I got the best phone call the other day! Picking up my cell phone, I expected to hear my daughter on the other line. To my surprise, it was my sassy six year old granddaughter, Addi. Excitedly, she says, “Mimi, I’m making dinner tonight. Would you like to join us?” Are you kidding me? Of course I do! I’m not missing out on a night of cooking fun with the grandkids!
What was on the menu you ask? We were served mini pot pies/shepherd’s pies and a strawberry rhubarb tart. Wow! It was delicious!
Let’s back up to Addi’s birthday earlier this year. We always like to find one special “big” gift to get for the kids. It doesn’t necessarily have to be big in size, but it needs to be extra special! A lot of time is spent thinking and shopping for that perfect gift. Addi has recently become fascinated with the kid’s cooking shows so ideas started formulating around that.
The Birthday Gift Idea ~
I have enjoyed watching various bakeoff shows with the grandkids. Have you ever watched them? Let me tell you, that they are nothing short of amazing. I truly would have never realized that kids can cook as “professionally” as they do…even better than a lot of us adults! Through this the birthday idea came to life! Addi needed all of her own kitchen tools.
We have already done some cooking with Addi over the past couple of years, so I knew her passion for time in the kitchen wasn’t going anywhere. After watching the different episodes of Chopped Junior and MasterChef Junior, we realized Addi was ready to step up her game a bit.
Now, first of all my thoughts went to purchasing Addi her very own kitchen prep and storage rolling cart. I will admit that I spent time shopping for the best one. I then realized I should probably chat with my daughter about this. Afterall, this would take up a lot of space in the kitchen, and I had to admit to myself that it is her kitchen and not mine. So I scaled my gift idea down a bit so that Lauren could keep her kitchen in tact.
Cooking Basket Gift Items ~
- Tovla Nylon Jr. Kitchen Knives (click on this easy link to check them out for yourself!). A lot of research was done before purchasing kitchen knives. These have proven to be just what I was looking for.
These are a win/win…Addi was able to cut food by herself and we felt safe with her doing so!
- Rolling Pin with Pastry Mat, Scooper & Scraper (click here to check this set out!) This is a great little set that will serve so many purposes in the kitchen. In fact, Addi used the scraper/scooper while making her fruit tarts.
One thing Lauren and I noticed, having the tongue out while cooking is a MUST for any great chef! 🤣
- Bento Accessories Sushi Cat Shape Rice Ball Mold (Click here for quick link to check this cuteness out!) We are trying to start the love of sushi early in this family….but this adorable mold can be used for other recipes as well….get creative!
- Kitten Kitchen Timer (Click here for quick access to this and other animal shapes as well!) Making sure kids understand how important timing is when cooking is so much more fun when they have fun timers!
- Cookie Cutter Stamps can be used for SOOO many things…(Check them out with this handy link!) The ideas are endless ideas of how to use these fun cutters.
- This Kid Chef Cook Book helps a child realize they can cook fancy meals too! (click here to check it out!) Addi has a few cookbooks from beginner to this new one. She likes this one because she can make recipes similar to what she sees being made on the kid’s cooking shows she loves so much! We like it because she still needs mom’s help in the kitchen and that is what we are trying to promote!
- A Fondue Set is Going to Be Fun for SOOO many different recipes! (Check out the one we picked here!) There are so many fun ideas we plan on using this for…stay tuned for some great ideas later this summer!
Cooking Fun with Grandkids ~
As you can see, we tried a variety of different kitchen gadgets. This will definitely be a gift that we can add on to in the years to come. Fostering a love of cooking in kids has so many benefits…to the kids as well as the adults. The important thing to remember is it’s going to get messy…and that’s ok! If kids become afraid to mess up they will lose the passion to learn.
In an earlier post, I wrote about a great recipe book software. You create your own cookbook…family, church, neighborhood.. or whatever you choose. The first book I created was Pappy on the Penarve…Check out my fun cookbook here! My intention was to make an “Addi” cookbook next…epic fail! However, I am still going to make it and include new recipes for her to try plus old ones that she has made with the family. What fun memories!
Make time to have some cooking fun with the grandkids….you will be glad you did!
Enjoy!
Mimi
