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Pudding Sundae Bar #kidsinthekitchen

October 4, 2013 by

Dessert time on our home is like Christmas Day. My kids love treats but we limit them to mostly weekends because ice cream makes a brief appearance in our home. Meaning that the time between when it’s bought and the time it’s devoured is short.

I want to be able to give my kids special desserts more often without it being a total bingefest. We have popsicles and frozen fruit on hand all the time but those just don’t have the same indulgent feel as a sundae. I figured we’d try a Pudding Sundae Bar instead. Pudding can be fat free and/or sugar-free making that a better option over ice cream from the beginning but adding a couple tasty toppings makes it a sweet treat for any day of the week.

Pudding Sundaes #kidsinthekitchen

What you see is Shaun and Shae discussing how to get the most bang for their buck. Shae tried to add both cookies but I knocked that down. She instead chose crumbled chocolate chip cookies and reeses ice cream topping sprinkles.  Shaun shocked me the most choosing chocolate chips and raisins. RAISINS!  He said with the cheesecake flavored pudding it was a really good combination.

Pudding Sundaes #kidsinthekitchen

Pudding Sundaes #kidsinthekitchen

 

Try this un-traditional sundae bar in your home.

Did you have fun in the “kitchen” this week? Did you try a new food or a new kid friendly restaurant? Did your littlest ones use their snacks to count to 10? We invite you to share your experiences, photos, stories or recipes that include your #kidsinthekitchen.

Come join me and my co-hosts, Paula at Frosted Fingers, Sarah of PlaytoLearnwithSarah and Sara at Sensibly Sara, each week linking up a post, new or old, that feature the theme Kids in the Kitchen. It doesn’t matter what you are doing as long as you are doing it together, enjoying it and learning something along the way.

Don’t have a blog? Share an instagram photo or Facebook update.

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#KidsintheKitchen Weekly Linky





Trying Dippy Eggs #kidsinthekitchen

September 26, 2013 by

My kids are creatures of habit when it comes to breakfast. Maybe it’s because school days don’t offer lots of time to work in a large hot meal or maybe they just really like eating their old standbys. This week Shae sent me into shock by asking for runny eggs so she can dip her toast. I like eggs like this, so does Rob but typically getting my kids to eat eggs is a battle.

Trying Sunny Side Up Eggs #kidsinthekitchen

I obliged and made her 1 sunny side up egg, a sausage link and a slice of toasted wheat bread. She spent the first couple of minutes poking the hell out of the yolk. She dipped and ate, dipped and ate. I then showed her how to scoop up the remaining egg to put on the other half of her toast. Her conclusion, she loved it! I’m still surprised but happy that she experimented a little and went for something unfamiliar.

Trying Sunny Side Up Eggs #kidsinthekitchen

What has been the strangest food request from your child?

What did you do in the “kitchen” this week? Did your kids try a new food or new family-friendly restaurant? Did you teach your littlest to count using their snacks ? We invite you to share your experiences, photos, stories or recipes that include your #kidsinthekitchen.

Come join me and my co-hosts, Paula at Frosted Fingers, Sara at Sensibly Sara, Lisa of HooplaPaloozafollow and Sarah of Play2LearnwithSarah each week linking up a post, new or old, that feature the theme Kids in the Kitchen. It doesn’t matter what you are doing as long as you are doing it together, enjoying it and learning something along the way.

Don’t have a blog? Share an instagram photo or Facebook update.

Linky Rules, #kidsinthekitchen

#KidsintheKitchen Weekly Linky

Don’t forget about the 2 sets of Felt Play Food giveaway going on. Enter here to to win for a little one your know!
Play Food #giveaway




Healthy Choices with #PlayFood #giveaway #kidsinthekitchen

September 19, 2013 by

Encouraging the kids to be in the kitchen isn’t a new concept for me. For years I’ve urged the kids to help with prep work, work in the garden, choose dinner menus and to try new foods. Even as toddlers and young children their play kitchens were just extensions of the real kitchen in our home.

