This post is brought to you by a Healthy Slice supporter.
I know I’m just one of many on social media that advocates getting into the kitchen with your kids. The reasons have been listed out in detail, like developing more adventurous eating habits, alongside wholesome photos like this one:
Aw, baby Kaitlyn <3.
I digress.
However, all those picture-perfect moments may leave you wondering what the heck you’re doing wrong when your kids join you in the kitchen and nothing short of pure chaos ensues. So let me be the first to tell you, it’s not your kids, it’s all of them. Mine definitely included.
See, I’m a fan of orderly cooking. I like getting things set up, prepped and ready to go.
Ah, beautiful ingredients fresh from Blue Apron.
Usually only this first shot makes the blog, but in real life, it’s only a matter of seconds until the little chefs move in with their incessant what is THIS?!
Just one bite? Just ONE.
And their is this squishy? It looks squishy. Can I touch… eww, it’s squishy!
In fact very often I have to reign in my structured side and remind myself that I want them to be exploring our food.
…right?
At this point, I take a deep breath and assign tasks to try and get them focused.
This is where a little of the fun starts to peek through because sometimes I am surprised with the skills Hailey is capable of at 4 years old.
“See my small chops mom? …just like you said?”
I tend to get excited by the glimpse of focus and promote her to new tasks, like being in charge of seasoning.
And as soon as I decide that all meals should be cooked with kids in the kitchen because just look at how good she’s getting at following direction— no don’t dump it all out at once!
And just like that, I realize she has inherited my (lack of) patience.
So if your salmon ends up overly-seasoned on just one side, your kitchen ends up covered in crumbs and your dog ends up eating half the meal, please don’t think you’re the only one. With young kids in the kitchen, it’s not supposed to be about the refined skills and presentation. Thank goodness.
It’s about the messes, giggles and silly faces.
It’s about exploring, sampling, playing and plating however the heck they want to.
And for me, it’s mostly about the together time.
That’s why I’m such a fan of Blue Apron. They deliver fresh ingredients to my door with simple step-by-step instructions which let me just focus on the chaos, ahem, fun of being with my girls.
We’ve tried ingredients I never would have picked up on my own, like this celeriac.
(Which in case you how to google it too, is pronouced sel-air-ee-ac)
And I’ve learned countless new cooking techniques and appreciate that there is no commitment. I can cancel or skip deliveries at anytime and I love that Blue Apron allows my girls and I to enjoy being in the kitchen together without any prior planning or prep work.
I often switch between the two person and four person plan and love the option to switch up the recipes I receive. Most recently I’ve been eyeing the Mixed Mushroom Risotto and Crispy Ricotta Pierogi. I mean, just LOOK:
With free shipping (and now a new recycling program- check it out here!) almost anywhere in the country, it’s totally worth giving it a try. In fact, the first 25 readers that order Blue Apron will receive two FREE meals. Click here to take advantage of the offer!
Use it as an at-home date night, a chance to play around in the kitchen with your kiddos, a chance to experiment with a new ingredient or technique, or just as a reprieve from your typical weekly meal planning. You won’t be disappointed in the delicious food you’ll be chowing down on!
Do you enjoy cooking with your kids?
How do you handle the mess?
What Blue Apron meal would you most like to try?
Morgan @ Morgan Manages Mommyhood says
LOVE this post. Some of my favorite memories are of helping my mom out in the kitchen. My brother and I would always come in and yell, “can I chop?!” We always had salad, because she needed to find a way for us to chop and stay out of her way 😉
Kate says
Last weekend I bought a celeriac in an effort to try out new veggies. Just like you, I don’t usually buy it. So this post comes just at the right time to bring to my attention that said celeriac is still sitting in my fridge waiting to be served… 😉
Brittany Dixon says
Haha, I wouldn’t have a clue what to do either! This recipe had me small dice it and saute it, then add in diced granny smith apple to saute with it with a little vinegar, salt and pepper. So good!
Susan says
I’m from Germany, and growing up we just used celeriac finely diced in soups and stews as veggie base. That’s its only purpose I’ve ever heard of, haha! I didn’t know celery stalks existed until moving to Canada. Blue apron meals look like so much fun though!
John J. says
Your pictures portray your priorities. Good for you, young Mom!
Theresa says
Do you have a kiddo specific knife you let her use or what?! That’s my hesitation with letting my 4 year old help. She wants to cut everything and it makes me so nervous!
Josephine says
Yes definitely get a specific knife, you don’t want a trip to emergency for stitches!, there are several brands of kids safety knives. After seeing Brittany post about buying one for Hailey I did an Amazon search and picked one up. My daughter loves helping in the kitchen with it. Also meals with stirring are great for someon that loves helping eg. Risotto, scrambled egg, oatmeal, hot chocolate, cupcakes and dump cake are all meals my daughter enjoys to make from 3 years old.
