Making a Pinky Pie

Making food should be fun. Sometimes it’s not much fun, I’ll admit. Creating food that is fun to see, and eat, can be rewarding, though, even if making it presents a few problems.

One of our family’s traditions is that I make my kids a special birthday cake, decorated according to their interests and personality. For better or worse, my 20 year old son is a Brony. For those who don’t know, a Brony is an adult fan of the My Little Pony show. Yes, Virginia, my son watches a show  designed for little girls. He’s not alone. There are plenty of adults from all walks of life that love that show. With that in mind, I had to figure out how to make the Boy a My Little Pony themed birthday cake.

The Boy is not a huge cake fan. Neither is his younger sister. His favorite My Little Pony character is named Pinky Pie. In a state of punnific inspiration, I threw out the cake idea and make him a birthday pie, instead.

I didn’t have a lot of time with this one so, I did the only thing a sensible person would do. I turned to the baking shelves in the grocery store and bought a cheese cake mix, adding a bit of red food coloring to make it pink.

Next came the pattern. I’d found a Pinky Pie t-shirt for sale on the web, and downloaded a picture of it, copying the stylized portrait of that particular little pony onto a sheet of paper to make a pattern for the top of the cake.

Fortune smiled on me in the form of left-over fondant in the freezer. I mixed more red food coloring with some of it to fashion the mane, and left the rest white for the eyes. For the iris, I mixed up some blue food coloring with granulated sugar and sprinkled it on top. The rest was a combination of red and black decorating gel.

A word of warning about decorating gel. Don’t apply it until just before serving. It will separate and seep a colored sugar-water over the rest of your project if you let it sit very long. Blech.

I’m not going to kid you. It was fun, but it was a pain. I had trouble with the pattern. It stuck to the top of the cheesecake when I was trying to transfer the outline. The fondant kept getting way to warm to handle way too quickly and didn’t want to behave, especially for the mane. The blue sugar didn’t want to lay down where I wanted it to. (In retrospect, I should have made the irises from blue fondant). I had to make it a day prior to my son coming for a visit, due to scheduling problems, and so I was mopping up red and black seepage from the gel before showing it to him. ARRRRGGGG!

The work was worth it, though, at least in retrospect. It really was fun to present, and eat. My wife and daughters were impressed. My son was ecstatic. How could he not be? I’d make him a Pinky Pie for his birthday.

Creamy Polenta with Parmesan Cheese

Polenta can be quite a nice treat, either as a side dish or main course. It’s odd to think that this much sought after, and sometimes expensive, dish began life as congealed corn much. Yup! Let hot corn mush harden and you’ve got polenta.

Italians don’t only each it after it’s firmed up, though. Intelligent foodistas that they are, they enjoy it hot from the pan as well, as creamy polenta. It’s the ultimate comfort food.

Contrary to what some may tell you, the best polenta is made from coarsely ground cornmeal. If you like eating craft glue, by all means, use a fine ground cornmeal. Otherwise, stick with a course grind. Stone-ground cornmeal is a close second choice, but because of it’s uneven grind, you get uneven results.

One of the nice things about this recipe is that it's so easy. My ten year old made the polenta you see pictured.

Equipment needed
Cutting board
Chef’s knife
Microplane or rasp grater
Measuring cups and spoons
Saucepan
Whisk
Wooden (or plastic) spoon

Ingredients
3 Tbl butter
2 ounces Parmesan cheese (1 cup, grated)
6 cups water
1 1/2 cups coarsely ground cornmeal
Salt as needed

Directions
Cut the butter into large chunks and set aside. Grate the cheese with a fine rasp grater or microplane. You should end up with about 1 cup of grated Parmesan.

Bring 6 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add 1 1/2 tsp salt. Slowly add the cornmeal, whisking the whole time to avoid clumps. Reduce to a simmer, stirring constantly. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Continue stirring often, making sure you get into the corners of the pan, until the polenta is smooth and soft. This can take anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes, depending on the humidity and corn meal. Taste to check if it’s done. It should have a warm toasted corn flavor and be smooth in texture. Stir in the butter and grated Parmesan. Season with additional salt to taste and serve.

Serve with additional Parmesan cheese, your favorite marinara sauce, or with any other desired toppings.

Makes 6 servings.

I posted a recipe for the firmed up version of polenta, earlier. I like this mash recipe better. If you want firm polenta, you can allow this mixture to cool, cutting it into squares and frying just as I did in the original recipe.

