Cooking + Kids = Fun

About author / Christine Gable

Culinary enthusiast; kids cuisine and slow cooking; magazine recipe developer; professional writer. Her simple recipes are great for family dinners.

Dreams really do come true. Sometimes it takes perseverance, hard work and a lot of patience, but the fact that you're reading this is proof. I've been given the awesome opportunity to write the weekly Kiddie Chow column here on CDKitchen, and I look forward not only to sharing my thoughts, but also hearing your ideas on how you make food fun - with kids.

Cooking is fun. And cooking with kids is even more fun. When I spend time with children, the sparkle in their eyes and their exuberant energy reminds me of all the simple yet delightfully free, good things in life. They bring a refreshing energy and enthusiasm to life that our adult-selves sometimes have to make an effort to rediscover amidst all our grown-up responsibilities of career, home and family - and just keeping it all afloat.

At our house, we like to say the family that cooks together stays together. And it certainly has helped build a stronger foundation for our own family. But what is it about chopping, stirring or sauteing that brings us closer to our children?

A recent study conducted at the University of Minnesota found that regular family meals may be a "useful mechanism for enhancing family togetherness and communication and for role modeling behaviors that parents would like their children to emulate." This study confirmed that regular mealtimes offer families time for "socialization, structure and building a sense of togetherness . . . "

Taking the time to cook together can take it one step further. With endless possibilities in the simple act of preparing basic sustenance, it can provide some time and space to meet our children's deeper emotional needs. Plus, the basic act of preparing food is centering, especially after a busy, scattered day. In a day and age when our kids are evaluated, scheduled and shuttled around more than ever before, I hope you'll invite them into the kitchen, and welcome them into the enticing world of food.

Whether it's a simple pot of macaroni and cheese, a batch of chocolate chip cookies or a pot of chicken soup put to simmer for an hour, working together in the kitchen is one of the best ways I've found to reconnect with my kids after a chaotic day. And it's not even that they always want to help. Sometimes it's just to pull up a stool at the island to work on some homework or a craft, but the connection is still there. Some of our best conversations and most meaningful moments have occurred spontaneously over the stove.

Real food, real fun and real possibilities for the future. For when you begin to explore food together, you may just get to know your kids better too, thereby enhancing your relationship. I hope you'll join me every week here on CDKitchen. Please comment, contribute recipes or ask questions, and we'll work together on finding ways to make food fun - with kids!