{"id":3526,"date":"2012-10-25T05:00:36","date_gmt":"2012-10-25T10:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.crumbbums.com\/?p=3526"},"modified":"2016-09-27T11:17:48","modified_gmt":"2016-09-27T16:17:48","slug":"in-the-kitchen-with-young-kids-and-a-recipe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.crumbbums.com\/?p=3526","title":{"rendered":"In the Kitchen with Young Kids (And a Recipe)"},"content":{"rendered":"

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I once had a conversation with Andrew’s brother Ryan about making stuff with your kids; particularly baking cookies. I was relieved to hear him tell me that once, out of frustration and feelings of sheer inadequacy, he went to his mother exasperated after trying to let his kids help him make cookies (or a cake?). He asked her how in the world she let them stir a hot pot, man a mixer, or measure out ingredients. And you know what she told him? That she didn’t! At least not until they got older.\u00a0Whew.\u00a0<\/em>Let me just tell you, I was visibly relieved, because honestly? Most of the time, I find that having little kids in the kitchen while I am cooking or baking is mostly dangerous, frustrating, and at times, annoying.<\/p>\n

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However, I do find great pleasure in teaching my boys how to cook and bake. I want them to learn the basics to build on so that they can cook a mean meatball, bake a cake, or whip up a delicious meal from scratch. There was a moment when I first found out that I was having a third boy that I felt a pang of sadness that I would never spend time in the kitchen cooking alongside my daughter as my mom had with me. Then, as quickly as the thought entered my mind, it left. Why can’t I teach those skills to my sons? After all, some of the best chefs in the world are men… oh, and if there’s no career in it, what a wonderful gift to give my future daughters-in-law: a husband who can cook!<\/p>\n

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Oliver has shown a real interest in learning how to cook. He wanders into the kitchen and asks to measure, stir, whisk, and pour nearly every time I am cooking or baking. His preschool teachers recently informed me that Oliver’s favorite activities at school are making cookies and painting. And with this interest comes some curiosity on Milo’s part. If Oliver is going to pour and stir, Milo would like to pour and stir\u00a0thank-you-very-much.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

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And just to set the record straight, this is not a regular occurrence (though when they are a bit older, I hope it will be).<\/p>\n

Here are my tips on baking with young kids:<\/p>\n