My friend Carolyn recently told me that she has dedicated Wednesday nights to cooking a new recipe for her family. The kids were tired of the same old things like tacos and spaghetti.  She pours through her cookbooks and cooking magazines to find a new recipe that her kids might like each week.

She is helping to broaden their food experiences and creating a bonding time with her kids. She says they love it and look forward to Wednesday nights like never before! 

When kids take an interest in food at an early age they tend to grow up to be healthier eaters and learn about how to express themselves through the creative process of cooking. The more fun you have in the kitchen the more your kids will want to share it with you. There are so many cookbooks with recipes designed with kids in mind.

Who knows, you may be nurturing the Next Food Network Star! 

Some fun tools never hurt the process either. The Head Chefs cooking

tools for kids by Fiesta are great fun and really work. So when you ask, “Where’s my little sous -chef?” they might just come running into the kitchen and jump right into the job. 

Now I don’t have children at home in the kitchen, well not human children that is, but my cat loves to share the kitchen with me. From the time he was a kitten, he would ride around on my shoulder while I cooked. He is now way too big for that at 17 pounds so he has a special place at the end of the counter where he can watch my every move.

Sometimes he likes to get involved with the “helping paw” when I am wiping down the counter with the sponge. He is literally fascinated by the whole process and I give him a quick sniff of the spices so he can really be a part of the meal. I call him my little chef and talk about what I am making and he seems to take it all in.

One day he may just surprise me with a little treat he has prepared himself from all the lessons in the kitchen, if the lack of opposable thumbs doesn’t get in his way! If not, he is fun to have as an audience for now.!