Fun Cooking With Kids » Kids Recipes

The Nutritious Kitchen: Healthy Recipes For Kids

admin — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 17:04:51 +0000

In the hussle and bussle of today’s world, finding and preparing easy and healthy recipes for kids can be a struggle! And then when you find them, there is so much that can goes into them: planning the menu, making the grocery list, driving to the store, doing the shopping, checking out in the long line, paying the bill, and driving home not to mention preparing the meal and sitting down to feast on your hard work.

Without missing a beat, the inevitable always seems to happen…the complaints.

“I don’t like this”.

“This looks weird”.

“I don’t like this color.”

“I want pizza!”

“Can I have a cookie instead?”

Nutrition plays a vital role in our children’s development, and we know this. But how easy is it to just grab a frozen pizza and call it a day! While tempting as it sounds, it’s our responsibility as parents to find healthy recipes for kids that can be prepared and enjoyed at the family table.

Below are a few healthy recipes for kids that have been a hit at my own family table. But before I get to them, let’s first discuss some tips on helping us plan some healthy recipes for kids and ways to get our kids excited for them!

1) Make a quick list of the foods your children love, hate, and are allergic to. With this in mind, it will be easy to pinpoint the recipes you’re targeting and onto the healthy recipes for kids your family will love.

2) When kids are invested in a project, they are more readily accepting. Find healthy recipes for kids that your family can contribute to. For example, get your kids involved in the selection of the recipes, let them help with the shopping, or get the kids help in preparing the meal and setting the table.

3) Select one new vegetable, fruit, or food to try each week. Make it a game with your kids. They may love it or hate it, but it will teach them to be open to new foods and experiences at the table.

With these tips in mind, here are a few healthy recipes for kids that have been a hit with my own. Give them a try and see if this could be a meal your family will love!

Healthy Recipes for Kids #1: Oven-Baked Carrot Fries

My kids love these healthy fries!

Oven-Baked Carrot Fries

1 ½ lbs. Carrots

1 tsp. Sugar

2 T Olive Oil

½ tsp. Salt

2 T Fresh Rosemary, finely chopped

Pinch of Pepper

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and line a shallow pan with foil. Peel each carrot and cut off the tip and the end off of each one. Cut carrots in half cross-wise, then cut length-wise, then cut length-wise again.

Combine the carrot sticks, olive oil, salt, pepper, and rosemary and stir until they are evenly coated. Spread the carrots over the pan as much as possible.

Bake your carrots for about 20 minutes or until carrots are tender. Serve them hot or cool them a bit to room temperature.

Healthy Recipes for Kids #2: Chicken Tortilla Soup

This is a family favorite and is easy on Mom and Dad in both the prep and the clean-up!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

½ Onion, chopped

½ tsp. Garlic, minced

4 tsp. Cilantro, chopped

1 T Butter

30 oz. Chicken Stock

8 oz. can Tomato Sauce

½ package of Taco Seasoning

14 oz. can Mexican Style or Plain Stewed Tomatoes

4 ½ oz. can Diced Green Chilis

1 small can of Corn, drained

1T Worchestire Sauce

4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts (these can be frozen)

Put all the ingredients into a Crock Pot and cook on low for 8 hours. A half an hour prior to serving, pull out the chicken and shred. Put the chicken back into the soup and cook the remainder of the time (half an hour).

Serve with cheese, tortilla chips, avocado, and sour cream.

Healthy Recipes for Kids #3: Baked Spaghetti

Baked Spaghetti

1 lb. lean Ground Beef

10 oz. Whole Wheat Spaghetti

2 C Mozzarella Cheese, shredded

2 26 oz. jars of your favorite Spaghetti Sauce (make sure your sauce contains healthy ingredients and no sugars)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray.

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef, drain and mix in your spaghetti sauce to the ground beef.

Prepare your pasta according to the packaged directions and drain.

Spoon one-third of your spaghetti sauce mixture into the bottom of your prepared pan and then mix the remaining spaghetti sauce mixture with the cooked spaghetti. Pour into the prepared pan and then top with the shredded cheese.

Bake for 25-35 minutes until brown and bubbly. Let baked spaghetti rest for about 10-15 minutes before serving. Serve with a healthy salad and garlic bread. Enjoy!

