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Entries Tagged as 'cooking'

Friday chat: 6 tips for cooking with kids everyday

November 20, 2015

Do you cook with your kids? I don’t mean the odd cake or planned baking time but involving them in everyday cooking, everyday? I love cooking and cook most days but I just didn’t enjoy it as much with Anya because of the mess and slowness that it brought. I used to despair at the extra cleaning up, the extra time, the extra everything. A simple task that was supposed to take 10 minutes would take five times that!

Then I started thinking about it and realised that cooking with Anya could be a lot of fun if I changed the way I looked at things. She is interested in cooking (as most kids are) and it would be a real shame not to develop her interest especially when we all know that there are so many benefits of cooking with kids. So I thought about how I could make our cooking time in to something that we both looked forward to everyday. Here’s what I did and what anyone can do to make cooking with kids a daily thing that fun for everybody.

My tips for cooking with kids everyday (without killing them 😉 )

1. Make up your mind to remain patient no matter what.
Before you start, make up your mind to stay patient. This has helped me no end. Taking a minute beforehand to decide that impatience isn’t an option has made for much happier cooking together times, for Anya and for me. And after a while, like me, you will naturally be more patient.

2. Only cook with kids when you have time.
Cooking with kids is always going to take a lot longer than if you did it by yourself. There will be days when you need to be somewhere or you need to get dinner on the table in a hurry, so just do it yourself on those days. But when you know you have more time, that’s when you can take a slower pace, keep your patience in check and enjoy the process together.

3. Expect mess.
This used to drive me insane – poor Anya would barely spill a drop and I’d whip out the cloth and clean up after her every move. I put myself in her shoes and I couldn’t think of anything more irritating than someone cleaning up after you every five seconds! So now I accept there will be mess, sometimes a lot of mess and when I feel like reaching for that cloth, I just remind myself of the decision I made before I started cooking – see point 1.

4. Let them lead where possible.
Give them a task that they can be in charge of, without any help from you. This makes kids feel happy and proud – the look of pride on Anya’s face when she has done something completely by herself and the concentration while she’s doing it is priceless. It can be as simple or as involved as your child can manage, depending on their age of course. Things like pouring all the ingredients in to a bowl and mixing or breading homemade fish fingers which is one of Anya’s favourite jobs.

5. Let them express themselves.
If you’re a fan of cooking, you’ll know that it’s one of life’s great pleasures for so many reasons. For me cooking is fun, it’s relaxing and it’s so creative. This is exactly how kids should be allowed to feel about it too if they are going to enjoy it. The only way they will feel like this is if they are allowed to express themselves freely, without you giving instructions the whole way. Let them give ideas on what to cook, suggest extra ingredients that may not have been part of the plan or give ideas on presentation.

6. Think of it as bonding time.
Cooking together with your kids is a great time for bonding but only if you view it as this. Once you view it as this, cooking becomes such a fun part of your time together and you will come to look forward to it everyday. Anya and I chat about her day, tell jokes and laugh at the mishaps and spills. And then when Richard comes home, she excitedly tells him about what she helped make.

These are a few things I’ve done but I’d love to hear from you too. Would you involve your kids in everyday cooking? Do you have any tips for cooking with kids everyday?

P.S. If you’d like to check out some recipes perfect for kids to get involved with, take a look at these soba noodles or these homemade pizzas or homemade fish fingers.

Friday chat: Cooking with kids

August 7, 2015

Do you cook with your kids? There are so many benefits of cooking with kids and involving them in the kitchen. I am on a mission to involve Anya in the kitchen as much as I can. Everyday when I cook dinner I get her to join me and help. I give her tasks like making marinades, peeling garlic, getting all the ingredients together or anything else that doesn’t involve knives or heat. What I love most about this time is our chats. We have lots of fun conversations where she tells me stuff about school, about her friends and I’ve found she chats to me much more during our cooking time than if I sat down and asked her lots of questions. Similarly on weekends, Richard loves cooking and I can see what a great father/daughter bonding time this has become.

So, when Abel & Cole offered to send us their kids Summer boxes, I agreed. I tend to make more complex food on a regular basis so while I involve Anya, it is me who is very much in charge. But these boxes contain recipes that are super easy to follow, allowing kids to read the instructions and take the lead. Most of the recipes have 3-4 ingredients like this vanilla ice cream Anya made – just honey, vanilla pod seeds, cream and egg yolks. This box also contained ingredients to make a strawberry sauce and banana ice-cream which we will try over the weekend.

