I’m constantly asked ‘how do you have fun in the kitchen with your little ones?’.
Cooking with kids can be stressful.
I get it.
The mess alone is enough to turn you off forever.
But teaching your kids to cook is one of the very best life skills you can give them.
With these 3 simple strategies, cooking together doesn’t have to be stressful!
It can actually be fun, I pinky promise!
1. Choose a SUPER SIMPLE recipe
This is the key! When your kids are in the kitchen – a complicated ‘high maintenance’ souffle recipes isn’t what you need.
Nope, you need a fuss-free, one bowl kind of recipe just like today’s goji chia and pistachio power bars.
A simple recipe that gives your child 2-3 little jobs takes all of the stress out of having your kids in the kitchen.
Your little one will have a chance to be hands on and have a little fun without you feeling totally overwhelmed.
Little by little, you’ll BOTH gain confidence and feel more comfortable tackling bigger kitchen tasks and recipes together.
Remember, you don’t have to cook the entire recipe together, just a little help here and there to start is great!
2. Be prepared!
BEFORE you get your kids into the kitchen…
- read through the recipe and decide exactly what tasks you want your child to help with
- set up the kitchen with the utensils required
- grab out the ingredients needed, measure the quantities required and place into small bowls and ramekins
Having a ‘game plan’ for each recipe is honestly a game changer.
It makes cooking with your kids run so smoothly, takes away the stress and leaves room for fun and giggles along the way.
3. MINDSET
Just like teaching your child to ride a bike or read, teaching them to cook takes time, practice and patience. Remember that.
Yes, there is going to be mess.
BUT there is also going to be that cute little look of concentration across your child’s face as they successfully crack their first egg.
And not to mention that adorable look of pride when they see the muffins they baked emerge from the oven!
Making memories is definitely worth the mess!
Cooking with your kids is also your perfect chance to stop and be present with your child.
Whilst learning to cook is a great gift to give your child, being fully present with them is even better.
Yes, there’s a tonne of washing to do, a never ending inbox to respond to and lunch boxes to pack – but you can give yourself a moment of not ‘adulting’.
Be a kid.
Be happy.
See the world through their eyes and appreciate just how precious ordinary life can be.
As parents, we have a lot to teach our kids, but even more to learn from them.
Do these three simple things and I promise you and your kids will have the very best fun cooking together.
You’ll also be ready to get your bake on together when our BAKING WITH KIDS ECOOKBOOK launches! It’s very soon and we have over 70 beautiful recipes for you to bake together!
To make your own goji chia & pistachio power bars with your child simply…
Before you invite your little one into the kitchen…
Read through the recipe.
Grab out the needed utensils and ingredients.
Measure all of the ingredients and place into little bowls/ramekins.
Line a loaf tin with baking paper and set aside.
Invite your little one into the kitchen. Thoroughly wash and dry hands and set your child up at the kitchen bench on a stool.
Ask you child to add the almonds and coconut to the bowl of a large food processor.
Next, ask your child to add the cacao and soaked goji berries.
Ask your little one to add the dates and cacao nibs.
Now, add the pistachios and chia seeds.
Add the maple syrup and vanilla.
Pop the lid on and blitz for 4-5 minutes or until gorgeously combined. If needed, add a splash of water to bring the mixture together.
Taste the mixture to ensure it is sweet enough and the texture is smooth [with just a hint of crunch].
Ask your child to spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth.
Place the tin into the freezer for an hour to ‘set’.
Cut into bars.
Drizzle with melted dark chocolate and decorate with finely chopped pistachios. Enjoy x
goji chia pistachio power bars
Description
goji chia and pistachio power bars
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (60 grams) goji berries, soaked in recently boiled water for 5 minutes and drained (or dried cranberries, no need to soak)
- 1 cup (125 grams) almonds (nut free version – 1 cup coconut or oats)
- 1/2 cup (60 grams) pistachios, PLUS 2 tablespoons finely ground pistachios to decorate (nut free version – 1/2 cup pumpkin kernels)
- 1 cup (90 grams) shredded unsweetened coconut
- 1 cup (90 grams) rolled [traditional] oats
- 1/4 cup (40 grams) chia seeds
- 12 medjool dates, pits removed
- 1/2 cup (60 grams) cacao powder
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste (or extract)
- 1/2 cup (60 grams) cacao nibs (or dark choc chips)
- 70 grams dark chocolate, melted to decorate
Instructions
- Line a standard loaf tin with baking paper. Set aside.
- Place the goji berries, almonds, pistachios, coconut, oats, chia seeds, dates, cacao, maple syrup, vanilla and cacao nibs into the large bowl of a food processor. Blitz for 3-5 minutes or until gorgeously combined and almost smooth (a little crunch should remain). If needed, add a splash of water to bring the mixture together.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth. Pop into the freezer for an hour to ‘set’.
- Cut into bars, drizzle with melted chocolate and decorate with finely chopped pistachios.
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This is super yummy! I used frozen red currents from our garden instead of goji berries. And also popped a bit of coconut oil into it. A tip from me would be to whiz the nuts and dates before putting everything in, as it got so stacked those things didn’t break down as much.
Wonderful! So happy you got to put your home grown goodness to use! Red currents would be fab! And thanks for the tip – depending on the size of your processor motor, pre whizzing the dates and nuts is a great idea. Thanks for sharing. Kayla xx