Kitchen Helpers

My kids love to cook.

They want to help.

They want to mix, stir and break eggs. But mainly, they want to be taste testers.

I'm not known for my craftiness, but we occassionally do cooking projects at home and when we do, I find it  takes the edge out of the "begging" to be involved. I love that they want to help. And having them get involved in cooking is something we can do for fun as a family, but it usually means a bigger mess to clean up.

So why not get them involved in cooking classes?

In New Jersey, SuperSavers in Marlton and Kitchen Kapers in Moorestown have multiple classes through out the month. Kitchen Kapers holds classes for kids and teens. The next class  for teens is July 17th Saturday, 1:30 - 3:00 p.m., Campground Treats. Your young explorer will learn how to create some survival "staples" from scratch: grilled corn salad, pigs in a blanket, and, of course, s'mores! Yum! And for kids, the next class is Sunday July 25th from 1:30 to 3:30pm, where your little one can learn the fundametnals of cooking. Let's hope that includes cleaning up! Class registration is $35. Check out the webiste for more information.

At Super Savers, a place I've always wanted to try, not for the classes but for their pre cooked meals, they are offering 4 cooking classes for kids through the month of August. Registration is $20 and classes start at 10:30. In this 60-90 minute class your child will create a kids size meal to take home with them and a snack and drink will be provided. Nice.
Visit their website to register.


In Pennsylvania, Stop by Love your Fruits and Vegetables in Bala Cynwood. Looking for a class that travels to you? Check out The Playful Chef. They travel across most of Pennsylvannia and South Jersey, enteretaining groups of kids with food and a craft. They even host birthday parties. Great for the little cook in your life! Don't forget about the Young Chefs Acadmey has five locations in Pa and they have weekly classes and host field trips.

Now if only their were classes on cleaning up? I know many parents that would jump at that one.

If you are looking for something to do at home with the kids, here is a great idea.

It almost always results in every one laughing, participating and having a great time.My kids love making pizza and we love to do this with them. My husband takes the reigns on this one. He loves to show off for them, flipping the dough high in to the air and they hang onto his every word. We like to buy the pre made pizza dough from Wegmans.You can find everything right outside their pizza counter. They have a section that sells everything you need to make semi-homemade pizza right in your own kitchen. One dough, one container of sauce and two containers of pizza cheese mix will make you about 2 size mediums pizzas, it costs just a little bit more than $10.We don't usually get too creative with toppings, this time we just used cheese, but they are more likely to eat what they make, so sometimes we add meat and even try some veggies. Looking for a whole grain option? They also sell whole wheat dough. We've tried it and it's pretty good. They love every bite and always have a great time doing it.

Here's my husband and his very special sous chefs hard at work:

First, flour the surface....

Using your hands, get the dough ready to be rolled out.

Most importantly, stop to pose for the camera.

And then roll out the dough.

Add the sauce.

Spreading over the entire surface.

 Now, add the cheese....we love cheese.

Ready to put in the oven....

And the finished product......