Grand Cooking Connections
GRANDYCAMP: Cooking With Kids I work part-time in an upscale cooking store and cooking school, Cooks of Crocus Hill, and one thing is for sure – everyone is cooking in quarantine! Families are hooked on The Great British Baking Show, and kids are inspired by their own Kids Baking Championship and Chopped Junior. But, hey, it all starts in Grandma’s kitchen, stirring up batches of Rice Krispie Bars and Chocolate Chips, and getting to lick the spoon. When Covid changed our visiting privileges, cooking was still a great way to connect from near or far. Here is a link for 12 Clever Cooking Games for Kids to get you started. And 7 fun documentaries and TV cooking shows you might enjoy together.
Max was a 2020 Senior. He and Grandma, Judy Sleik, spent the summer choosing recipes, both would gather and shop for ingredients, and then connect in FaceTime and cook together (you can see Grandma on Facetime and the recipe up on the laptop). Grandma taught different techniques for chopping etc. that they would never let mom show them! A few times they enjoyed the finished product all together on FaceTime. A great way to connect with teenagers who can be a challenge for connections, and they are learning to cook!
Grandma Mary Ann Reichley baked with granddaughter Lucy, first instructing through the patio door, and then finally together for the first time in months. “Lucy wanted to make special cupcakes for her brother Oliver‘s sixth birthday. Oliver loves strawberries so Lucy chose to do strawberry cupcakes in ice cream cones. We haven’t got to spend much time together because of COVID-19. This is the first time we were able to actually be in the kitchen together - we wore masks and washed hands but social distancing was a little hard at times. Lucy spends much of her time writing her rebel girl posts and posts them on YouTube - she has made over $1000 for the YWCA girls causes!”
Making a custom tea towel to commemorate a favorite shared recipe is a memorable gift. This is my design for our Ritz Chocolate Cake Recipe. Don’t let mine scare you, remember I am a graphic designer - there are simpler examples, even ones that include Grandma’s own handwriting.
Here are five favorite cookbooks to inspire your Grand cooking connection. America’s Test Kitchen also has a Kids’ Cooking Website. These are Amazon Affiliate links.* Bon Appetit!
The Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs (America’s Test Kitchen) ISBN-13 : 978-1492670025 Ages 8-12.
Over 100 kid-tested recipes and 20 desserts from America's Test Kitchen and is contemporary eye-candy for middle grade readers and teens. Each recipe includes short testimonials from some of the 750-plus kids who were part of the test group, making the book fun and interactive. The cookbook features informational sections for new chefs, such as "Getting Started in the Kitchen" and "Conversions and Equivalents." And, you know the drill – the science of it all, and even a section on healthy eating. Recipes for breakfast, snacks and beverages, dinners, desserts, and more with step-by-step photos of tips and techniques will help young chefs feel like pros in their own kitchen.
Eat, Laugh, Talk! The Family Dinner Playbook by Lynn Barendsen and Brianne DeRosa, ISBN-13 : 978-1641701648
52 weeks of easy, family-tested recipes, with conversation starters and games to play at the table. Each week offers a family story or a tip to help families overcome common obstacles like busy schedules, picky eating and tension at the table. The stories and tips are followed by recipe suggestions, fun and conversation, all laid out in an easy-to-follow format. Recent studies link regular family meals with higher grade-point averages, resilience, and self-esteem. Additionally, family meals are linked to lower rates of substance abuse, teen pregnancy, eating disorders, and depression. Straightforward, delicious recipes boast short ingredient lists whose items are readily available in grocery stores – it gave me new ways to think about old recipes. And the conversation starters can be used for long-distance grands whether cooking or not!
Pretend Soup and Other Real Recipes: A Cookbook for Preschoolers and Up by Molly Katzen and Ann Henderson ISBN-13 : 978-1883672065
Renowned author of The Moosewood Cookbook, and educator Ann Henderson bring the grown-up world of real cooking to a child’s level. Children as young as three years old and as old as eight become head chef while an adult serves as guide and helper. Extensively classroom- and home-tested, these recipes are designed to inspire an early appreciation for creative, wholesome food. Whimsical watercolor critters and pictorial versions of each recipe will help the young cook understand and delight in the process. Each of the 17 recipes appears twice, once in words and once in full-color pictures. Authors stress the fun in food preparation. "Spills are what sponges are for. So keep plenty of sponges around, and a good time will be had by all!" Salad People and Honest Pretzels are two other titles by this team to consider.
Tiny Food Party! Bite-Size Recipes for Miniature Meals by Teri Lyn Fisher and Jenny Park, ISBN-13 : 978-1594745812
Favorites scaled down in size but not in flavor - the mac 'n' cheese and bites and mini Philly cheesesteaks are amazing! Party menus, equipment recommendations, and fanciful, easy recipes for miniature appetizers, entrées, desserts, and cocktails...These adorable small-scale favorites will thrill both kids and adults. Thinly slice shallots, batter and fry 'em, add with a creamy buttermilk ranch sauce, and you've got dainty Bite-Size Onion Rings. Use mini cupcake tins to bake up sweet Little Cheesecakes! Or fill small rectangles of pie dough with Nutella and marshmallow, bake until crispy, decorate with icing—and sprinkles, of course—and you've got irresistibly charming Mini Homemade Pop Tarts. Full-color photographs of every single recipe plus tips and tricks for seriously downsizing your favorite recipes are scattered throughout.
Dad’s Book of Awesome Recipes: From Sweet Candy Bacon to Cheesy Chicken Fingers by Mike Adamick, ISBN-13 : 978-1440588174
Sweet, buttery Cinnamon Raisin French Toast Sticks, crispy, crunchy Bottom-of-the-Bucket Drumsticks, Ooey-gooey Microwave S'mores - why should Dad get all the glory?! Grandmas can break all those healthy rules from Motherhood Round One and finally have some fun! Whether your Grands have been preparing their own lunches for years or are just starting out in the kitchen, this is your all-in-one guide to helping them create tasty meals your whole family will devour. From PB&J Bites and Veggie Rolls to Pasta alla Carbonara and Cheesy Rice–Stuffed Tomatoes, this cookbook offers step-by-step instructions for concocting a variety of yummy dishes that are perfect for snacktime, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Bursting with 100+ kid-friendly recipes, each page helps you inspire your little chef to take the lead in the kitchen and make culinary creations of their own. Who says two-year-olds don't eat?!
Cookbooks chosen by Becky Rapport, Grandma to Damien, and Karen Ritz, Grandma to Jack and Grace.
* Affiliate links mean that Grandycamp might earn 4% on your purchase just by leading you to the site. An Amazon link is the easiest way for me to give you a quick and universal way to order something while you are thinking of it. I can make lists of fun books and toy ideas all in one place. You also support Grandycamp just using the link to get to Amazon and buying something completely different - it is the link that matters. 4% doesn't affect the price you pay at all, and takes a while to add up to something on this end, but I do sincerely appreciate any small return on my time and dedication to our Grandycamp community. I am also thankful when you take the gift idea and shop in your own community. I just know sometimes we need a quick answer that includes shipping.