It’s my birthday today and that reminds me of the birthday gift I got last year from Jason, Katie and Blake. It was a chef’s hat, apron and a silicone bakeware set —all for Blake. This was the perfect gift for me because it gave me another reason to cook with Blake. I s...

Tags: Breakfast, Cooking with kids, Betty Crocker muffin mix, silicone bakeware

Blake and Jack had busy morning at the cabin, last weekend. They removed some sod from under a tree in our front yard, added some paving stones in a ring around the base of the tree and then filled the ring with mulch. They are wearing their matching U.W. hats, just in case any Badger fans are reading this. (Both of Blake's parents are Madison grads.) Around noon, they came in for lunch. Since Blake likes to “cook”, I waited for him to help me make some Crescent Dogs. You need just ...

Tags: Cooking with kids, Crescent Dogs, weiners, hot dogs

In just 15 minutes, you can make these garden-fresh Asian Chicken Roll-Ups for lunch or dinner. They are so easy to make, that even a two-year old can make them. First, mix together peanut butter, teriyaki baste and glaze, brown sugar, water and oil. Spread this on a flour tortilla. Then sprinkle with cooked chicken, lettuce, shredded carrots and cilantro...

Tags: Cooking with kids, dinner in 15 minutes, garden fresh, cooked chicken breast, wraps, In the Kitchen with Blake, Asian Chicken Roll-Ups

I am teaching a cooking class for kids in grades 4-6 this week through our local community education department.  The theme that comm ed requested was Cooking Around the World.  It has been fun to plan the class and now teach it (as we are on day 2).  So far, we made pasta from scratch (a virtual visit to Italy) and also talked about how universal noodles actually are since almost every culture has noodles.  Today we "visited" the Middle East and made falafel and pita sandwiches with a cucumber-yogurt sauce.  I was delighted by how the kids just gobbled the sandwiches up.  At first, they thought it was weird looking, but then they were brave enough to...

Tags: Cooking with kids, cooking, around the world, classes

Every now and then, I’ll tell you about my adventures of cooking with 2-year old Blake.  For me, it’s a fun challenge to find recipes that he can make.  I’ve known for a long time that food tastes better if you make it yourself—and that’s especially true for kids. Blake loved this Chicken Taco Pizza. Because he eats with his fingers, this is a perfect recipe for him because he could easily pick up the chunks of chicken, tomatoes and shredded lettuce.  This is a main ...

Tags: Chicken Taco Pizza, Cooking with kids, Old El Paso Taco Sauce