Weekly Menu Planning – It's in the Bag

Whenever I think about putting a meal in a bag, I think lunch. School lunch, work lunch ... either way. Who knew that bagging dinner might be a good idea, too?

A few weeks ago, my wife and I went to a special fireside put on by the High Priest Group in our ward. As part of the presidency of that group, naturally I had to go. I'm glad I did. A woman from the upper echelons of the LDS Church welfare and food storage programs came and spoke to us about getting our food storage together. At the bequest of the First Presidency, she was called to do some major studying on food storage and food storage recipes. The whole thing was very enlightening.

One thing we took away was the idea of a “bagged meal.” In this case, you get everything you need to make a single meal and put it in a bag. Canned goods, packets, dried stuff, whatever, along with direction on how to make the meal. That way, when it comes time to cook, you just go grab the bag from your panty and start cooking.

The bagged meals also come in handy if someone in the ward is ill or, for whatever other reason, needs to have meals brought into them. No problem. Just grab a bag and hand it over to the Relief Society President.

My wife and I have started implementing that idea, along with the meal planner at KitchenMonki, to make meal preparation faster and easier. Our goal for some time has been to have better, more regular family meals prepared by the family, not just me. The fact that I want my kids to learn to cook is no secret. The fact that my wife hates to cook from scratch is no secret, either.

Weekly Meal Planning with Bagged Dinners

Here's what we've been doing to create a week of bagged meals. On Friday night, we create a dinner plan for the week using the meal planning tool at KitchenMonki. Any tool would do, even a piece of paper. We just happen to like this one. Each of my children has been assigned to one day of the week to cook, with help from either Mom or Dad depending on the day, leaving the other days for my wife and me.

When making the plan, we only plan for dinners. Breakfasts and lunches during the week are still pretty much up for grabs, either by default or necessity. It gives us a chance to eat any leftovers and it just works better for us, given everyone's schedules. When planning those dinners, we get the kids involved. Whoever is cooking gets a say in what they want to make that day, with a little guidance when needed from yours truly. That way, they are invested in the process of planning full, mostly balanced meals. They get to learn a bit about nutrition menu planning because they are doing the planning. They are also more invested in the idea of making their dinner, and are more happy to actually do it when the time comes.

Printing the Menu Plan

Once the plan is made we print out the weekly menu as one document and put it up on the bulletin board. That way everyone knows what's coming up for dinner that week, and can remind themselves of what they're cooking on their days.

Next, I print out the recipes for each day as a single document. I staple the pages together, write the day of the week on it, and make other notes based on any modifications or clarifications needed for that day. Then we put a number on each day's packet: 1 through 7, depending on the day. For us, the week starts on Monday not Sunday so, Monday is #1, Tuesday is #2, and so on.

Next, we check the menus and create a grocery list for the week. If there's anything we already have on hand, great. If not, we add it to the list. Saturday morning, or late Friday night, I go to the grocery store and pick up the items we need, along with any staples we may need for breakfast and lunch.

After the chores and grocery shopping are done, we get the kids together and prepare the meal bags, each person prepping their own meal.

But I'll tell you more about how we do that, next time.

Pecans, Patience and Procrastination

You may remember than my oldest daughter has taken quite an interest in making candy. She needed to get some pecans to make pralines, so I heroically volunteered to drive her to the grocery store for them.

I don't know how much of a hero I really was. I was going to get eggs and some vanilla that night, anyway, but I like to think I'm heroic where my daughter's are concerned. It's this little illusion I create for myself, as their father. They know better, but are polite enough not to say anything.

Against my recommendations, she got the caramel made up and cooling before we left. We only needed three or four items so it wasn't going to take very long.

Yeah, right.

I tend to linger in the grocery aisles a bit, especially if something catches my eye. What caught my eye first, was a friend and neighbor who also happens to be a good home cook.

For some reason that I can't remember, he needed to replace his large cooking pot. He wasn't impressed with the prices there, and I wasn't impressed with the quality. We talked cooking gear as hard as any weekend woodworking warrior would at Home Depot. “Yeah, it looks bonded, but from the heft I'd guess it's got a hollow core, not an aluminum one,” and so on.

After several minutes of this my daughter ... remember my daughter? This story is about her, after all.

Anyway, my daughter was trying to speed things up and had found the vanilla. “Will this do? It's the cheapest.”