Just be certain you explain that they are only allowed to use the safety knife and that grown up knives can hurt them. Unfortunately although my knives are kept where my daughter can’t reach them, I accidentally left a knife out on the chopping board after cutting an apple for her. I left the room and she decided to cut an apple herself as she always want to do things herself. It left a very scared mother and daughter, a trip to the doctor, thankfully no stitches but a paper stitch and a week to heal 5the cut. Not that I want to put you off getting a safety knife just be more vigilant than I was. I now hand wash knifes and put them away straight away out of reach. But I think she definitely learnt her lesson anyway and won’t do that again!
Brittany Dixon says
We have 3 Curious Chef knives and they are a great compromise or sharp and safe. They are ideal for cutting bananas, avocados, etc, but will work decently for apple-type-consistencies. H loves them!
Monica says
My 3yo son is the same in the kitchen. It makes for some entertaining cooking!
Blue Apron just started delivering in our area (FINALLY!) so we’re planning on giving them a try next month (we’re trying Home Chef and Plated this month – trying a few to see what we like best.) I’m looking forward to it!
We did try a squid ink pasta recipe from them a while back, and it was good! We decided that we’d only do it again if we could get a Blue Apron box, though, because tracking down the special ingredients was a little painful. 🙂
Heather says
I really enjoy cooking with my kids. Sometimes I’ll start out with a plan and an end time in mind when my son will suddenly decide he wants to help and will pull a chair over to the counter. I always try to encourage him when he does this, which admittedly sometimes means I have to take a breath and throw my plans out the window and accept that there will now be a big mess and most likely nothing will be done at the time I originally wanted. 😉 It’s a lot of fun to encourage both kids, though. They take turns dumping, my son can help chop while my daughter does some stirring (you have to watch her, though, because she’s a taster too).
Anyhoo – we’re completely enjoying Blue Apron now that it’s in our area finally! I love trying new things and learning new ways to prep that I hadn’t tried before. It’s giving me new ideas and helping me enjoy being in the kitchen again.
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Canon loves to be involved in the kitchen. And I can attest to the mess! I just accept it as a part of the process.
Tami says
Such a sweet post! I love cooking with my daughter. We cook or bake together pretty much every day. And its absolute madness! But she learns so much about food and following directions. It’s also fun for us.
I also find that she’s more likely to try new foods if she helps make them.
I’ve been thinking about trying Blue Apron. My husband and I are both very active (not to mention I’m 33 weeks pregnant) so I’m kind of nervous it won’t be enough food. Lol.
Brittany Dixon says
The two person plan is barely enough food for David and I, so I understand your concern! However, we usually do the 4 person plan which feeds David, the girls and me pretty well at the young ages they are at. Maybe try the four person plan and you’ll have leftovers too most likely! 🙂
Julia @ Lord Still Loves Me says
Your family is hilariously adorable, and I felt like I was in the kitchen with you while you wrote this. I’d gladly eat one of Hailey’s interesting concoctions, even if all of the seasoning wound up on one bite.
LIsa @ This Pilgrim Life says
This is so great! Your girls are adorable. I love all the tasting and squishing photos. My kids are always apple tasters, whether I want bites out or not 😉 . I am a big advocate for cooking with our kids too. I just did a month-long series on my blog with tips and recipes for cooking with kids on my blog. You’re right– it’s much more about the process than the end result and it’s worth the mess! My kids are much more adventurous eaters when they are involved in the selecting and cooking of the food. In the past year, they challenged me to try cooking clams and whole crabs for the first time because they wanted to try them.
Brittany Dixon says
Clicking over to check out your series now Lisa, thanks for sharing! I love that they picked out crabs. I’d be so intimidated but that would be fun!!
Emily says
Hi. I just watched your periscope you are so sweet!! It made me tear up I’m such a baby with that kind of stuff! But what a great idea to write letters to your girls! And so cool for your dad to give you your letters after you had your first child! i have two little girls and am horrible at baby books but I really like the letter idea, do you write them randomly when you think of it or do you write them monthly? I could see myself forgetting. Haha. I love your blog I find you so relatable! Thanks for sharing your life with us!
Brittany Dixon says
Oh thanks Emily!! I really appreciate that feedback because I get so nervous with periscopes and obviously got a little emotional yesterday 😉
I write them completely randomly. I’ll go 6 months without writing one, but then something will happen (a funny or sweet moment) and I’ll rush to jot it down for the folder. Some are even on scrap pieces of paper, but I think that’s neat too. One from my dad was on a napkin when he was away for work. I thought it was so sweet!
tanya says
I’ll have to check if its available in my area! I love to cool with my son 🙂 Now that he is 6 its a lot easier than when he was 3!!
Robin S. says
Have you bought kid-size cooking knives for Hailey? My almost 4 year old, Julie, loves to help with chopping but I’m a little nervous to graduate past a butter knife and she is getting frustrated. Suggestions?
Brittany Dixon says
I have! We have 3 Curious Chef knives and they work really well for teaching kids to cut safely.