Celebrate Families Week: Cooking Together

Happy Tuesday! Today is all about getting into the kitchen with your family to whip up some delectable treats the whole family will love! Invite your family to a cooking party...you could go on a scavenger hunt through the pantry and come up with the most creative meal and dessert out of what you have, or take an adventure to the grocery store and each family member has to pick one ingredient to use in the dish then come up with a wonderful recipe to use them all! Your kids will love the hands on involvement of getting to help create the meal, and you can use this opportunity to teach them about nutrition, health and about how God provides! The possibilities are endless!

You can also find a great article on getting kids involved in healthy eating from Chef Pete Solomita

"Safe & Easy Kitchen Tasks for Little Fingers...Cooking with your kids will be fun, easy and safe with these tips: Many chefs got their start hanging onto Mom's apron. Giving your kids a few simple tasks in the kitchen is a fun way to teach them about cooking and nutrition. They may not decide to be star chefs, but you can rest assured they'll know their way around a kitchen — and hey, you never know!

• Planning the Meal. Dinnertime doesn't have to be a battle over broccoli. Planning a meal with your kids is a great way to introduce some healthy ingredients into their favorite foods.
• Washing Fruits and Vegetables. Start your kids' culinary education with this simple but important step.
• Shredding Lettuce. Kids love working with their hands, so they might have so much fun tearing the lettuce that they actually eat the salad!
• Assembling. Let your kids stack their burgers and sandwiches just how they like 'em.
• Measuring. Teach your kids how to measure and they'll have mastered one of the fundamentals of baking.
• Stirring Dry Ingredients. Just make sure their aprons are firmly tied on — you want your kids to stir the dry ingredients, not wear them.
• Separating Eggs. What child doesn't relish the opportunity to get their hands gooey?
• Whisking. This job can be tough on little arms, but it's a great way to teach older kids one of the trickier techniques of the kitchen.
• Frosting a Cake. Encourage your kids to come up with their own frosting designs.
• Tasting — the best part! See what your kids think of their culinary creations and get some insight into their personal tastes." (from The Food Network)

Also, read about the great benefits kids gain from cooking in the kitchen from Quaker Oats

Happy cooking! I hope your week together is off to a good start! Blessings on your family!!