Pretend Play Healthy Food Choices #giveaway #kidsinthekitchen

Playing with pretend cupcakes and ice cream is always fun but I’ve been able add teachable moments by incorporating healthy play food and accessories.
This is one my favorite videos of Shae playing in her kitchen 3 years ago, preparing a stir fry meal.

Shae is 6 now but still regularly plays with her kitchen and loves the wide array of food choices she can serve while she plays restaurant. She especially loves to serve sandwiches, wraps and tacos. There are so many combinations with the ingredients that it becomes a game if she can remember everything.

We explain that adding veggies to a sandwich or switching from a big roll to a tortilla wrap makes that meal more healthy. These lessons carry over in real life as she asks for these choices to be packed in her real life lunch box.

Did you have fun in the “kitchen” this week? Did you try a new food or a new kid friendly restaurant? Did your littlest ones use their snacks to count to 10? We invite you to share your experiences, photos, stories or recipes that include your #kidsinthekitchen.

Come join me and my co-hosts, Paula at Frosted Fingers and Sara at Sensibly Sara,  Lisa of HooplaPalooza and Sarah of Play2LearnwithSarah each week linking up a post, new or old, that feature the theme Kids in the Kitchen. It doesn’t matter what you are doing as long as you are doing it together, enjoying it and learning something along the way.

Don’t have a blog? Share an instagram photo or Facebook update.
Linky Rules, #kidsinthekitchen

#KidsintheKitchen Weekly Linky


Give your kids healthy food choices while playing pretend with this giveaway of Play Food from Gummylump.com. Enter to win a Felt Food Sandwich Set and a Felt Food Taco & Burrito Set from LookWhatMomFound…and Dad too! just by telling us what other play food choice your child would love.

Play Food #giveaway
EXTRA ENTRIES:
To receive these extra opportunities for entries, you must fulfill the first REQUIRED entry above. Please note the changes to the entries and frequency, entries that don’t follow rules may be disregarded/ignored/deleted

Your entries must follow the rules or they won’t be eligible for prizes. This contest ends 11:59 pm, Friday, October 11, 2013. The winners will be emailed and will have 48 hours to claim their prize. This contest is open to Contiguous US residents, age 18 or over. For complete rules please read our blog contest rules page.




Gluten Free Chewy Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookie #kidsinthekitchen

September 13, 2013 by

I had my niece Madi over last week for a few hours but my own kids weren’t home so I needed something fun to do. I figured BAKE! Kids like to eat and play with their food so the answer was easy. The problem lies with her Celiac Disease. Madi can’t have wheat, rye or barley. This crosses off most breads, cakes, cookies and treats off the lists of allowable food. This is hard for a 3 year old. She’s a trooper though.

Gluten Free Chewy Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookie #kidsinthekitchen

As I was scanning labels in my pantry she asked “Are you checking to see if that has gluten?”. I got your back kid! I found a recipe online a Gluten Free Chewy Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookie.

Gluten Free Chewy Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookie #kidsinthekitchenAs I got all the ingredients into the mixer she washed her hands and then pulled herself up to the table.
The dough took a couple minutes to put together so I did that on my own but then handed over the mixing bowl and a cookie sheet for Madi to roll the dough into balls.

The recipe can easily be doubled as this only makes 12-15 cookies

Ingredients
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/4 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Directions

In a mixer, cream together peanut butter and brown sugar until fluffy.
Beat in the egg.
Add oats and baking soda, and mix until it comes together
Roll dough into 2″ ball and place on cookie sheet
Using a fork press to flatten cookies
Bake for eight minutes or until the cookies turn slightly brown.
Cool cookies on a rack, Enjoy!

Gluten Free Chewy Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookie #kidsinthekitchenI would make these again. They were easy and they tasted good. I don’t like peanut butter cookies but I ate 2 of these. Next time I’m going to add raisins or chocolate chips and a couple squirts of honey to enhance the sweetness from the brown sugar. These additions will keep it gluten free too!

