Kids in the Kitchen

The kids have been in the kitchen with me as long as they have been able to stand on a chair and see.  Sometimes they get to help...sometimes they only "supervise."  The decision is based largely on how much mess I feel like cleaning up or how quickly I need to get whatever I am cooking on the table.  When they were younger, they helped only with "cool" stuff, as in no helping near the stove.  I even got them their own "child knives" from Pampered Chef so they could chop (aka hack up) fruit and veggies.

Recently, we've taken Kids in the Kitchen to a new level.  The Prince and the Knight have prepared meals for our family. 

The Prince recently made us all pancakes.  He did the flipping and everything and  he burned no more than I usually do.  I wish there was more to say but he really just did it by himself.  And they were yummy!

Prince is working to flip those pancakes.

Measuring and pouring each so that they are the same size!

The Knight made eggs and toast (as sous chef, I did the toast).  He scrambled eggs and cooked them in the skillet.  Then because I don't eat scrambled eggs if I can avoid it (and because I am Queen afterall), he made my eggs to order.  I like them over-light or as we call them "dippy eggs" because I dip my toast in the runny yolk!  YUM!!  Anyway, he was SO proud of himself and did a great job.  He did have some trouble getting my dippy eggs out of the pan so my yolks weren't all that runny.  But I didn't send them back.  :)  However, I was so busy as sous chef working on the toast that I didn't get any photos.... :(  next time.

Not to be outdone, the Page had to have his turn.  He must keep up with his older brothers.  So, I put him to work.  Now, he isn't really quite old enough for making pancakes or eggs so we went with something more his style and speed.  He made us choco-banana pudding pops.  We do not use instant pudding so he made regular cooked pudding on the stove and then he cut the bananas with a butter knife and put the slices in the bottom of the cups.  I poured the cooked pudding into the cups.  They are in the freezer now and we are waiting "patiently."  

I made marks on the banana with the knife and then he cut them on the marks.  Good job!

Sticking the popsicle sticks in each banana slice!

He got tired of stirring the pudding "continuously" but was still more than willing to ham it up for the camera.

Taking the kids in the kitchen makes cooking take much longer and clean up take much much longer but the kids love it and learn so much.  And my future daughters-in-law will thank me for raising young men who get work in a kitchen, right?!?!