I happen to think that one of the best ways to build family traditions, is spending time in the kitchen with your kids. I have very fond memories of cooking with my Grandmom as a young girl. The time and life lessons that she poured into me during those times are priceless to me.
Elaina is girl after my own heart.
She longs to spend time in the kitchen with me, as assistant or even better, doing as much independently as I’ll allow.
Donning an apron and the mandatory chef hat, she’ll follow me around the kitchen begging for her next task. What can I stir? Can I open that? Let me crack the egg…please?
I’m not always the best about looking for the opportunities to spend time in the kitchen with my kids.
I get busy and overwhelmed at the task of cooking three meals a day for my stay-at-home family. Oftentimes, I just want to get ‘er done, and that is most easily accomplished without the scampering of little people running through the space, and begging me to let them help.
I like a planned - ahead and organized cooking time.
I also handle working with one kid at a time easier. The chaos of each of them fighting for their turn, licking the spoons for a taste, and spilling flour all over the floor is usually enough to turn me cranky, and send them all to another room so I can finish on my own.
Sad…I know. But knowing this about myself is good, both for me and for the kids.
As a homeschooler, I’m always looking for learning opportunities other than just opening up our text books and filling out more worksheets. Cooking is a great way to teach listening skills, reading comprehension, accurate measuring, following directions, and patience. Not to mention a great break in our routine for fun and practical life skills.
This school year, we’ve used several different books to enhance our time in the kitchen. This is another great new-ish tradition for our family. Nothing brings a book alive more than applying the contents to your everyday life.
Cranberry Thanksgiving is one of those books. I was thrilled when I found this hard to find and expensive Five-In-A-Row selection at our local thrift store for $0.74. We’ve already read it more than a dozen times together. Funny how a really good book can be read like that, over and over without ever being boring.
“Mom, can we make cranberry bread for our Thanksgiving too?”
You already know what I said. How could I resist that cheeseburger smile?
Recipe here.
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