“It is imitation?” I asked.

“Yeah, but it's less expensive than this other one.”

I shook my head. “No, honey. Never buy imitation vanilla. It's crap. Get the natural stuff.” I promptly went back to the discussion of stock pot construction techniques.

My daughter chimed in again. “Dad? Candy? Remember?”

“Oh, yeah. She's started making candies these days. It's really quite something,” I told my friend, not quite getting the hint.

“Dad! We have to get back, remember?” my daughter said, in earnest.

“Okay. I guess we better go. We've got to get back before her caramel cools too much.” I finally said, and my friend and I parted ways.

Stepping a little farther down the aisle we found the pecans. “$10.00 a pound? Holy cow. I didn't realize they'd be so expensive. I'm not sure we don't need two of these.” I exclaimed in horror.

Sidestepping the issue, my daughter asked, “How many of these packages do we really need?”

Upon further inspection I thought we'd be okay with the one pound package, but just barely. To be honest, I was being hopeful. I knew that two packages would be too many and, frankly, I didn't want to pay $20.00 for pecans just to make candy. I'm kinda cheap that way. It turned out I was right. We had just barely 4 cups of chopped nuts.

“Okay, let's get the eggs and then we can go.” my daughter pressed.

We found the eggs, but along the way we also went down the picnic items aisle. This aisle has all the ketchup and mustard and hot sauce and, well, I did need some more.

I grabbed a bottle of Louisiana style hot sauce and started comparing it with the Tabasco brands when my daughter broke my reverie, “Dad? Candy?”

“Oh, okay.” I said. “I just need some of this,” and I put the Louisiana style hot sauce in our small basket.

The trouble is, the olives and pickles were farther down that same aisle. As I stopped once again, distracted by some garlic-stuffed green olives, my daughter spoke up again.

“No, Dad. No! No more looking! We have to go. No looking!” She hunched her shoulders and waved her hands furiously at me for emphasis.

Trying not laugh, I closed my eyes and left the aisle with her. She had a good point, but she just looked so cute waving her hands around that I just had to smile.

The rest of the trip was uneventful. We got through the checkout quickly and painlessly. When we got home, though, the caramel had indeed cooled a bit more than I thought was good. My daughter was undaunted. I showed her how to chop the pecans with a heavy chef's knife and she stirred them in.

We realized, too late, that we didn't have enough waxed paper to spread out on the table so, we sprayed some baking sheets and she started to drop the praline mixture onto them to cool and harden. The caramel was more than soft. Runny, would be more accurate. I didn't think it had been cooked long enough, so I made her bring it to a boil again and then let it cool enough to deal with. That did the trick, mostly, and she was able to get them laid out on the baking sheets in record time. Once again, I listened to the voice in my head saying, Shut up, John, and just let her have at it.

I shouldn't have worried. They were the softest pralines I've ever eaten, to be sure, but they were quite tasty. So tasty, in fact, that it was hard to stop eating them. Once again, my daughter had created something wonderful. Not quite a confectionary triumph, but very close. Close enough that we devoured them all in two days.

Next, she's planning on making a caramel pudding-cake.

Photo by Michael W.

My Daughter, the Confectioner

My oldest daughter has started following in her old man's footsteps. It turns out she followed me right into the kitchen. Unlike her old man, though, she's getting more into candy making. As you can imagine, I'm trying to encourage this behavior. Hey, I like homemade candy as much as the next guy.

I've already posted her first candy attempt. The caramels were good, in spite of the fact that she added twice as much sugar as the recipe called for.

It also turns out that she was guessing when it came to the temperature. We don't have a candy thermometer. I assumed she was testing for the soft ball stage because I had talked to her about it.

She told me, “Yeah, Dad. I read about it in this recipe book. I know what that's about.”

Knowing and doing are two different things, though. “Yeah, Dad. I read about and I think that's too much work so I'm not doing it.” That would have been more accurate. She eventually revealed that "She was guessing based on how fast she saw our meat thermometer rising."

I think that's why the caramels, and her latest candy creations, weren't quite as expected, texture-wise.

Mistakes are part of learning, though. Whenever she's in the kitchen I'm constantly reminding myself, shut up, John. Yes, I may know an [insert favorite positive adjective here] way, but she needs to be allowed to make mistakes. I firmly believe that. I also firmly believe that if I get too involved she'll quit doing it and there will be less treats in my life. Thus goes the father/daughter relationship.

