doing during each step of the recipe.
(Ex. “We are cutting round circles out of the bread.”)
Fine motor skills, the use of small muscle movements in the hands
that occur in coordination with eyes, are practiced when scooping
the meat mixture, picking up toppings, sealing and shaking a zipper
bag, and pressing foil onto a cooking tray.
Social emotional development involves a child’s feelings of self
worth, confidence and pride as well as their ability to get along
with others in a group setting. Children love to learn by imitating
their parents’ actions. This is especially true in the kitchen where
children will experience the joy of making something from scratch
and the pleasure of sharing their creation.
This monthly family activity series, "Hands-on Kids!" is brought to
you by a partnership between the Children's Museum of Northern
Virginia (CMNOVA) and FAMILIES Magazine. For more activities you can
do with your children to spark their love of learning, visit the
CMNOVA web site at www.cmnova.org
. CMNOVA is committed to building a place where our children can
freely explore and develop a lifelong love of learning. Robin DeRosa
Lundgren, Vice President of Aquarian Entertainment and Production
Services, is a writer, creator of a kid's cooking show, and a
volunteer with CMNOVA.
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