By: Emily Watson

About the Author:
Get Your Free Report On 16 Proven Ways To Motivate Your Child To Do Better In School…Plus, receive a “Live Demonstration Inside Our Unique 1 On 1 Online Classroom.” Go to http://www.tutorfi.com/parents/

Cool and Fun Kids Recipes, Classic Snack Recipes for Children

admin — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 21:27:02 +0000

Making fun kids snacks is a great way to stave off boredom and keep the kids interested. Learning to cook is a great activity that kids of all ages can do. When the food is something fun that the kids are interested in, it can not only be a fun activity but a great learning experience as well. Be sure to prepare a large area so that the kids can help measure, pour, stir and shake lots of fun recipes. It’s a great idea to get out the aprons, tablecloths, and plan for a semi-messy kitchen while the kids have great fun making all kinds of fun and creative snacks for kids. If you love cooking, you should share that love with your children. Fun Kids recipes you can try at home are listed below. Be sure to visit our Ebook Library for more great recipe downloads, including Fun Recipes for Kids!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats

2 c Sugar

2 c Corn syrup

18 oz Peanut butter

8 c Rice Krispies

6 oz Butterscotch morsels

6 oz Semi-sweet chocolate chips

Bring sugar and syrup to a boil. Add peanut butter and cook, stirring until well blended. Remove from heat and pour hot mixture over cereal. Mix quickly and thoroughly. Spread in a greased 9×12x2 inch pan. Sprinkle butterscotch and chocolate morsels over top. Press morsels into bar mixture lightly with spoon. When cool, cut into bars and store at room temperature.

Kids Trail Mix

4 c Chex cereal

1/2 c Dried fruit bits

1/2 c Raisins

1/2 c Yogurt covered peanuts

1/2 c Reeces Pieces

Put into a large ziploc bag and shake to mix.

For More Great Kids Recipes, check out Fun Recipes for Kids

By: Angela Sullivan

About the Author:

Angela Sullivan is a professional interior designer, decorator and author. Sign up for a free decorating newslettter, and download or purchase the book Designing On a Budget at http://www.designingonabudget.com The e-book features a great bonus package with worksheets and kitchen ideas. For great decorating information, articles and resources, visit http://www.houseinteriordecorating.com. Also visit Our Ebook Digital Store for great home, family and business self improvement e-books starting at just $1.

Child Friendly Recipes

admin — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 23:22:39 +0000

Kids like to help in the kitchen. Kids enjoy cooking. I think one of my favorite recipes for kids is Dump Cake. This is literally a cake where you dump everything into the baking dish and then bake.

Dump Cake

20 ounces crushed pineapple

16 ounces cherry pie filling

1 package yellow cake mix, dry

1 1/2 sticks butter, sliced

Dump all ingredients into baking pan and bake at 350 F until brown, approximately 1 hour.

Have fun with the kids. Try blueberry or strawberry instead of the cherry pie filling. If you like nuts or coconut, throw some of that in the dish also.

If you prefer a chocolate cake, try a chocolate cake mix instead of the yellow cake mix.

This is such a fun recipe and kids love that they made the cake.

Another of my favorite kid recipes is trail mix. The kids get to make their own trail mix. Buy a bag of nuts, a box of Chex cereal, a bag of chocolate chips, a bag of pretzels, a bag of raisins and any other goodies you want in the trail mix and then get out the snack size Ziplocs. The kids get to make the trail mix and bag it up for lunches and snacks. When they make it, they love eating it. This is a great healthy snack.

Have you ever had a waffle sandwich? Buy some Eggo waffles. Let the kids toast the waffles and then spread peanut butter and jelly on them. You can also let the kids cut up bananas and add them. They love this breakfast sandwich that they can make all by themselves.

Do your kids like burritos? Let them make their own burritos. Set out containers of tomatoes, cheese, olives, chopped chicken and anything else you might have in the fridge. Give the kids tortillas and let them add the ingredients they like and then wrap and eat.

My final suggestion is kabobs. Kids love to make their own kabobs. Chop up some apples, pineapple or melons. Cut some cheese squares and let the kids make their own fruit and cheese kabobs. Use a yellow cheese and a white cheese. Use a red melon and an orange melon. This lets the kids make colorful and delightful kabobs that they

Cooking With Kids

admin — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 00:15:32 +0000

Cooking can translate into a wonderful hobby for children. Children learn a lot about the food they eat by cooking themselves. Cooking is also very creative, besides being a lot of fun. The kitchen can be a very adventurous and exciting place for a holidaying child. Cooking classes for children are becoming very popular in most cities, for this reason.