A week ago I came home from work to find her in the kitchen just beginning to stir up some agglomeration of sugar, water, and butter. I thought I best investigate.

“What'cha makin'?” I asked.

“Oh, just this stuff,” she said, turning to her favorite cookbook, “Prawl-eyens, pray – lines, something.”

“Pralines?” I asked.

“I guess.” She said, turning back to the pot.

Wow. She's braver than I am so, I said, “Wow. You're braver than I am. I don't make much candy. Hot sugar makes me nervous.”

“Thanks!” she replied, smiling. “I don't have any pecans so, I thought I'd use these almonds. I'm not sure I have enough, though.”

“How much do you need?”

“Four cups, I think. I'm doubling the recipe.”

Ouch. Besides, the almonds and I had plans. “Honey, I think you've got maybe one cup of almonds here and I was planning on using them for something else.”

“Oh, okay,” she replied, dropping her smile in favor of a vacant look of dissapointment.

“Look, I'm going to the grocery store. Do you want to come along and we can get some pecans, instead?” I offered.

She perked up a bit. “Sure. Just let me get this started.”

“I'm not sure you'll want to do that. You really shouldn't leave candy alone when your baking it.” I said. “Why don't you wait until we get back?”

“No, I want to get this done. I've got to let it cool down for at least 30 minutes before I add the nuts,” she insisted. “Then we can go.”

“Are you sure?” I started. The voice in my head starting to say, shut up, John.

“Yeah, I'm sure,” she said.

“Okay,” I said, silently hoping the candy wouldn't cool down as fast as I thought it would.

After several minutes of stirring, she announced, “Okay, Dad. We can go. Let's just not take too long, okay?”

“Okay,” I said, “I only need to get some vanilla and eggs. that shouldn't take too long.”

Unfortunately, things don't always go as planned for budding confectioners, or their fathers ....

Photo by Rubén.

Tomato and Mozzarella (Caprese) Salad

With summer vegetables coming in, not to mention the temperature going up, its time to turn our thoughts to cool salads that can act as replacements for the lettuce and cucumber affairs of spring. With summer tomatoes starting to come in, you could try a Caprese salad. This simple, almost minimalist, salad really lets the fresh tomato and mozzarella flavors shine through.

For the best flavor, use fresh garden tomatoes, instead of those waxy flavorless ones you normally find in the supermarket. Fresh mozzarella is a must for this dish. You'll be sorely disappointed if you use the older processed crap we normally find in the cheese aisle. If you can't get fresh mozzarella, try this recipe with chevré (soft French goat cheese), instead.

Equipment Needed

Cutting board
Kitchen knife
Measuring spoons
Mixing bowl
Whisk
Plastic wrap


Ingredients
5 small ripe tomatoes
9 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese
6 basil leaves (fresh)

for the dressing
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt

ground black pepper to taste
salt, to taste


Directions
Remove the stems from each tomato, halve them lengthwise, and cut them into wedges about 1/4 inch thick. Cut the mozzarella into slices around 1/4 inch thick, as well, about the same size and thickness as the tomato slices.

Arrange alternate slices of tomato and mozzarella on a serving dish. Sprinkle small pieces of basil over the salad, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about 30 minutes before serving, to chill.

If you don't have fresh basil, that's okay. You can sprinkle it with a bit of dried basil, instead.

While the salad is chilling, combine the balsamic vinegar and a pinch of salt in a mixing bowl. Add the olive oil one tablespoon at a time, mixing in one thoroughly before adding the next, to make an emulsion.

When ready to serve, take the salad from the refrigerator and remove the plastic warp. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and sprinkle with ground black pepper to taste. Additional salt can also be added, if desired.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Get Your Kids Into the Oven

Now that you've got your kids working most of the kitchen – they've learned some about using a knife and have started to get used to the stove – it's time to introduce the oven.

Ovens can be scary things. I know they scared me as a kid. You open up that oven door and WHOOSH out comes a wave of hot air. Get hit with that and you know you're in trouble! It's all you can do, as a little kid, to screw up your courage enough to step back close enough to the oven to close the door, let alone put anything in it. With a little encouragement, and plenty of supervision, the oven doesn't have to be so scary. In fact, maybe we should start with the broiler.

Open Face Toasted Cheese Sandwiches

Now, I know we've covered the stove version of the grilled cheese sandwich. This one you make under the broiler. I remember these well from my own childhood. I didn't know the grilled version existed until I got into college. This was the way it was done in my Mother's kitchen. To be honest, it's easier to make than the grilled version.

