Kids Cooking

We only have a little less than a month left for our summer vacation. That leaves me with mixed feelings. I wonder if I've given my kids enough of a vacation, enough fun, and enough memories. So let's cram a few more things in for this last month and really make the summer one to remember!

One thing I really wanted to teach my boys this summer was to cook. Now, I'm not talking about becoming a chef like Emeril. But each one of my sons has certain things they like to eat and there I times I really dread making it. So I wanted to teach them over the summer how to make these things to help me out and to make them more self sufficient during the school year.

For Ethan, it is a simple peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Sounds easy enough, but for a child with sensory issues, spreading peanut butter can really be very hard. He has a very difficult time knowing exactly how much pressure to use on the bread. But we practice with plastic knives and toast...we practice and practice...

For Jonah, it's mashed potatoes...not the real potatoes, but the instant kind. It's one of those foods that Jonah could eat non-stop, over and over, from sun up to sun down. The main issue is that it involves measuring and heat and being that he's only 8, he is still too little to cook that by himself.

My daughter does really well in the kitchen...can cook when needed and at least gives recipes a try. She even cleans up after she cooks! Of course, that is her assigned chore, so that is expected of her anyway. If I was going to teach her one thing, it would be how to make coffee...but that would require her to get up earlier than me in the morning for it to matter!

What are some things you let your kids cook or what do your kids help you cook? I would love a recipe or two!