The recipes are very simple and so your kids aren’t likely to make you the most delicious meal you ever ate but what I love about them is that kids around 5 and older can totally be in charge and you are there just as a helper. We’ve had a few boxes now and Anya is so excited when a new box arrives as she thinks of it as hers and can’t wait to see what she’ll be cooking next. I also love the convenience of pulling out a box and knowing I have all the ingredients to get started. Abel & Cole are doing kids boxes throughout the Summer with different recipes each week so if you’re in need of ideas, check it out. Also it’s a fun way way to keep kids occupied over the Summer holidays.

Here are some simple tips to help get kids involved in the kitchen:

1. Start involving them by making foods they love – maybe baking some cookies or muffins. One of Anya’s favourite things to make is pizza which would be fun for any kid to be involved in making even for kids as young as 2 or 3.

2. Go food shopping together and once in a while let them choose what meal they would like to make or if you can, go to a pick your own fruit/veg place and they will be so keen to cook and eat what they’ve picked.

3. Make a very simple recipe where they can be in charge – this can bring such a sense of pride and achievement as I saw when Anya made this simple ice-cream. Kids love to help especially with adult tasks as this makes them feel good and appreciated.

4. Even if you’re making an involved meal, give them small tasks like stirring or measuring ingredients.

5. Involve the kids in the cooking when you have time. Everything takes longer with kids so as long as you’re relaxed they’ll enjoy it much more.

Above all make it fun. Play some music, be silly and if you’re anything like me don’t worry about the mess like I used to – it used to actually put me off cooking with Anya but I’ve learned to put my fear of mess asisde 😉 It takes a few extra minutes to clean up but it’s so worth it. Do you cook with your kids?

P.S. I moved all my kitchen clutter to one side when I took these pics – my kitchen doesn’t normally look this tidy even though I wish it did! 😀

{All photos by ebabee. Anya wears frankie fox print shirt from the ebabee shop}

Ebabee eats: Spiced Lebanese rice with mince lamb

July 2, 2015

We are huge foodies in this house. We LOVE to eat! And we love to cook. If you’ve been following this blog you’ll know that we were doing a huge house renovation project which meant we haven’t had a kitchen for six months! But we do now and we’ve haven’t stopped cooking since. I am all for experiencing and eating different foods, foods from around the world but also food that is family friendly. In the past, I’ve often ended up cooking two meals in an evening – one for Anya and one for Richard and me. That just takes the joy out of cooking and it starts to feel like a chore. So I keep looking for new ideas and flavours that will feed us all and I thought I would share some of my favourties here too.

Even though Anya is a fussy eater, I’ve slowly been introducing her to new flavours and tastes and today I wanted to share my version of this delicious spiced Lebanese rice with mince lamb recipe. This recipe has lots of spices which are exactly what gives this rice dish so much flavour but these spices are in no way spicy. What’s more, this Lebanese rice is a one pot meal making it a convenient and quick mid-week meal without compromising on flavour.

Spiced Lebanese rice with minced lamb recipe:

Serves: 4
Ingredients:
500 gms minced lamb (I prefer 10% fat but up to 20% is fine)
basmati rice*
1 medium onion
¾ tsp all spice
½ tsp ground cinnamon
2 black cardamom pods (or ½ tsp ground cardamom)
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground clove
¼ tsp ground cumin
beef or chicken stock
1 tbs olive oil
large knob of butter
couple of handfuls of frozen peas
handful of coriander (optional)
*I measure my rice in a measuring jug so I know exactly how much liquid to add. I put in rice up to the 300ml mark and then I put in a little over double the amount of water/stock – around 700-750ml.

Start by finely chopping the onion. Then measure out your spices and keep them aside.

Next heat the olive oil in a fairly deep pan and add the chopped onions. Stir the onions until they soften and turn a very light brown. Add in the minced lamb to brown making sure that any clumps of meat are broken down. (These steps can be done a few hours in advance so I usually do this in the afternoon making the dish even quicker to put together at dinner time.)

If you’ve browned the lamb mince in advance, just heat it up first. Add the knob of butter and once melted throw in all your spices and really mix it well so that they are spread through the lamb. Add the rice and peas and give it all another very good mix. Add your hot stock, bring to the boil and let it all boil for a minute or two, turn down heat to low, cover and simmer for around 20 minutes. Keep an eye on the rice as it’s done once the water has all evaporated. But make sure all the water has gone and it’s dry – if the rice is even a little wet it will be soggy and not as enjoyable. Often the rice at the bottom of the pan will burn a bit which makes that rice go crispy – this is the best bit of the dish so don’t throw it away, eat it!

