kids cooking

Meal Planning Tips and an Easy Recipe from Unilever and Expert Sandi Richard

July 2, 2014 by Kathryn 63 Comments

I have been fascinated by the concept of meal planning for a few years now. I have repeatedly heard that it is one of the best ways to save money on the grocery budget and I know it must be a huge stress saver as well to not have to worry about what to make for supper each day. But I have to admit, I always thought the process was far too complicated for me to be able to manage.

Then Unilever, the makers of numerous dinnertime favourites including Hellman’s, Knorr and Ragu, gave me the chance to chat with expert meal planner Sandi Richard and I had high hopes that her advice might help me to finally figure out this concept and start enjoying the benefits of meal planning. Luckily for me, Sandi understands that busy parents don’t have time for a complex and confusing system when it comes to meal planning. The process should start, she says, with a simple sheet of paper (you can download a blank “Eat Sheet” on her website) and a family meeting.

Sandi was full of practical tips and the first one was that only five meals per week should be planned. She said there should be one day when parents can feel fine about ordering out and one day when eating grilled cheese and soup is acceptable, so five meals can take a family through the week without a problem. To decide on those five meals, she suggests just using a blank sheet of paper and filling in each of the meals. But to make the process work, getting input from the entire family is crucial! [Read more…]

Cook Up Healthy Fun with Your Kids this March Break with Sabra Hummus-Giveaway

March 14, 2014 by Kathryn 174 Comments

If a week of March Break is starting to get a little wearing and you’re looking for a way to keep your kids entertained, why not head into the kitchen and do a little cooking! Sabra Canada has some tasty and delicious ideas for meals and snacks that are simple enough for kids to prepare and lots of fun too!

These Hummus Pinwheels are a sure-to-satisfy taste sensation and teach some great basic kitchen techniques. Spreading the hummus, rolling up the tortillas and slicing the wrap into rounds is something a grade-school child can do all on their own and the result is a tasty snack or light lunch packed with protein and fibre.

[Read more…]

Help Your Child Gain Kitchen Confidence with OwlKids Books Starting from Scratch by Sarah Elton-Giveaway

March 3, 2014 by Kathryn 47 Comments

I started helping my parents in the kitchen when I was about five years old. From baking cookies with my mom to making pancakes with my dad, if there was something tasty getting made, I was there lending a hand. As soon as I learned to read, I started reading recipes and cooking on my own. And by the time I was about twelve years old I was making pies and fudge by myself. Now my oldest son is getting to the age that he can start working in the kitchen too and I can’t wait to help him learn how to cook his own culinary creations!

So when I was recently offered the chance to review a new cooking book for kids, Starting from Scratch: What You Should Know About Food and Cooking by Sarah Elton and published by OwlKids Books, the timing couldn’t have been better. This book is no simple compilation of kid-friendly recipes…it is a complete and incredibly detailed guide to cooking that breaks down the process piece by piece so that children can feel confident in the kitchen even without a recipe. I sat down to read through it before giving it to Zackary and I was so impressed by how much information the book contained.

The book starts off with a chapter on taste, followed by a chapter that explains different cuisines. From there, the book explores the science behind cooking, the math concepts needed for recipes and the preparation process. I loved the idea of broadening a child’s mind about what food can be through explanations that included a look at the science behind food as well as an exploration of food geography and basic health and safety concepts. [Read more…]

Head Chefs Children’s Cooking Utensils-Review and Giveaway

December 15, 2010 by Kathryn 389 Comments

Holiday Gift for Young Cooks

I love spending time in the kitchen with my sons. It’s so much fun for me to see my oldest boy stirring a bowl of cake batter, and even the baby often tries to stick a wooden spoon into whatever I happen to be making. But when children work in the kitchen, safety has to come first and so high-quality, child-friendly cooking utensils are a must.

That’s where the Head Chefs from Fiesta Products comes in. This innovative collection features completely unique and functional silicone cooking tools for children. The utensils look like humorous cartoons that are sure to delight children, since the handles are shaped like flexible bodies with the top of the tool creating the head. I couldn’t help but laugh when I pulled out a Head Chefs spoon and saw the total effect, and my son was just as thrilled as I was!

I received the Head Chefs Stirring Spoon, Icing Spreader Knife and Child’s Bowl to review. The spoon and knife both have some great features for both parents and children. The arms and legs of the characters are bendable, which means the utensils are loads of fun for kids. And the feet of the characters are small suction cups so kids can stick the utensil on the counter upright and avoid a mess!

The actual spoon and knife were both solid silicone (as opposed to the soft silicone body-shaped handles) and very durable. Zackary first used the knife to slice mushrooms for me for a pasta sauce and I was very impressed with how well the knife cut through the food. Finding a knife that will properly cut food without a risk of cutting skin is no easy task, but the Head Chefs knife did the job perfectly.

When the mushrooms were chopped, Zackary grabbed the spoon and helped me carefully stir the sauce. The arms and legs on the spoon actually made it easier for him to keep a good grip on the handle, and he had a great time making supper with me. Most of our cookware is stainless steel, but we do have a few nonstick pots and pans, so I was glad that the utensils wouldn’t scratch the surface. And the spoon is also just the right size for mixing up a bowl of cookie dough!

The Child’s Bowl featured flat blue soft silicone feet on the side, and they gave the bowl incredible stability. When I saw how nice and sturdy this bowl was, I immediately claimed it for anything runny or messy either of my sons might be eating. The chances of tipping over this bowl are incredibly slim; it would take some real work to slop anything out of it. So from now on, if we’re going to be eating soup, cereal or anything else that could easily spill, it automatically gets served in the Head Chefs bowl!

Head Chefs products would make a great gift for any aspiring young chef, and the full product line will let children master all of the basic kitchen tasks, from peeling vegetables to whisking eggs. I am blown away by the effectiveness of these children’s kitchen tools and there is nothing I like better than seeing Zackary pull them out and climb up into a chair beside me to help cook. For kitchen utensils that really work while still being really fun, check out Head Chefs today!

Buy It: To purchase any of the great Head Chefs cooking utensils, shop online now

Win It: One lucky reader is going to win a Head Chefs Measuring Spoon and Spatula from Fiesta Products

To Enter (mandatory): Visit the Head Chefs website and tell me about something you liked or something you learned there

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Giveaway ends 11:59 pm CST on January 7, 2011. Open to US and Canada

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