290946 Thu Nov 21 20:27:57 -0800 2002 13 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1581226 I was thinking about having 4.5-year-old Angela do a little cooking with me this season since she did so well with the rice krispie and marshmallow orange pumpkin we made for Halloween. (I was elated when she insisted an scouring her Dad's sink about four times, the last time with which she burst into singing "Scooby-Dooby- Do, where are you?" I thought of a few ideas while reading the November 2002 issue of Bon Appetit. pre-holiday dinner with Daddy, and friends: * Trader Joe's Butternut squash soup served in a semi-baked squash and garnished with roasted pine nuts, * Green beans, with butter apple glaze. * Twice baked yams garnished with pine nuts and dried Marion berries, * Stuffed Cornish game hens Angela may help mix and set the different stuffings - spinach and bread stuffing, curried rice and apricot, bread stuffing with orange and rosemary, * baked pears and apples Since this will be her first time, I will be totally assisting with the dinner guest list and preparation. Does this sound too difficult? Any other suggestions? Safety tips? What should we wear? Thu Nov 21 20:27:57 -0800 2002 0 kc girl 1 1581233 What should you wear???? Matching pink tutus, angel wings and sequined tiaras, of course. Thu Nov 21 21:20:38 -0800 2002 1581226 0 GG Mora 2 1581254 Gee, thanks. I was still thinking about maybe painting some fabric with handprints and making an apron or just dinking up a couple of men's shirts and waering them backwards. Fri Nov 22 00:08:40 -0800 2002 1581233 0 kc girl 3 1581644 TUTUS! TUTUS! TUTUS get my vote! Mon Nov 25 19:28:38 -0800 2002 1581254 0 Cristina 1 1581238 I think little ones need to wear shoes and long pants. Helps to prevent spatter type burns. Thu Nov 21 21:36:40 -0800 2002 1581226 0 Plano Rose 1 1581241 I have been doing things like this with my nieces and nephew since they were 3-4. I think the key is do the mis en place first (Pre chop all veggies and anything else that needs knife work and put it all pre-measured into separate bowls or baggies). This takes a great strain off of the adult assistant since you don't have to worry about tiny ones accidentally sticking their noses in the way of your flashing blade. (Or you accidentally letting your fingers in the way as you try to keep an eye on them... I learned this the hard way.) Thu Nov 21 22:03:12 -0800 2002 1581226 0 the rogue 1 1581244 I have a 5 year old daughter and she loves helping mom in the kitchen, especially when she gets to use our mortar and pestle. If you have a good m & p, find a recipe that calls for it's use and let her have at it. Thu Nov 21 22:35:05 -0800 2002 1581226 0 Fritz 2 1581255 I do have one; actually one set of white ones from a gourmet kitchen store in Corona del Mar. The curry is already pummelled, so maybe she can make sure it is and then choose something for the other stuffing. Can kids smell spices well at that age? I'm afraid we had been learning different shades and hues of color since I got her a book of that -- we chose the exact right orange (for the marshmallows) for the rice krispie pumpkin (matched the store bought candy corn pumpkins) - and I might want to continue that education. That's the way they used to mix paints in the days of Seurat and Monet. Fri Nov 22 00:24:55 -0800 2002 1581244 0 kc girl 3 1581294 Kids senses are more acute. That is one of the reasons food targeted towards kids is generally bland by adult standards. Fri Nov 22 13:50:22 -0800 2002 1581255 0 muD 1 1581267 What a lucky girl! The menu sounds yummy and not too difficult for a budding chef. I agree though, have anything that needs cutting taken care of before she gets involved. My grandmother always made a huge pan of from scratch macaroni and cheese for our Thanksgivings. Don't use the box and try a combination of cheeses. As for clothes, perfect time to feel like Julia Child or June Cleaver. Nicely dressed with aprons on top. Go for comfort though, no dress shoes or anything restrictive. Please report back on how it goes. Fri Nov 22 09:29:20 -0800 2002 1581226 0 sistert 1 1581271 Hi! It sounds very ambitious for a 4.5 year old who just learned to make rice crispie treats ... and may challenge some 21 year olds. For years, I take my nieces to pick strawberries, pick apples,ect. After the initial flush of exciting new task, they sort of drift off and tour the farm. SAme behavior in the kitchen ... but expected. As someone suggested, if everything is already pre-cut and ready for mixing, then your child is likely to hang in there a bit longer. However, she is 4.5 with a 4.5 attention span. So if you give her a few signature things like the stuffing which are easily accomplished and fun to do, she will have earned her stripes. Just don't be surprise if the assistant ends up completing the meal because the boss needs a nap! At that age, I made cookies and was over the top with happiness at my accomplishments. Keep it light and fun to keep her interest for future cooking adventures. Tell us how it went! Regards, Cathy2 Fri Nov 22 09:51:07 -0800 2002 1581226 0 Cathy2 1 1581300 I agree with avoiding the whole 'June Cleaver' image - let the kid be a kid, and expect a mess. Kids love 'hidden' foods - that soup in a squash and stuffed game hends are fun for them to make. Just be sure to watch them...when my nephew and I were making stuffing, I turned away for one second, and his avid stirring of the stuffing flipped it all over the floor! But I think it's great that you're doing this...so many young people think that food only comes out of cans or cartons, or fast food joints, it's great that you're educating the young'en in the fun and accomplishment of cooking! Fri Nov 22 14:18:04 -0800 2002 1581226 0 krissy 1 1581335 We love to have our kids in the kitchen. They have a table for them to work at, and it includes their fake cooking stuff. It is just their size, which I think helps with that extra hazard of falling off a chair. I highly recommend this! We let them do almost everything, except cutting with the cleaver. They love it too! peace, jill Fri Nov 22 19:51:21 -0800 2002 1581226 0 jill 2 1581587 My dad let me chop with the cleaver when I was a wee tot. Once. I healed fast. Mon Nov 25 14:00:36 -0800 2002 1581335 0 Dumpling