I like to garnish with chopped coriander but that’s not essential. I usually have this with a simple red onion salad. Just thinly sliced red onions, sliced cucumbers and chopped coriander mixed together with a bit of salt, pepper and a ¾ teaspoon of vinegar.

This spiced Lebanese rice with mince lamb is a yummy little dish. If you give it a go, it may just become a weekly favourite as it’s become in our home. And the best bit is that not only is it a quick mid-week family dinner to put together, but you also have everything in one pot. This quantity comfortably feeds the three of us leaving a good amount leftover and this rice dish tastes even more delicious the next day.

P.S. If you want some more inspiration for tasty and easy mid-week family meals, take a look at my soba noodles recipe and my cheesy quesadillas.

*I’ve linked up to Honest Mum’s tasty Tuesday’s.

Baking with kids: 4 easy ideas

May 20, 2014

I love cooking but I’m not nearly as keen on baking or making sweet stuff. I guess I’m just more of a savoury person. Anya though loves baking and so lately I’ve been thinking that I need to do a bit more with her. A couple of weekends ago she and I made some bunny cookies and she loved getting involved. The look of pure excitement on her face when I told her we were going to be making cookies together made me think I need to do this more often. It also made me realise that it doesn’t have to be a complicated exercise, in fact the simpler the better. Sometimes it can even be about decorating some shop bought cakes or cookies. Or making simple fairy cakes and just decorating the cupcake liners. So with half-term coming up I thought it would be handy to have a few easy baking ideas up my sleeve:

1. Making cookies in different shapes like we did a few weeks ago is always fun. I found a very simple cookie recipe and showed Anya all the cookie cutter shapes we have and she chose to make bunnies. I didn’t have time to make icing so instead we made little tails from the same cookie dough. She had great fun cutting out the shapes and getting flour all over herself. Next time we might try cloud, star and moon shaped ones.

2. This is such a cute idea! Make simple shapes with filo pastry and then bake the pastry. In this filo boat recipe they’ve also made a chocolate pool (yum!) but if you didn’t want to do that, you could just fill the boats with chopped red berries and dust with icing sugar. Or for an extra sweet treat, fill will little M&M’s. This is top of my list to try soon.

3. Make simple cupcakes or buy them and have fun decorating them. I especially like the idea of making little paper decorations to adorn the cupcake liners and to top them rather than using sprinkles and icing. Just like these mustache cupcakes, they’ll look so much more unique and you can be as creative as you like.

4. Baking doesn’t always have to mean sweet things. Like these teddy bear rolls, making bread can be just as much fun. Kids love playing with dough of any sort so why not try making fun shaped bread. You can make any shape you like and then give it ears, a tail or anything else that your kids can imagine.

2012 Christmas gift guide: mamas {who like to cook and entertain}

November 13, 2012

This is the first year that I’m bringing you gift guides for mama’s too. So for the first one I’ve lined up a range of gifts ideas for mama’s that love to cook and entertain.

1. Apple shaped natural wood serving board by Zu.

2. The Smitten Kitchen cookbook by Deb Perelman from Amazon

3. Izmir measuring cups by Anthropologie.

4. Natural linen geometric design napkins by Linea Carta.

5. Handmade mini serving jugs by Emilie Pedron from Neest.

6. Sea Fowl laminated wood tray by Mina Perhonen from Coverture and the Garbstore.

7. Handmade polka dot bowls by Made by Simone from From the Wilde.

8. Sweet Paul Christmas/Holiday magazine by Sweet Paul.

9. Cloud shaped coasters in assorted colours by Cocon.

10. Tingleby porcelain snack bowls/espresso cups by Isak.

11. Use my Beehive tea towel by Donna Wilson.

You can also check out my gift ideas for boys and gift ideas for babies.

Entries Tagged as 'cooking'

Friday chat: 6 tips for cooking with kids everyday

November 20, 2015

Friday chat: Cooking with kids

August 7, 2015

Ebabee eats: Spiced Lebanese rice with mince lamb

July 2, 2015

Baking with kids: 4 easy ideas

May 20, 2014

2012 Christmas gift guide: mamas {who like to cook and entertain}

November 13, 2012

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