Most children love it when they are allowed to knead dough, roll pancakes, crack eggs and mix batter. Cooking has emerged as an education tool for growing children. It is also a great way towards better bonding. For more details www.breakfasts-recipes.com Children can be taught skills like counting, weighing, measuring, tracking time and fractioning in a delicious way through cooking. However, very few schools include cooking in their curriculum. Parent should use holidays to cook with their children, or send them to cooking workshops in their free time.

Cooking is also very therapeutic from the psychological point of view. It can work as a de-stressor after a long period of study. Hands on training in cooking teach kids to be independent, self responsible and better prepared for an adult life. It is also a great way to whet appetites, as one loves to tuck into things which one prepares. It also gives immense pleasure to see someone eat and appreciate your cooking. Small children can also cook with adult supervision.

It is ideal to read and revise the recipe with the child before embarking on any cooking adventure. It’s more fun for them if they know what they are doing. An adult should also clear a workplace and stack all the equipments and ingredients together to prevent confusion in the child. The recipes chosen should be in sync with the child’s age and ability. Children should be made to follow hygienic rules like washing hands before cooking. For more details www.chef-123.com .They can be taught to measure ingredients and organize them. Older kids can be allowed to remove bake dishes from the oven after wearing gloves and handle pans on the heater. However an adult should do hazardous tasks like taking out rice or pasta from boiling water, deep frying etc. A personal set of tools can also be provided for children to cook more efficiently. Children can also be taught to shop for their own cooking. Many families have improved their eating habits and optimized their life styles by bringing kids in the kitchen.

http://www.classic-dessert-collection.com

http://www.cooking-chinese-style.com

By: Shanta Singh

About the Author:

Article Writer

4 Fast and Easy Snacks For Kids

admin — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 20:52:56 +0000

If you are a busy mom with small children, you know how tough it can be to find quick snacks to feed to your children. In our house, I avoid the easy choice of feeding potato chips, pretzels, candy bars and other store bought food to our daughter by preparing homemade snacks.

Yes, we should all be feeding our children healthy foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, but there is nothing wrong with letting them snack on crackers, cereal mixes and peanut butter fried tortillas. I believe foods such as these, should be given in moderation.

These 4 recipes have always been a favorite here in our house. You can easily prepare any of these recipes in just a few minutes.

Peanut Butter Banana Tortilla

1 flour tortilla

2-3 tablespoons peanut butter

1/2 banana, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons butter

Place butter in a frying pan and melt over low heat. Spread 2-3 tablespoons of peanut butter on one side of a tortilla, layer sliced banana on top. Fold tortilla in half, place in fry pan and lightly fry on each side for 1 minute or until lightly browned. Remove. Let cool and slice into wedges.

Cereal Snack Mix

12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

12 oz. butterscotch chips

1 teaspoon butter

1 box of Chex cereal

2 cups confectioner’s sugar

Place cereal in a large mixing bowl. Melt chocolate and butterscotch chips with butter in a large saucepan, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; pour mixture over cereal and mix well. Pour confectioner’s sugar over cereal. Cover bowl and shake until all ingredients are mixed.

Baked Mozzarella Bites

Mozzarella Cheese

crackers

Cut Mozzarella cheese to fit between 2 crackers and place on a baking sheet. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and put crackers with cheese in them into the oven for 5 minutes or until cheese melts.

Strawberry Cracker Sandwiches

1 teaspoon strawberry cream cheese

2 Ritz Crackers

1 teaspoon strawberry preserves

Spread cream cheese and strawberry preserves onto your cracker. Top with an additional cracker.

By: Shelly Hill

About the Author:

Shelly Hill has been working from home in Direct Sales since 1989 and is a Manager with Tupperware. Shelly enjoys cooking and baking for her family. You can visit Shelly online at: http://www.classybusinesswomen.com or her recipe blog at http://wahmshelly.blogspot.com

Coconut Ginger Ice Cream Recipe , This is a Must Try, it is Excellent and Very Easy,great Kid Recipe

admin — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 16:22:37 +0000

I made this dessert for my final class in culinary school. We had to prepare a dessert with a four course meal, that we had to complete before we were able to move on. We had to select out of a hat, the items we were to prepare, and do so in a slotted time period to be graded. We knew that we had to make a dessert, and were allowed to bring any items into class that we wanted to use within reason. I decided to bring in rock salt, coconut milk, and shredded coconut. We always had fresh ginger, nutmeg and sugar at our disposal, so I knew that I would have that at my disposal for any dish. I very much believe that my instructors loved my coconut dessert dish, due to they ate every last bite, and I made a perfect score.

