Kids in the Kitchen - Receive a Copy of "The Toddler Cook Book"

I have three children of my own and some of my happiest memories have been spending time with them in the kitchen.  When my children were little I was just starting my career, which meant spending a lot of time writing new recipes for my books.  Even though I was spending a lot of time experimenting in the kitchen, I discovered my children really loved helping out.  From the age of three I involved their helping hands and learned that sharing in real life activities can be more pleasurable than any toys you could buy!  The delight they showed in baking something themselves and offering their cakes to others, beaming with pride, made me feel great!  Even better, I knew that they were learning many skills that would benefit them later in life.

Here are some tips to get you started in the kitchen with the little ones...

• Spending time in the kitchen is great, but remember children have short attention spans so choose recipes that are easy and provide results quickly. If you want to bond with your child, then do it as equals and choose recipes that are simple enough for your child to make without too much help from you. Something like making a cookie dough, rolling out the dough and cutting out shapes is simple and fun

• Children love to be part of the adult world.  Mimicking mommy and daddy in the kitchen makes them feel very proud of their achievements. Spending time together being creative and having fun will bring you closer to your child.

• Not only is cooking a great way to bond it also encourages fussy children to try new foods. If a child has cooked something himself, he is more likely to eat it.

As an added bonus to the bonding time you'll get with your kids, they'll also learn lots of skills without even noticing, including math, time, measuring, reading/following instructions, dexterity, and science!

Try out this recipe for Peanut Butter Bears! 

Time to make: 30 minutes

To chill: 30 minutes

Makes 8 Bears

You will need:

• 1 cups (40g) puffed-rice cereal
• cup (75g) confectioners' sugar
• 2 Tbsp sesame seeds
• cup (100g) smooth peanut butter
• 3 Tbsp (40g) unsalted butter

To decorate:

• 16 chocolate buttons or nonpareils
• mini colored candies
• black writing icing

How to make them...

1.  Add & Stir

Put the puffed-rice cereal in a large bowl and stir in the confectioners' sugar and sesame seeds.

2.  Melt & Mix

Melt the peanut butter and butter in a pan over a low heat.  Pour the mixture into the bowl and stir until everything is mixed together well.

3.  Make into Patties

Divide the mixture into 8 parts (roughly 2 Tbsp each).  Squish each one together with your hands, then roll each into a ball.  Put the balls on a cookie sheet lined with parchment.  Squish down slightly to flatten.

4.  Decorate

Put chocolate buttons or nonpareils into the sides for ears and push in small colorful candies for eyes and noses. Use the writing icing to draw mouths.

5.  Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes or until firm

What are some of your family's favorite foods to cook together?

Share your family cooking stories by posting an article (or articles) to Parenting.gather.com. Tell us about the tasty treats you cook with your kids. You can include pictures in your articles too!  Five members who publish an article between now and May 12^th will be randomly selected to receive a copy of The Toddler Cook Book.

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