Toast about eight slices of good bread in the toaster. Spread mayonnaise or salad dressing (I like canola mayonnaise) and some good deli mustard (Western Family horseradish mustard is an excellent choice) on one side of each slice. Cover with a slice of Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Colby, or some other hearty cheese. Place the assembled toast slices on a large baking sheet and pop them under the broiler until the cheese is melted and lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let cool a bit before serving.

By the way, these make a great accompaniment to tomato soup.

Pita Bread Pizza

My own kids love to make these in the microwave with just regular bread, but I think this way is better. It also looks more like a regular pizza and the bread doesn't gooey.

Spread marinara sauce on a round pita. Canned sauce will do just fine. Add your favorite toppings, plus some grated cheese. Pop them under the broiler until bubbly and nicely browned. Cut into slices just like a larger pizza.

Wondering what to do with that leftover meatloaf, lunch meats, sausage, chopped veggies, or what have you? Let your kids clean out the refrigerator by putting the leftovers on their pizzas.

Stuffed Cornbread Muffins

We're going to cheat with this recipe. Instead of going through the process of making great cornbread from scratch, were going to let the kids do it with commercial corn bread/muffin mix. Follow the directions on the package to make the batter. Fill the wells of a muffin pan about 1/3 of the way with batter. Drop in a rounded teaspoon of whatever filling you want, and cover with the remaining batter. Cook according to the package directions.

For the filling you can try all kinds of things. Slices of hot dog, grated cheese, chopped veggies, you name it. Your kids will probably go for teaspoons of their favorite jam. You'll want to let them after you taste it.

The point of all this is, of course, to get the kids having fun and developing good life skills at the same time. (Are you finally sensing the theme for this month?) Just emphasize the “fun” part and let them figure out the “developing skills” part when they grow up.

Easy Stovetop Recipes for Kids

Once your kids get used to using a small knife, it's time to graduate them to the stove. This can be scary for kids (and parents) because it's the first time they'll be working with fire.

WARNING: Getting burned is no fun. Make sure your kids know at least some of the kitchen safety rule, those dealing with hot things, anyway. Don't let very young ones try these recipes, either. If you do, just have them help with the parts that don't require them to be near the heat.

An easy first recipe to introduce kids to the stove might be Eggs Over Easy (the Easy Way) or simple boiled eggs.

A grilled cheese sandwich might be a good second choice.

Take two slices of bread and spread salad dressing or mayo on one side of each slice. Mustard is a nice addition, if you're kids like mustard. Put a slice of cheese (cheddar is my kid's favorite) between each slice. Make sure the mayo and mustard are on the inside of the sandwich, okay? (Yes, I know. You already knew that. I was just seeing if you were paying attention.)

Spread butter over both sides of the bread, on the outside. (At this point, some people start arguing about whether to put butter in the pan, or on the outside of the bread. I don't like arguing so I do both.)

Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Melt about a teaspoon of butter in the pan until it stops foaming. Place the sandwich in the pan and cover with a lid (this helps make sure the cheese melts properly). Cook for a minute or two until the bread is nice and toasty brown. You can lift up a corner of the sandwich with a spatula to check. Turn over and repeat the process on the other side.

If you don't want to mess up your counter, butter only one side of the bread before putting it in the skillet, buttered side down. Then you can butter the other side once it's in the pan. Don't let your kids do this, though. Let's not risk them getting burned.

Sometimes I'll put ham (or bologna – hat tip to tkangaroo!) in with the cheese. It gives the sandwich more body. Unfortunately, sandwiches like this also gives me more body.

Another easy stove top recipe is Fruity French toast.

Beat together two eggs, two tablespoons of milk, a tablespoon of your favorite jam, a quarter teaspoon of ground nutmeg or cinnamon, and a dash of salt, in a bowl. Dip slices of bread into the mixture, both sides please.

Cook the egged bread in a buttered pan over medium heat until golden brown (about two minutes). Turn over and cook it on the other side. Don't let it get too hot or it will burn the jam.

If the jam in French toast is a hit, why not try it with pancakes? Add a tablespoon or two or your favorite jam to the batter before you start cooking. Again, don't let it get too hot so you don't burn the jam.

Be creative! The point is to have fun in the kitchen, and help the kids enjoy it, too. Now it's your turn. Do you have any simple recipes you'd like to share?

