Kitchen Kids: Creativity and Learning ~ Part 2

This post is the conclusion to my last post, Part 1! More great ideas and information about taking time this Summer to enjoy the kitchen, the grill and any other cooking area with your kids…
(~continued~)

4-TRAVEL TREATS are a fun vacation activity to pursue, or even in your own hometown! It always enhances a visit to a new place or part of town to try a food or meal you’ve never tried before, one native to the geographical area. Involving the taste and smell senses makes the memories so much sweeter!

5-JUNIOR CHEFS can lighten your load in the kitchen this Summer! Okay, okay, the mess may be worse…but planning, preparing and serving a meal to their families gives children a big boost in creativity, confidence and caring! Messes can always be cleaned, so let ‘em at it, mom and dad!

6-USE YOUR RESOURCES and there are lots out there! Kids’ cookbooks, picture books and storybooks about food, fun baking/cooking TV shows, the list goes one. Here are a few info-filled links you may enjoy:
Highlights for Parents
Junior Leagues’ Kids in the Kitchen
Rachael Ray Kids
Williams-Sonoma Tweens/Teens in the Kitchen
I’m sure you have many other wonderful ideas for having summer fun in the kitchen with your kids – I’d love to hear them!!!
Hugs & Yums, Laurie

Kitchen Kids: Creativity and Learning ~ Part 1

The Summer season is an awesome to spend some time in the kitchen with your children! Your family can experience many fun activities unique to summertime that don’t usually happen at other, busier times of the year.  This post is separated into two parts.
Check out these ideas:

1-MATH COUNTS in the kitchen! Most children in elementary, middle and even high school have school-created math learning objectives during the summer. (Your child may have brought some guidelines home or their school may provide them online. Even if they don’t, you can find many math-related family activities on the internet.) Loads of opportunities exist in the kitchen/cooking zone to use and create with mathematics! From baking measurements to comparing ingredient prices in the supermarket, math is everywhere in meal and food preparation.

2-ORGANIC OPPORTUNITIES abound  in your cucina, your garden, your local farmer’s market or produce stand and even in the grocery these days! Summer is the perfect time to get to know your fruits and veggies, up close and personal. You will be able to stress the benefits of eating organically or naturally. Last summer, my kids and I frequented a produce stand close to our home and they are STILL talking about how awesome it was – fun to visit and delicious to eat nature’s bounty when we got home! They have even said that first lunch from the stand was the yummiest food they’d ever had! Yay!

3-EDIBLE ART is so much fun to design, make and then eat! Summer is a great time to let your children (and yourself) get creative and artistic with food! If weather permits, you can enjoy a fun cookie decorating session outside on the picnic table (or inside, of course, if it’s too hot). Or encourage your kids to make art objects from cut fruit – you help with the cutting, and make sure their hands are extra-clean. Food creativity like this really jazzes up a light summer lunch or supper!
We’ll have more ideas next time!
(~to be continued~)
Hugs & Yums, Laurie

Dried, Not Fried ~ Nature’s Candy!

One of my favorite (healthy?) snacks is dried fruit.

 

I’m not sure it’s always health food exactly, but it’s got to be healthiER than snack cakes and chips, right?!

Dried fruit/fruit mixes can be expensive, but I find it to be very affordable at Dollar General and even Dollar Tree. And, I got the.most.scrumptious dried fruit at WalMart a couple weeks ago – it had dried cantaloupe and kiwi in it! Unbelievably good! Who knew? Go try it!

Hugs & Yums, Laurie

Cheeseburger Salad

In an effort to make the good ol’ cheeseburger healthier (and less carb-y), I came up with the idea of CHEESEBURGER SALAD for my hubby and me! I thought all three kids would want regular cheeseburgers, but 2 of the 3 wanted the salad as well!
We grilled our burgers and added American cheese slices to melt a bit. We prepped the salad separately (lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, shredded cheddar cheese – of course, you could add in whatever you like). At the last minute, we diced up the cheeseburger patties and added them to the salads. Yummy! We had pretzels on the side.
Also, I must note that I tried a new salad dressing with this meal:

I purchased this dressing at Kroger and it was very good, with a definite sweet and savory taste of cucumber. It would also make a great addition to a traditional cucumber salad.
Hugs & Yums, Laurie

FRUITY BOUQUET

Happy Easter, everyone!  Hope you all had a blessed holiday and enjoyed a wonderful Easter dinner!  We spent the day with my hubby’s family and had a delicious midday meal.  We brought three contributions to the feast:  the swirly sugar cookies I posted about a couple days ago, brown rice casserole and this fruity beauty:

  

We used a hand-sculpted and glazed vase (a $2 thrift store find), accented with springy ribbons and filled it with fruit “flower” kabobs for a fresh seasonal side/dessert!  We had lots of fun presenting the goodies in a creative way.  So now that we have a fruit turkey and a fruit bouquet under our belts, what’s next?!  Fruit fireworks?  Hmmm…
Hugs & Yums,

EASTER KABOBS?

Last Thanksgiving, my Quirky Girl (my 10 year old) and I made an awesome Fruit Kabob Turkey to take to the big family dinner.  Boy, was the gobbler a hit!

I wanted to show you this because now I'm pondering if the same idea could be applied to an Easter creation?!  Maybe a flower pot or vase with spring flower kabobs? Or short grass kabobs with Easter eggs hidden among them?  What are your thoughts?

By the way, if you decide to make turkey next Thanksgiving, you'll be the most popular girl (or guy) at the party - ha!

Hugs & Yums,