I graduated with my Bachelors of Science in Nutrition & Food Sciences, emphasizing in Culinary Arts at Utah State University in 2008. I have been in 3 different bakeries & 1 restaurant that also catered. So I know a bit about food. Stop by my blog for some delicious recipes. I also have a recipe link party on Saturdays. If you are a food blogger, come by & share your recipes! It starts every Friday night at 9:00pm MST.
With that being said, I brought my favorite recipe to make with my kids. MUDDY BUDDIES! Right now I have two variations on my blog:
Muddy Buddies are extremely versatile & perfect for little helpers because they can help push the buttons on the microwave to melt the morsels & they can shake the coated cereal in a zip-top baggie. Plus they are fun to munch on.
Here is a general recipe outline to making your own muddy buddy creations:
Muddy Buddy Recipe Outline
From: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)
- 1 (10-12 oz bag) chocolate or other flavored morsels
- 1 Tbsp shortening (to thin out the melted morsels)
- 5 cups Rice Chex Cereal
- Approximately 1 to 1 1/2 cups powder (cake mix, powdered sugar, pudding mix, or gelatin mix or combination)
- In a LARGE bowl melt your bag of morsels (chocolate, vanilla, peanut butter, cherry, cinnamon etc) with the shortening in the microwave on 50% power for 60 seconds at a time. Stirring & re-heating until melted.
- Add Chex cereal & fold with a spatula gently until the cereal is well-coated.
- Combine approximately 1 to 1 1/2 cups worth of desired powders (cake mix, powdered sugar, pudding mix, gelatin mix, or any combination.) in a zip-top baggie.
- Add coated cereal to the zip-top baggie, zip shut, & shake until evenly distributed. Enjoy!
BONUS: I have compiled some tips & age appropriate tasks when inviting your child(ren) into the kitchen. This is an educational blog after all. These are just guidelines. Adapt these activities to suit your child's needs & interests within your (the parent's) comfort zone.
Kids in the Kitchen: Ages 3 & Under
Toddlers this age are too young to have "helping" in the kitchen. Alternative activities can be:
- Buy a kitchen play set to mimic what you are doing in the kitchen.
- Leave pots, pans, tupperware, & other safe items in the lower cupboards or drawers so they can play with them. This helps them feel like not everything is completely "off-limits" in the kitchen.
- Let them snack in their high chair while they watch you cook.
- Teach them the dangers of HOT things in the kitchen.
- Let them taste everything you make, so they appreciate different foods/flavors & sparks that desire to create in the kitchen.
- Practice hand washing before eating.
- Teach them new words of the foods/equipment you are using.
- Point out senses that they use in the kitchen: smelling the food as it cooks, touching the different textures of ingredients (like flour vs sugar), seeing things cook from the oven window, hearing the water boiling on the stove, & tasting the meal after it's made.
- Allow them to be the official bowl/spoon licker :)
Kids in the Kitchen: Ages 3-6 years old
Children in this age group can be your "Sous/Assistant Chef" by:
- Adding/pouring pre-measured ingredients
- Gathering ingredients
- Helping set the table for dinner & gather dirty plates after the meal
- Washing table with a rag
- Opening packages
- Scrubbing fruits & veggies
- Tearing lettuce
- Using blunt scissors to cut food
- Using a can opener
- Stirring liquids, doughs, or dry ingredients
- Shaping rolls (it's like playing with play dough for them)
- Shaking/coating foods in a zip-top bag
- Spreading condiments, dressings, fillings & frostings using a small spatula/butter knife/sandwich spreader
- Squeezing lemons/oranges/limes
- Mashing potatoes
- Peeling bananas, oranges, or eggs
- Cut-out shapes for sugar cookies
Kids in the Kitchen: Ages 7-11 years old
These children to pre-teens are now Chefs in Training & should be able to:
- Measure ingredients with cups or spoons accurately
- Peel/shred vegetables
- Fill muffin tins
- Scoop cookies
- Crack eggs into a bowl
- Cut soft foods with a blunt knife
- Knead & roll dough
- Help plan meals
- Make simple recipes with 6 ingredients or less
- Microwave with supervision
- Use a hand mixer with supervision
- Whisk liquids
- Roll meatballs
Kids in the Kitchen: Ages 12-15 years old
Teenagers are now Junior Chefs in the Kitchen & are ready to learn:
Teenagers are now Junior Chefs in the Kitchen & are ready to learn:
- Knife safety & how to chop vegetables with supervision
- Oven/Stovetop safety & how to use with supervision
- How to plan & shop for meals
- How to use the electric mixer, blender, grater, & other kitchen appliances or sharp utensils with supervision
- How to follow steps in simple recipes
Kids in the Kitchen: Ages 16-18 years old
These "young adults" are now Senior Chefs in the kitchen & should:
These "young adults" are now Senior Chefs in the kitchen & should:
- Use math skills to half & double recipes (can apply to previous age group as well)
- Cook a meal once a week or on a semi-regular basis for the whole family
- Experiment making world cuisines (Mexican, Italian, Chinese, Peruvian, etc) & expand their cooking genre
- Plan balanced menus for dinners, parties, or other special events
- Learn how to shop for ingredients while learning costs of different foods & ways to save (especially important for when they go off to college & have to buy & make their own meals)
- Learn new skills such as canning or drying foods
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