Did you have fun in the “kitchen” this week? Did you try a new food or a new kid friendly restaurant? Did your littlest ones use their snacks to count to 10? We invite you to share your experiences, photos, stories or recipes that include your #kidsinthekitchen.

Come join me and my co-hosts, Paula at Frosted Fingers, Sara at Sensibly Sara, Lisa of HooplaPalooza and Sarah of Play2LearnwithSarah each week linking up a post, new or old, that feature the theme Kids in the Kitchen. It doesn’t matter what you are doing as long as you are doing it together, enjoying it and learning something along the way.

Don’t have a blog? Share an instagram photo or Facebook update.
Linky Rules, #kidsinthekitchen

#KidsintheKitchen Weekly Linky




Baking Biscuits with the Kids #kidsinthekitchen

September 5, 2013 by

Last week I showed off my autographed cookbook from David Venable and said we’d be showing off a recipe from that book this week. The cookbook came with flags sticking out of certain recipe he thought I’d like or my kids would like. He was right. We made his Mom’s Mayo Drop Biscuits and everyone like them.

It was simple recipe, 5 ingredients that mixed up in just minutes and were ready in 15 minutes. This is a great recipe to get Shae involved. There was mixing, measuring, pouring and scooping; all great skills to work on in the kitchen.

Baking with Kids #kidsinthekitchen

Did you have fun in the “kitchen” this week? Did you try a new food or a new kid friendly restaurant? Did your littlest ones use their snacks to count to 10? We invite you to share your experiences, photos, stories or recipes that include your #kidsinthekitchen.

I want to introduce you to our 2 new co-hosts, Lisa of HooplaPaloooza and Sarah of Play2LearnWithSarah. I hope you welcome them with open arms.

Come join me and my co-hosts, Paula at Frosted Fingers, Sara at Sensibly Sara, Lisa of HooplaPaloooza and Sarah of Play2LearnWithSaraheach week linking up a post, new or old, that feature the theme Kids in the Kitchen. It doesn’t matter what you are doing as long as you are doing it together, enjoying it and learning something along the way.

Don’t have a blog? Share an instagram photo or Facebook update.

Linky Rules, #kidsinthekitchen

#KidsintheKitchen Weekly Linky




Comfort Foods Kids Will Love from a cookbook #kidsinthekitchen

August 30, 2013 by

This week is a little different instead of talking about something we did I’m gonna show you something we’re gonna try this weekend.  I came home from a couple days at the Jersey Shore to this little gift from David Venable of QVC.

Comfort Foods Kids Will Love #kidsinthekitchen

David Venable might be the most popular host on QVC. He’s known for his passion of food and the excitement he exudes on air during In The Kitchen With David. He’s great at what he does because I want to buy everything he’s showcasing. He’s also a sweetheart who will chat you up about food, family, kids and everything in between.

I did my own Happy Dance when I saw my new cookbook. Comfort Foods the Take you Home is a peek on what started his love of food in his mother’s and grandmother’s kitchens.  I was especially impressed with the post-it flags highlighting dishes that my family would love. The first one caught my eye and stayed with me as I browsed the rest of the book. Mom’s Mayonnaise Drop Biscuits sounded odd at first but it really makes so much sense. I add mayonnaise to dishes to add flavor and fat and moisture so why not biscuits.

Cookbook from David Venable #kidsinthekitchen

We are making these this weekend!  I want to thank David for remembering our conversation about #kidsinthekitchen and sharing tips for getting the kids to help out more with meal prep and cooking.

Next week we’ll share our experience with your recipes.

Did you have fun in the “kitchen” this week? Did you try a new food or a new kid friendly restaurant? Did you craft something fun with popsicle sticks? We invite you to share your experiences, photos, stories or recipes that include your #kidsinthekitchen.

Come join me and my co-hosts, Paula at Frosted Fingers and Sara at Sensibly Sara, each week linking up a post, new or old, that feature the theme Kids in the Kitchen. It doesn’t matter what you are doing as long as you are doing it together, enjoying it and learning something along the way.

Don’t have a blog? Share an instagram photo or Facebook update.