This is a great recipe, and it is very fun to make, and probably the easiest to make, too. I am glad that I am able to share this recipe with you!

Ingredients you will need:

1 Can of coconut milk (or) 16 ounces

1/4 Teaspoon of fresh ginger

1/2 Cup of shredded coconut

1/8 Teaspoon of nutmeg

1/4 Cup of sugar – you can go much less on the sugar if you like. Adjust it to you taste. If you want to totally remove it that is an option too. You can use a sugar substitute, but follow the directions on the box.

2 Cups of rock salt

4-5 Cups of cubed or crushed ice.

4 small ramekins

2 Large zip lock bags

1 mixing bowl

You are now ready to make your ice cream. You will add in a mixing bowl the 16 ounces of coconut milk. It is always best to shake the can of coconut milk before you open it, to get the built up coconut milk fat solids incorporated back into the liquid. You will ten cut off a piece of ginger and peel it, and then cut it, and make a paste, and add it to the milk. Add you nutmeg, and sugar, and give it a good mix. You will need to taste it to make sure it has the flavor component you want. If you want to add more nutmeg, or ginger now would be the time to do so.

If you are a diabetic you could use a sugar substitute, or no sugar at all. I have not tried it without the sugar, so I would be interested in any feedback on this matter. I do believe that it would work though.

You will now need to get ready for the fun to start. You can roast of your coconut before or after. Just get a small saute pan, and add your coconut to a pan over med to med high heat and toss until golden brown. Remove from pan and save for topping your finished ice cream later.

Add your milk ice cream mixture to the first zip lock bag and make sure it is sealed very well. If you have a rubber band to go around to keep it from flapping around this is a good thing. In your second bag you are going to add half of the rock salt, and half of the ice to the bag. Next ad your 1st zip lock bag with the milk mixture, and then the rest of the ice, and rock salt. You will then let the kids take over if they are helping you out.

This is best done outside in an area that is not going to matter if things get a little out of hand. You will need to shake vigorously for around 5-10 minutes, or until the milk starts turning into a frozen solid. You will then remove from the bag of ice, and rock salt. Mix very gently with cold water, and pat dry. Immediately put the semi-frozen mixture into the ramekins, and put into the freezer for about 5-10 minutes. Pull from freezer and add your roasted coconut to the top and dig in.

I love this recipe, and it is so fun to make. It is also one of the best desserts I have ever eaten as well.

Chef Shelley Pogue, a Cum Laude, Le Cordon Blue graduate and Executive Research and Development Chef, for Vertical Sales and Marketing, San Ramon, CA.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shelley_Pogue

By: Chef Shelley R. Pogue

About the Author:

Chef Shelley Pogue is a Le Cordon Bleu graduate from The Texas Culinary Academy located in Austin, Texas. Chef Pogue graduated with honors of cum laude with a GPA of 3.71. Shelley went to work for The Hills Fitness Center in Westlake Hills after graduation and stayed the for one year as the Executive Chef. She then left The Hills and went to work for a company Vertical Sales and Marketing, San Ramon, CA. CHef Pogue is currently developing sauces and meal concepts for large retail markets in the US. Chef Pogue lives in Austin, TX, and is also a personal chef and caterer, and also working on developing a recipe and cook book.

Quick And Easy Cookie Recipes Your Kids Will Love

admin — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 05:46:00 +0000

If you

Kids Online Recipes

admin — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 03:17:00 +0000

Contrary to the common belief, kids do enjoy cooking. One obvious reason for this is, when cooking, your kid will be exposed to many colorful ingredients. Teaching your kids to cook is also a good way to explain to them how measurements work and how important is patience. But of course, the most important part in getting your child to feel competent at cooking is that it’ll lessen your work and stress in the kitchen. It has been proven that having a kid help in the kitchen can lessen the mad rush that most adults feel when they’re dealing with the stove and pots.

When is the right time to acquaint your kid in the kitchen, you ask? Actually, there is no “best time”. Of course, you can teach him anytime in the day. But it is better to teach a kid how to cook when preparing dinner. Aside from the fact that everybody in your family will be able to appreciate the food the lad has cooked, there are also a lot of easy dinner recipes that both of you can try without getting hassled. One good example is the traditional “Beans and Franks”. Apart from being affordable (this recipe only needs a number of hotdogs, mustard and a big can of baked beans), the preparation of this dish is so easy that your kid can do it himself. It’s a good start to teach your kid how to work with an oven too.

