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Most adults remember cooking with their families and the tasty creations, fun recipes and important skills they learned in the kitchen. Today, cooking is still a valuable and enjoyable way for families to re-connect and spend time together.
But when you mention cooking with kids, most parents agree it is not always easy to have kids help out in the kitchen, where they are notorious for making big messes. And with today's busy schedules, are the messes deterring families from the experience?
A recent survey, sponsored by a major laundry brand, set out to determine how moms and kids feel about cooking together. The survey found that the mess children make in the kitchen is the number one reason mothers cited for not cooking with their kids more often, followed by lack of time. In fact, an overwhelming percentage of moms (eighty-two percent) said they would cook more with their kids if they did not have to worry about the mess.
That's why celebrity chef Rachael Ray is providing helpful tips and recipes to cope with kitchen messes and make cooking with kids more enjoyable. Ray, a noted chef, author and host of the Food Network's "Rachael Ray's 30-Minute Meals," was raised in a cooking family and knows firsthand the valuable lessons and skills children can gain by cooking with their parents.
"Cooking is a wonderful and engaging way to keep children learning, developing and entertained," said Ray. "By following simple tips, families can handle kitchen messes and focus on having fun."
A few tips to help small chefs manage a big mess:
- Put a premium on prep time. Prepare ingredients ahead of time and keep the equipment list short. Sometimes your hands make the best utensils.
- Cook 'til you drop. Lay out a "washable drop cloth" on the floor (an old bed sheet works wonders) that can simply be thrown into the washing machine after cooking.
- Make clean up part of your routine. It's okay to make a mess, but try to routinely begin your clean up while your food is cooking. Good habits learned early are more likely to become lasting habits.
- 360° Spot Check. After cooking with your children, take turns doing a 360° check of their clothing and yours for stains. Treating stains early helps to reduce them from setting and ruining clothing. To remove stains, choose a laundry detergent or other product that's formulated to get out the major food stains.
Cooking with your kids is especially fun when you don't have to worry about the mess.
Top Photo Credit: Disney Online
Bottom Photo Credit: NAPS