Tea Sandwiches for Kids

Teaching kids kitchen skills is no easy task. It's important to give them tasks they can accomplish. You want them to feel successful, after all. One of the most simple foods you can teach your kids to make is tea sandwiches.

Oh, yes. I can hear it now. “Are you crazy, John? Little froo froo sandwiches? What in heaven's name are you making tea sandwiches for, anyway? You're a Mormon! You're not supposed to drink tea!”

Why not tea sandwiches? The prohibition Mormon's observe against tea and coffee is real. Mormon's aren't supposed to drink tea but, what's that got to do with little sandwiches?

Making tea sandwiches teaches a kid about the proper use of a knife, a vital kitchen skill. It's also easy for them to experiment with various shapes and flavors. Best of all, your little ones can now feed themselves and entertain their friends.

Remember that tea party your daughter's always asking to have with you? Who said it has to have pretend food? My girl's love having a “high tea” with me. We'll make little sandwiches, herbal tea, and serve it all on pretty china (I have a nice Chinese tea set). It makes it fun for me, too.

Tea sandwiches can come in all shapes and sizes. Just cutting the crust off the bread may be enough for some kids. Cutting the bread on the diagonal can make two, or four, little triangles. The sandwiches can be cut into three rectangular strips. You can even punch out circles or hearts with a cookie cutter (I like toasting them first). What kid wouldn't enjoy doing that?

Besides good old peanut butter and jelly, here are a few more “little sandwich” fillings you may want to introduce to your kids. Any of these can be topped with bread, or served open faced.

Cucumber and Cream Cheese Tea sandwiches

Spread cream cheese on top a round circle of bread and add a slice of cucumber. Add a dash of salt, pepper, and dill weed for extra flavor.

Ham and Cheese Tea Sandwiches

Make a regular ham and cheese sandwich, with a little salad dressing and mustard (if your kids like mustard). Make sure the ham and cheese are cut into very thin slices for this one. Cut the sandwich into little triangles by making two diagonal cuts across the sandwich. Buy different kinds of lunch meat and cheeses to let your kids experiment, and expand their palette.

Tomato, Spinach, and Cheese Tea Sandwiches

Cut a Roma tomato into 1/ 4 inch think round slices. Spread salad dressing little squares or rounds of toasted bread, and top with one tomato slice. Sprinkle with a little salt, and basil. Fold a small spinach leaf in half (or cut it to size) an put on top of the tomato, along with a very thin slice of Parmesan or siago cheese (use a vegetable peeler to cut a thin slice).

If you want to make egg or tuna salad for these things, you can try that, too. I know people that actually like tuna salad but, I'm not one of them. My cousins grew up with the stuff. I can't stand it. Egg salad on the other hand, is a favorite sandwich topping for me, my wife, and my kids.

Let the kids experiment. If they can think of something that might work as a sandwich, let them try it. At the worst, you're out a few ingredients. Don't worry. If it's bad, they'll never make it again. At best, who knows? Maybe they'll come up with something that'l have you asking them, “Can you make me another one of your specialty sandwiches?” Then just sit back and watch your little one's face light up as they enter the kitchen.

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Making Healthy After-School Snacks

One way to start your kids off in the kitchen is to teach them to make a few healthy after-school snacks. Most simple snacks are easy to make, which means your kids won't be overwhelmed by them. I think that's important in any teaching experience. You want your kids to be able to actually succeed at the cooking tasks you give them. In the beginning, that means the tasks need to be simple. Above all, they need to be fun.

Prepping your kitchen for the kids is a good idea, too. Clear a space on the counter or a table for them to work on. Sometimes I'll put things on the step stool so my littlest one can get in on the action. I just make sure I'm emotionally ready to clean up the mess, afterwards.

Getting your kids their own aprons can be fun, too. Please DO NOT put a frilly apron a young boy. Cooking is not a sexist activity and you want your kids to understand that. Putting a “girlie” apron on a young boy will drive him out of the kitchen.

The easiest after-school snack is probably fruit. Apples, especially. All the kids have to do is wash them. Bananas come in a close second. Instead of washing, you peel them. If you want to get a little more sophisticated, try a few of these:

Tortilla Wraps

Start with a wheat tortilla and add whatever you want. Peanut butter and jelly, lettuce with Ranch dressing, thinly sliced cheese and lunch meat, cucumber or carrot spears – whatever you like. Peanut butter and cheddar cheese is a favorite in my family. Peanut butter and bananas are tasty this way, too. Let your kids experiment with their own concoctions. After you add the filling, roll the tortilla up like a burrito, or just roll it up into a tube. The possibilities are endless!

