cooking and recipies for children

**Phteven** · December 8th, 2007, 10:20 AM

Yasin is a very enthusiastic chef. He loves to play at cooking and when I go into his CC he takes me over to their play kitchen for some 'cooking'.
I'm just wondering if anyone has any ideas for some safe cooking that he could do.
He's only 3 so he doesn't have a huge attention span but I'm sure he'd be thrilled if he could make some real food.

**nic** · December 8th, 2007, 10:29 AM

What about cookies? You could make the dough without Yasin, then let him come in and cut them out. I got DD a 100 piece cookie cutter set from Big W for about $20. They're plastic not metal, but they work pretty good.

Fruit kebabs where you thread the fruit onto sticks?

Nic

**Rouge** · December 8th, 2007, 10:32 AM

Food prep is a great start. When making risotto or something with mushrooms or zucchini I would often give paris a plastic ikea knife and let her go for her life. Pizza is also good. We make muffins and cakes and all that baking stuff together. Mixing eggs for quiches... pancake batter? We started off with all these things, now Paris can help stir and other things that require a little more care.

**Michelle71** · December 8th, 2007, 12:17 PM

I made pikelets with my 3yo niece - she broke the eggs into a bowl and put them into the flour, she mixed the mixture (I then got rid of the lumps

) and she poured the mix into the electric frying pan (1 out of 10). She also *helped* to turn them .... very carefully. It only worked because there was just the 2 of us in the kitchen with no other distractions.

Meatballs are also good.

**Spring Angel** · December 8th, 2007, 12:24 PM

When I was little (can't remember exactly how old) mum would let me help cook. My fav was banana cake, because I would get the job of mushing up the bananas (very ripe) in a big bowl with my hands. Probably made more mess than anything but I loved it and thought I was very clever.

Spring.

**Phteven** · December 8th, 2007, 12:29 PM

Thanks for the great ideas - keep 'em coming

I've never cooked a cookie but I have a rolling pin and I'm willing to try anything once. I'll keep an eye out for some shapes but in the meantime I've got round ones that I use for wonton wrappers.
Yasin will love mushing banana and I think Imran would be right into it too. I already make muffins so I know he'll eat them.

I'll look for a plastic knife and maybe a stool to stand on because our bench is a bit high.

I make meatballs too so I'll give it a try but I suspect that the cat will try and become involved and Imran too lol.

**Michelle71** · December 8th, 2007, 12:53 PM

My niece (and my nephew at the same age) used to sit on the honey pot on top of the bench (a 1kg plastic tub) so they could see and *help* without trying to balance on the stool. A barstool they can sit on or kneel on with the backrest against the bench is an option for extra stability. They forget to balance when they are concentrating

**Lucy** · December 8th, 2007, 01:11 PM

Chloe.......Olivia and Charlie both cook with me all the time.......literally anything.......at first it was a PITA, but after a week or so, I found myself automatically using cooking methods that allowed them to be involved. It took a week or too to align my patience levels, but now I am 200% calm that it takes us 20mins to do what would only take me 2 mins........LOL!

Charlie's fave is anything with eggs.......(eggy bread for brunch, any meat that needs egg and breadcrumbing etc) I think he must like the cracking of the eggs.....

Chopping of anything with a plastic knife......and utilise the compost bucket a lot......one of Charlie's first legible words recently was "pompost" LOL!

Attached a little snap of Charlie in his apron after a mammoth session of homemade marmalade and biscuits............

https://www.bellybelly.com.au/forums...1/DSCF0016.JPG

**sangie** · December 8th, 2007, 08:18 PM

I made pizza's with my twin 3yo cousins and they loved it!!
I had the bases already made or you could buy some and they helped spread the tomato sauce and put the toppings on. Easy and yummy too.

They cook a lot with their mum and they make muffins, play dough, quiches, sandwiches.

**Netix** · December 10th, 2007, 06:13 AM

You two could make some playdough together. Or fingerpaint, and then have more fun painting some newspaper or butchers' paper!
I have recipes for each, which I could find for you. I'm pretty sure I know where they are.

**sams_mum** · December 12th, 2007, 01:29 PM

making pikelets and pancakes are fun to keep things fun for kids try addin food dye or choc chips. another good idea so your LO can held put the mixture into the pan with minimal fuss is to pour mixture in squirty sauce bottle. This also good if mixture is thick you can make letters and spell their name or maky simple shapes and pictures. also easy to store if to much batter ready for next time

**Tracey** · December 12th, 2007, 01:40 PM

I made the ... taste.com Gingerbreads on sunday afternoon with maddy, then i made the icing & the 2 girls decorated them... Indah ate more Smarties than she actually put on her gingerbreads! So I also had 100's & 1000's for her too!!

They were awesome & yummy too!

**Mother Goose** · December 12th, 2007, 06:11 PM

Tee hee - I was going to also suggest gingerbread men Tracey! Even if you make the mix, Dach, and then let Yasin cut them with a cookie cutter and then decorate them after cooking and cooling.

What about making a sandwhich?

Pizza's on English Muffin bases always works well - that was one of the first things I did with my sister.

Have fun!

MG

**Phteven** · December 13th, 2007, 01:45 PM

We made meatballs together today (we were going to do it yesterday but ended up eating sausages instead).
Yasin broke 2 eggs and stirred up all the breadcrumbs and herbs. Then he stirred the sauce up and put some of the herbs and spices in for me.
He made some of the balls as well. They were a bit wonky but I'm sure they'll taste great.
He's going into the kitchen every 5 minutes now to have a look at the SC lol.