Linky Rules, #kidsinthekitchen

#KidsintheKitchen Weekly Linky





Mini Food in Clay #kidsinthekitchen

August 22, 2013 by

A few months back I worked on a Girls Night Out with ACMoore were I made a Quilled Roses Mini Wreath and a Decorated Notebook. We left that night with a bag full of swag that included some fun kid friendly stuff. This Klutz Make Clay Charms kit. I’ve been holding onto it for just the right time and this week was it.  It was an electronics free day; no tv, no video games, no iPods, no tablets.

Mini Food with Clay #kidsinthekitchen

We did crafts, played games and worked on making mini food items with sculpting clay.  The clay itself wasn’t the special part, the book with the directions on how to make mini cupcakes, s’mores, popsicles and burgers was the best part.  It was so detailed that Shae and Shaun was able to construct these adorable little pieces with very little help from me.

Mini Food with Clay #kidsinthekitchen

Mini Food with Clay #kidsinthekitchen

Anything miniature is so cute but when you pair up a loaded burger and fries together it’s hard not to giggle a little.

Mini Food with Clay #kidsinthekitchen
Did you have fun in the “kitchen” this week? Did you try a new food or a new kid friendly restaurant? Did your littlest ones use their snacks to count to 10? We invite you to share your experiences, photos, stories or recipes that include your #kidsinthekitchen.

Come join me and my co-hosts, Paula at Frosted Fingers and Sara at Sensibly Sara, each week linking up a post, new or old, that feature the theme Kids in the Kitchen. It doesn’t matter what you are doing as long as you are doing it together, enjoying it and learning something along the way.

Don’t have a blog? Share an instagram photo or Facebook update.

Linky Rules, #kidsinthekitchen

#KidsintheKitchen Weekly Linky




Teaching Knife Skills and Safety #kidsinthekitchen

August 15, 2013 by

Shaun doesn’t get a lot of attention on #kidsinthekitchen. He’s involved in most of the things that we do together but he’s a get in, get it down, get out kinda kid. He doesn’t wait around for things to dry, bake, set or cool. This summer though he’s been in charge of making lunch for him and Shae. This usually consists of sandwiches, pepperoni/cheese/crackers, wraps & veggies.

This week though they wanted sliced apples and peanut butter. I was in the middle of something and told him to cut the apples and he hesitantly said OK. I realized that at 10 years old he’d never handled something larger than a steak knife. So I gave him a lesson.

Teaching Knife Skills #kidsinthekitchen

Making sure his fingertips were always out of the way I told him to make sure his apple was as stable as possible for his first cut. Pressing down firmly with a slicing motion he made his first cut. Then turning the apple over so the flat side was on the cutting board he continued to cut the rest of the apple then a second.

Teaching Knife Skills #kidsinthekitchen

Teaching Knife Skills #kidsinthekitchen

His cuts were a bit crooked but with some more practice he’ll get better. Some keys to start off with when teaching knife safety are:

  • Make sure your knives are sharp. A dull knife will slide out of position and will put your digits in danger.
  • Cut and slice away from the body.
  • Keep knives clean. Just like on counters and hands, lingering bacteria can cause illness. Proper cleaning of a knife can be tricky. Be sure the blade and point are kept away from the body and a soapy sponge is run along the “wrong” side of the side.
  • Carry knives with care. While I don’t recommend children transporting knives a safe way to teach while still young is to wrap in a dish towel and walk carefully. Unwrap the knife so someone else doesn’t accidently grab the towel.
  • Never Lick the Blade. It’s tempting but it could end in disaster.
  • Use knives for their intended purposes only. Knives shouldn’t be used to pick up and eat food pry things apart. A simple slip could cause serious cuts.

These simple rules are a great start to more independence in the kitchen. What are some of your safety tips?

Did you have fun in the “kitchen” this week? Did you try a new food or a new kid friendly restaurant? Did your littlest ones use their snacks to count to 10? We invite you to share your experiences, photos, stories or recipes that include your #kidsinthekitchen.

