Search Results for: blog cooking with kids fruit salad

A List of Cheap and and Nutritious Kids Snacks

Sure we could go out to Target and load up on pre-wrapped and pre-boxed snacks for the kids, but that quickly gets expensive. Plus those snacks can get boring pretty quickly. This is why manufacturers are constantly reinventing the packaging, or the colors or the flavors of their standard snacks in order to spark new interest in their products. With the kids being close to being out of school, we are going to need some seriously cheap snacks around here for them and for their friends. They have to be cheap, too. With summer, I can be more flexible, since … Continue reading →

In the Kitchen Party for Kids

My 5-year-old loves to help out in the kitchen. The problem is that her contributions to mealtime are limited when the menu involves a lot of slicing and dicing. In order to let her have free reign in the kitchen I occasionally create dishes that are incredibly kid-friendly. The following activities are ideal for a group of pint-sized chefs. If you are looking for a way to keep kids busy on a cold winter day, then consider these ideas for an “In the Kitchen” party for young cooks: First, get organized so that the kids can do most of the … Continue reading →

Festive Holiday Salads

Growing up you get used to seeing the same dishes served on special occasions. In our family every December 25th my grandma would set out her famous Christmas Salad. It wasn’t topped with holly or filled with candy; rather she relied on fresh cranberries to kick up what eventually became known as Grandma’s Christmas Salad. Interestingly, I know a few other people who have their own versions of Christmas salads and none of those include Christmas-themed ingredients either. Not even so much as a pine nut. But, that’s the beauty of holiday cooking: free interpretation. If you are looking to … Continue reading →

Thanksgiving Recipes: Unique Salads

In our family the person who has the least amount of cooking experience makes the salad on Thanksgiving. Well, that was our tradition until my brother married a woman, who practically lives on greens. My sister-in-law, who is by no means a slouch when it comes to cooking, is now in charge of providing salads to our family feasts… and I for one couldn’t be happier. Toss out your perception of what a salad should consist of and try these hearty and healthy alternatives this Thanksgiving: BERRYLICIOUS MIXED GREEN SALAD Ingredients: 2 cups mixed field greens 3 cups romaine Red … Continue reading →

Sweet Treats for Kids of all Ages

My daughter was very disappointed when I told her that we would not be baking a dessert to bring to the upcoming graduation potluck we’ve been invited to. In fact, I rarely offer to bring dessert to parties that feature guests of varying age groups because I can never find a recipe that I know will appease the masses. Most of the dessert recipes I have are either geared specifically to adults and include ingredients such as coffee or alcohol or they are kid-friendly, teeth tingling, super sugary creations that most adults shy away from. These days I offer to … Continue reading →

Cooking With Kids – White Chocolate Pretzels

I’ve been looking for easy things for my kids to help with. Tonight we made some pretzels with white chocolate drizzle. They turned out fine, and they have a nice sweet and salty taste. The kids like them better than I do. I thought it would be an easy, easy thing to make since it didn’t involve an oven. It’s not completely uncomplicated. We melted white baking chips in the microwave. You can also use a double boiler. If I end up making these again, I will use the double boiler. Microwaving chocolate is very tricky. You need to do … Continue reading →

Baked Potato Night – Cooking With Kids

My husband is one of those rare people who don’t like potatoes. He’ll eat just about other vegetable, but except for french fries, he doesn’t eat potatoes. My kids and I love potatoes any way they are made – boiled, baked, twice-baked, mashed, or creamed. So sometimes, when we know my husband won’t be home for dinner, we plan on baked potato night. If it’s been awhile since you really oven baked a potato, not just microwaved it – let me persuade you. Bake the potato. Turn the oven on 400 or so and wait an hour. If you are … Continue reading →

Three Ways for Frugal Summer Cooking

Enjoy some great meals this summer while being frugal. When it comes to frugal summer cooking, it is all about the heat. Well, minimizing the heat, that is. Generating heat while cooking and then having to cool your house of that added heat is probably the biggest expense in summer cooking. Normally, ingredients are the biggest expense in cooking, but with summer comes the availability of fresh produce at low prices that help you keep a frugal budget. So, let’s concentrate on reducing that cooking heat instead. Here are some great ways to do just that. The first way to … Continue reading →

Smoothies for Kids

Smoothies are a great first recipe for kids. For one thing, smoothies are hard to get wrong, they are quick to make, nutritious, and don’t even involve the stove. But it also gives kids a chance to experiment in the kitchen, to play with flavors, and experience the creative side of cooking. And don’t you know, kids love to be in charge. We make smoothies a lot, for breakfast or just for an afternoon snack. We hardly ever follow real recipes, but just use what we have on hand. I like to start with either plain, vanilla, or fruit flavored … Continue reading →

Cooking With Kids – Fruit Salad

Most children love the sweet taste of fruit. Fruit salad is another great first recipe for children to build their cooking skills. It’s pretty and tasty. There’s no reason to turn on the stove. It’s a flexible recipe, you can use what you have on hand. And it’s a great way to get in those fruit servings. Even very young toddlers can help peel a banana. And with assistance and supervision, they even cut that banana. I like to use a dull plastic knife for two year olds. If they can manage that, then they can graduate to a dull … Continue reading →