Lettuce Wraps

Trying to cut down on the carbs? Show your kids how to roll up various fillings in a lettuce leaf, instead of a tortilla. Peanut butter may not be the best choice, here, but any number of cheeses will work great.

Microwave Quesadillas

Once the kids are old enough to handle the microwave, teach them to make simple quesadillas. Sprinkle grated cheese over the top of a wheat tortilla and fold it in half. Pop it into the microwave on high for one minute. My kids love using the pizza cutter to cut it into smaller portions.

Bread Sticks with Spaghetti Sauce

Left over spaghetti sauce is a great after-school snack. Toast some bread, cut it into one inch thick strips (teach your kids to use a knife before you let them do this on their own) and dip them in the sauce straight from the refrigerator. If you want, let them heat the sauce in the microwave, first.

Peanut Butter Sandwich Variations

Peanut butter sandwiches are a staple for me and my kids. Even as an adult, I still love them. What's great about peanut butter is you can put almost anything with it and still make a great sandwich. Peanut butter and jelly is a classic, but so is peanut butter with sliced banana, apple, or raisins. Peanut butter and cheese is interesting. Another really fun sandwich is peanut butter and potato chips. Just spread the peanut butter onto a couple of slices of bread and sprinkle on some crushed potato chips before putting the two slices together.

Crackers and Stuff

Crackers are great topped with all kinds of things. Anything you can put on a sandwich can be put on a cracker. A favorite cracker topping at my house is cucumber slices and a dollop of cottage cheese.

Flies on a Log

My son came up with this when he was about twelve years old. Fill a celery stalk with peanut butter. Press raisins into the peanut butter all the way down the stalk like little “flies” sitting on a log.

Soldiers

This one I owe to my mom. Got leftover pancakes? Spread butter or peanut butter on them, add a little jam or sugar, and roll them up into little tubes. She claims this was the only way she could get me and my brothers to eat pancakes when we were little.

Getting your kids working with food doesn't have to be a chore. Start with a few simple after-school snacks. This can help your kids make healthy choices, and can get them excited about cooking more complex things, when they're ready.

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Kids and Kitchen Safety

If the Mother's Day breakfast rush was a success, you may want to get serious with your kids about working in the kitchen. If they're going to be in there trying to whip up breakfast in bed for Father's Day, they better know something about being safe.

(Dear Heavenly Father, please don't let my kids do this for me. You know how much I hate eating breakfast in bed. Thank you.)

I like cooking with my kids. I know that it's going to take more time and planning but, I still think it's worth it. There aren't any rules that I know of when it comes to teaching kids to cook. The biggest issue is safety. No one has any fun in the kitchen if someone gets hurt and there's plenty to get hurt on in the modern kitchen.

Here are twenty rules you may want to go over with your kids as you teach them to cook. You might want them just to refresh your own memory. They're in no particular order. Be careful how you present them, though. You want your kids to be safe, not frightened.

1.Wash your hands, first.

Mother was right. Good cooking starts with good hygiene. Dirt and germs don't need to be in our food.

2.Very small children must stay out of the kitchen.

If a very small child wants to watch, set them up at a safe distance. I don't know how many times I've narrowly avoided tripping over my youngest one as I've turned away from the stove to get something.

3. Same things goes for pets.

4.Remember, there's fire in the kitchen.

There's a problem with fire. It's hot. Very hot. It doesn't have to be red to be hot. Be careful before you touch anything that might hot.

5.The fire extinguisher is near the stove.

Teach your kids how to use the fire extinguisher. Make sure you've got one that's easy to use nearby. Just don't use it on grease fires unless it's rated for them. Make sure the kid's know that it's OK to ruin dinner to avoid getting burned.

6.Smother grease fires, don't use water.

Our instincts are to run for the water when it comes to fire, but with grease fires that just makes it worse. Water and oil don't mix, even when the oil is on fire. Cover them with a lid and smother them, instead. Yeah, you might get your arm singed a little bit, but the alternative (an explosion) is worse. Definitely don't try to pour flaming grease out of a pan!

7.Hot water can burn you.

