I've always loved cooking with my kids, and we've made lots of lovely things over the last 7 years. The boys have moments of being really into cooking and help out with dinner too. I find that if the kids cook or at least have a say in what we eat, we eat reasonably healthy food and the kids are more likely to come back for seconds! Today I had the privilidge of cooking with 18 excited 6-7 year olds in our school's kitchen garden program.
The program has been running for a year now and I've been in charge of organising our grade's cooking day for the last two sessions. Each class gets a session per term and we cook a main and a dessert and then enjoy eating it together. We try to include food from our school garden (though it isn't always easy), and cook kid friendly food that includes fruit and vegies that are in season.
Today's menu included cornish and vegetarian pasties followed by choc orange cupcakes. YUM! The class teacher is vegetarian, so we always include a vegetarian option and it is great to see the kids embracing the alternative food and finding that it is just as nice as the meaty option (today I thought it was nicer), and we also have some other allergies in the class that we cater for. Its a busy morning in the kitchen garden, but with the help of some of the older kids and a few other mums it is an awful lot of fun too. You can see photos and the classroom blog here.
Can't wait till next time - chicken and salad tortillas and apple turnovers mmmmmmm.......
That is awesome - I wish my kid's school was that proactive. They do have a garden but only the high school students cook with the produce. Have you seen the competition in Australian Country Style Magazine - a harvest table competition that schools can enter? I suggested it to our school but, as I said, they aren't very proactive.
ReplyDeleteApple turnovers sound so good:p
No, I haven't seen it as I don't buy magazines, but I might pop into the library and check it out tomorrow - that would be a eat comp for our school! :)
ReplyDeleteDef. don't have to buy the mag as they have everything up online. I hate when people drop links in comments so I won't but if you use your preferred search engine and type in the magazine name and 'harvest table competition' it should harbour fruitful results. :)
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