Top Tips for Cooking With Kids
Kates Top Tips for cooking with kids
1. Organise! I use little post it notes I've cut into arrows to show them how much of everything we need. Get as much out and ready before they help you, otherwise they're cracking eggs into bowls before you've finished getting everything ready. I try and get all of the non perishable ingredients out and all the equipment the night before, or whilst they're distracted with the TV.
2. Check your recipe and make sure you have everything you need beforehand. Know the steps if you can so you can just help the little ones. Oliver gets carried away chucking everything in the bowl and I've put whole eggs in before when it's only needed an egg yolk, so have an idea what you need to be doing before you start.
3. Try and explain and demonstrate rather than do for them. If you can, split the ingredients into two, so you can have a batch and they can have one. Also means you know there will be at least some fruits of your labour without bogeys and sneezes in!
4. Accept mess. Its going to be messy. There's going to be egg shell in the mix and flour all over the floor. Just embrace it otherwise you'll get stressed out trying to keep the mess to a minimum. And cooking with a stressed out adult is not so fun for small people. It should be fun!
I loved that Kate asked for any further tips from her followers and she got some great responses:
"Sit down together first and read the recipe so they have an idea of what to expect "
"For toddlers I convert everything into cups, much easier than weighing"
"Easier if they’re standing on something like a stool or chair so it’s easier for them to mix etc"
Not sure what to cook? These savoury muffins are a great option or these protein packed chocolate chip cookies.
Have a great time cooking with the little ones!
Follow Kate on Instagran at @Hitchenskitchenandgrill
Comments
Thara said:
Heya.
In order to teach cooking skills this is what I do. I always have a basic recipe to use for each cooking lesson in question here. Recently we made some pizza and mini burgers. I always insist on them wearing aprons and washing their hands. I then divide the tasks up. For example one kid was asked to slice the fruit. Best wishes. Another was told to peel carefully the ham. Some of the others were busy making sure that the oven was on and weighing supplies.
This is a list of tasks we have to do each time
Wash hands
Weigh supplies
Check the oven
Slice the fruit
Chop the meat
Sort out cutlery
Read a entire recipe
Pour out the milk