I know, that seems obvious but, I can't count the number of times I've heard, “It's just water, Dad.”

8.Keep your work area clean.

A clean and clear work area means there's less things to bump into, and less accidents.

9.Keep the stove and oven clean.

Keeping the stove and oven clean reduces the chances of a fire.

10.Keep the floor clean.

My kids like to leave their toys on the floor. They've got perfectly good shelves for them but, for some reason, they like using the floor instead. My youngest wanders into the kitchen all the time, to see what I'm doing, and leaves little presents for me to trip over. Not safe.

11.Use a solid step stool to reach things.

You need to be above the food to work with it safely. Use a solid step stool in the kitchen if you, or the kids, need to. Make it a good one that won't easily tip over. Paying $60.00 for a decent stool is a lot better than paying for a visit to the emergency room.

12.Knives are important tools, not toys.

Knives are important tools that you, and your kids, need to master. Sharp knives are much safer because they don't slip like dull ones do. Keep your fingers tucked under when chopping and slicing. The sharp end is for food, not fingers.

13.Cut one side of food flat, before you start chopping and slicing.

Round food will roll when you try to cut it. It's better to slice it flat on one side, or chop in in half, before chopping.

14.Don't leave pan handles sticking over the side of the stove.

Handles are great for holding things, but not much else. You don't want to snag them and dump scalding hot liquids, oil, or food on you. Turn those pot handles away from the edge!

15.Don't use wet towels or pot holders to pick stuff up.

Wet or oily pot holders transfer heat to small hands, fast. Large hands too, for that matter. Keep a small stockpile of dry ones, just in case.

16.Don't pick up a hot pan unless you know where you're going to put it.

17.Make sure you know which stove burners are on.

I put a glass lid on a hot burner once. I'd turned it off and didn't realize it was still hot. In a few moments it exploded. No one was hurt, thank goodness, but I never want that to happen again.

18.Kid's aren't allowed to use powered appliances or sharp things without a parent supervising them.

19.Make sure you have enough light.

Can't see? Turn on the light. Open the curtains. Do both if you need to.

20.Warn people: Hot Behind!

I've never worked in a professional kitchen, but I've been told that the phrase “Hot! Hot behind!” is a common one when you're moving hot pans. Teach your kids that if they walk up behind someone with a hot pan to warn them by saying, “Hot! Hot behind!” Do this with your spouse and it might make them smile.

Can you think of any more safety tips for the kitchen, or ways to teach our kids those rules? I'd love to hear them.

Eggs Over Easy (the Easy Way)

My wife loves eggs cooked “over easy.” So do I, for that matter. So for her "Mother's Day Breakfast in Bed," she'll be getting some. Getting fried eggs to turn out with moist yolks and completely cooked whites, can be tough. It turns out there's an insanely easy way to do it, though. Believe it or not, it has as much to do with your toaster as it does your stove.

I love this recipe for kids, too. It's easy enough that a young cook can handle it. Just supervise them a bit so they don't burn themselves.

I first learned this technique from James Thorson in his book “Tough Guys Don't Dice.” It's a great book. I recommend it to any neophyte cook. As far as I know it's out of print, but you can find copies if you look.

By the way, this book is not an example of fine cuisine. No way. Instead, it's filled with basic recipes and techniques you can use to feed yourself (and others) using down to earth language that most guys will appreciate. At the very least, it's an entertaining read.

The secret to this recipe is to serve it with toast. Here's how you do it.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons butter (one if you're just cooking one egg)
2 large eggs (or one if you're watching your weight)
1 /4 teaspoon salt
1 /8 teaspoon pepper.
Two slices of bread

First, heat a small saute or omelet pan over medium to medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons of butter and melt until it stops foaming. You can use a teaspoon or two of vegetable or canola oil, if your prefer. Just make sure the oil is hot before you add the eggs. Crack two eggs into the pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper, cover tightly, and remove from the heat. Trust me. There's enough heat left in the pan to cook the eggs.

Now, put the slices of bread in your toaster. Set it to make a reasonably brown toast, please. None of this “barely warm enough to melt the butter but not brown the bread” garbage.

When the toast pops up, the eggs are done.

I know. It sounds weird but, if you get the temperatures right, it works great. If you leave the eggs on the heat, the bottom will get too crusty. If you don't let the pan heat up enough before hand, the yolks will be too runny.

I like my eggs either way, so I don't mind so much when I don't get it perfect.

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