Come join me and my co-hosts, Paula at Frosted Fingers and Sara at Sensibly Sara, each week linking up a post, new or old, that feature the theme Kids in the Kitchen. It doesn’t matter what you are doing as long as you are doing it together, enjoying it and learning something along the way.

Don’t have a blog? Share an instagram photo or Facebook update.

Linky Rules, #kidsinthekitchen

#KidsintheKitchen Weekly Linky




Making Smoothies #kidsinthekitchen

August 8, 2013 by

Breakfast time this summer has been a bit lazy. We’re all getting out of bed late and no one is in the mood for a heavy meal. While I encourage healthy choices sometimes the entire meal is a bit unbalanced.
This week I wanted to start a couple of days right with a nice balance of sweetness and protein with smoothies.

I let the kids choose what ingredients they wanted and Strawberries, Banana, Pineapple seemed to be a hit. With the addition of yogurt, orange juice and a squeeze of lime juice the final flavor and texture were spot on. I could’ve added some protein powder or peanut butter to enhance the nutritional content. Next time!

#kidsinthekitchen making a smoothie

I don’t own a blender so I used my margarita machine. It works great at chopping ice into a nice slushy margarita so why not a smoothie. I dumped almost a whole banana, 1 cup each of frozen strawberries and pineapple, 6oz of yogurt and 1/2 cup of OJ into the pitcher and blended till smooth. This was enough for 2 kid size drinks to go along with their cereal and milk.
#kidsinthekitchen making a smoothie
Did you have fun in the “kitchen” this week? Did you try a new food or a new kid friendly restaurant? Did your littlest ones use their snacks to count to 10? We invite you to share your experiences, photos, stories or recipes that include your #kidsinthekitchen.

Come join me and my co-hosts, Paula at Frosted Fingers and Sara at Sensibly Sara, each week linking up a post, new or old, that feature the theme Kids in the Kitchen. It doesn’t matter what you are doing as long as you are doing it together, enjoying it and learning something along the way.

Don’t have a blog? Share an instagram photo or Facebook update.

Linky Rules, #kidsinthekitchen

#KidsintheKitchen Weekly Linky




Handprint Flower Bouquet #kidsinthekitchen

August 1, 2013 by

We have a thing for flowers in this house. It really is one of our favorite craft themes. We’ve made them out of paper, veggies, dried pasta and plastic. Today we are showing you want we put together with random chipboard flower cutouts.

This week my niece Ella visited and I was able to carve out some time where she sat still at the kitchen table to do more than just eat cherry tomatoes by the fistful.  I like to send her home with a little gift for mommy and daddy so my brother and sister-in-law know I don’t plop her down in front of a television all day. I had a bag of chipboard flowers in the closet to use and thought what better kitchen table craft than a handprint bouquet of flowers.

Handprint Flower Bouquet #kidsinthekitchen

Decorating the flowers was the easy part. I gave the girls a huge supply of markers and told them to do whatever they wanted to.

Handprint Flower Bouquet #kidsinthekitchen

When it was time to make the handprints we ran into a little hiccup.  I practiced with the girls how I was going to paint their hands and how they were going to lay them on the paper. We went over this numerous times but 3yo’s are very unpredictable. Once the paint went on her hands all bets were off.  There’s nothing wrong with a couple extra fingers/stems.

Handprint Flower Bouquet #kidsinthekitchen

Did you have fun in the “kitchen” this week? Did you try a new food or a new kid friendly restaurant? Did your littlest ones use their snacks to count to 10? We invite you to share your experiences, photos, stories or recipes that include your #kidsinthekitchen.

Come join me and my co-hosts, Paula at Frosted Fingers and Sara at Sensibly Sara, each week linking up a post, new or old, that feature the theme Kids in the Kitchen. It doesn’t matter what you are doing as long as you are doing it together, enjoying it and learning something along the way.

Don’t have a blog? Share an instagram photo or Facebook update.

Linky Rules, #kidsinthekitchen

#KidsintheKitchen Weekly Linky




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