If your kid is having a party, you can encourage him to prepare the food with you. Parties are actually the perfect “excuses” to teach your kid the basics of food preparation. Most kids party recipes are easy to make and colorful and they will definitely catch the interest of your kid. One simple kids party recipe is Cheese shapes. For this recipe, your kid can freely use his imagination in shaping the puff pastry. The fact that he can eat his “shapes” after they have been baked will surely excite him.

For more information and tips On Kids Online Recipes visit, http://kids-recipes-online.info

By: Jizmack Baraceros

About the Author:

Freelance Web designer and Artist

Home Made Candy, the Perfect Way to Teach Kids to Cook

admin — Sat, 30 May 2009 11:24:53 +0000

A skill that we seem to be losing in our society is cooking. Proper homemade cooking, the type grandma used to do. Homemade cooking should be taught to all kids, and it’s up to you as a parent to do so. And start your kids with homemade candy.

If you start teaching your kids to cook something they don’t like they probably won’t develop a love of cooking. But if you start the kids out cooking homemade cakes or homemade candy you can just about guarantee that the kids will love it, and want to do more.

Last night I was cooking a chocolate candy with my kids, 8 and 11. They loved it and I can still see the look on their face as they licked out the bowl. The enjoyment that kids get from cooking is directly related to how yummy the result is, and if you cook homemade candy the result is always yummy.

And if they learn to love cooking they’ll have a skill they’ll appreciate for the rest of their lives. And they graduate from cooking candy pretty fast.

There’s a few simple things to remember, whether they’re cooking homemade candy or anything else. Allow plenty of time, expect mess, start with a simple recipe and get them started on the simple tasks.

And always remember to keep them away from heat. Many homemade candy recipes require that you make a syrup from water and sugar, and a syrup is extremely hot, hotter than simply boiling water. So watch out, a syrup burn is nasty.

There’s some wonderful simple homemade candy recipes to begin with. I already mentioned syrup. I’ve suggest keeping away from making any candy that starts with a syrup to begin with. Many candies need a syrup, and getting the temperature right can be tricky, and a little boring for kids. So start with some simple candy recipes first. Pralines and truffles would be a good start.

But once you’re all up to skill there’s no end to the homemade candy recipes you can try. Truffles, nougats, chocolate anythings, toffees, the list goes on and on. Oh and if you try toffee make sure you do chewy toffee, it’s absolutely the best toffee ever.

There you go I’m hungry now.

But seriously, homemade candy making is a fine way to get the kids to learn, and enjoy, the art of cooking. They’re making something they will be guaranteed to love to eat, and they’re learning one of life’s essential skills.

So find yourself some simple homemade candy recipes, there’s some on my website, and get the kids into the kitchen. As well as getting lots of homemade candy to eat, they’ll thank you for it in later years, just like I thank my mom for the same thing.

By: Peter Clark

About the Author:

Want to find some great Homemade Candy Recipes? Visit Peter’s Website Homemade Candy Recipes and find out more candy making at http://homemadecandyideas.com/

There Are Lots Of Simple Recipes To Use When Cooking With Kids

admin — Sat, 30 May 2009 06:57:36 +0000

A child cooking activity includes a lot of fun in the kitchen. Cooking with kids opens the door for learning opportunities such as math, science and nutrition with the end result being something yummy to eat. There are lots of simple recipes to use when cooking with kids. Since kids love peanut butter and jelly, I have included this Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffin recipe for you to try with your child.

Before beginning a cooking activity review some health and safety tips with kids. It is important that they wash their hands before, during and after handling food. This reduces any food borne bacteria (germs) being transferred to the food they are going to eat. For more details www.tailgating-recipe.com .Review safety tips on using knives, electric equipment such as mixers and blenders, and basic kitchen rules such as not running or participating in any horseplay during this activity. Provide aprons for the kids to wear and tie any long hair back off the face.

Now you are ready to begin a cooking activity with your child. Pick an easy recipe to begin with and go over the recipe with the child or the group. Set out all the cooking tools that you will need. For more details www.apples-recipes.com This is a perfect time to review math concepts such as measuring, fractions, time and temperatures. You can also discuss science concepts of how certain ingredients like baking powder, baking soda, and egg whites can effect the properties of food.

These Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins are a wonderful snack, breakfast treat and school lunch box item.

Tools needed to complete this child cooking activity:

* Mixing bowls in small, medium and large sizes

* One to two spatulas or large spoons

* Measuring spoons

* Dry-ingredient measuring cups

* Liquid measuring cups

* Muffin pans

Ingredients needed are:

* 2 cups flour

*