Cooking and playing together

We have fun cooking together.  We do, of course the Bear has a shorter attention span so we keep the things we cook together pretty easy, but it's an environment rich in learning opportunities as well.  I have written many posts about it, like here.

You can have fun cooking with your children too, yes you can!

So I am going to share a few fun dishes Bear and I have prepared together; for you know, a family that cooks and eats together stays together.  We build stronger relationships around the dinner table and when things come up in life, as they have a tendency to do as children age, a kitchen and the dinner table can be a handy tool in keeping communication lines open.  Even homeschool kids go through periods of time when talking to Dad and Mom is "uncool" and even scary depending on the topic.  However, if we have that solid time spent together sharing a common task and a common hour of time without any interruptions from phones, TV, computers, etc., the communications lines are more stable.  It's never too late to start, although habits are hard to break.  If you are new to the family table time idea, begin with just a few days a week, and slowly work up to having it be a nightly event.  Growing up I clearly remember dinner lasting well into the evening as we would discuss days events, politics, religion, sibling issues, etc.  It was just natural and if there was a squabble amongst my siblings and I, it was generally hashed out at that time.  But generally it was a time of sharing the days events and goals, ideas and philosophies.  Our meals were a time of family fellowship. 

I'm not sure if this idea stemmed from my father being an only child in an era when dad played a small role in the family outside of being a "provider" and my mother growing up in a house where children were seen and kept quiet or not.  They encouraged vocal exchanges in our home, we could disagree--and often did, as teenagers are apt to do.  With gusto. 

Here are a few of our kitchen adventures.

In the fall we "put up" several quarts and pints of
homemade sugar free, all natural, apple sauce.

In December we made goodie boxes for neighbors,
hubs work and family members

Zucchini Pizza. Here we made a pizza crust out of some zucchinis
that we had gotten in a fresh food box we ordered.
It was yummy and a dish I plan to make again this summer.
A much friendlier "healthy" food than the kale chips we made recently (more about that later).

Of course bread has been a weekly task with our education at the counter. 
We have made more loaves than I can begin to count in the past year alone. 

We also got 100% unhealthy a few times and one of those time we created this desert. 

Bear having fun grinding the oreos into crumbs.... 
I think a few escaped their grinding fate
 and ended up in a certain girls belly.

Here we decorated cookies for a valentine's day party
with our homeschool friends.

Valentines day we created a special dinner for the Hubs/Daddy.
She enjoyed working with the chocolate.
The raspberries were a hit and several were ate
before they made it onto the cake

Mixing and baking, baking and mixing.
Along with this we have been forming a bond and relationship.
Her chatter keeps a constant tempo as we crack, stir and mix.

This dish was a hit with everyone. 

We have made a few batches of Kimchee.
Something the hubs thoroughly enjoys. 
Plus its a nice raw fermented dish, good for the tummy. 

Making no bakes!  Yeah we like chocolate around here.

Lunch can be fun together.

Cupcakes for the fourth of July!

A special request during our July week of learning about Independence...
It is suppose to be red, white and blue, although the noodles aren't that white.

A few links to past lessons at the counter are: 

• May 1, 2012
• Oct 24, 2011
• Feb 25, 2012
• and Yummy in the Tummy

Linking up today with Summer Connections over at Our Good Life.






Happy tending gentle friends!