Two Compelling Reasons to Celebrate National Kids Take Over the Kitchen Day, Plus Recipes

Parents: today is the day we've all been waiting for. Grab that glass of "wine at five", kick up your feet and wait for dinner to be served! Well, we can dream right?

So, just what exactly is this day for? National Kids Take Over The Kitchen Day is a day to encourage your kids to try their hand at food preparation. While each child will be capable of different aspects of this challenge, charging your child with food preparation can develop skills as simple as following instructions or recipes, understanding basic kitchen tools and kitchen safety. For older kids, the challenge may be as complex as sourcing ingredients, budgeting, time management, and knife skills.

Why is it important to celebrate today? The results found by Young Chef's Academy are moving.

1) Kids who are empowered to create their own meals have healthier relationships with their food: they are less dependent on pre-packaged or fast foods, they value higher quality ingredients, and tend to eat healthier portions of food which helps to decrease childhood obesity. This has the power to break the cycle of childhood obesity and our fast food society.

2) Bringing the family back to the kitchen for empowering moments like these helps to develop a stronger family bond, raise children's self-confidence, encourage responsibility and teamwork, and ultimately increases the likelihood of better grades and life choices while decreasing the chances of drug and alcohol abuse.

Cheers to that! In an effort to encourage this, we're sending out a menu of simple recipes that can be prepared by kids with a small budget, healthy ingredients, and basic kitchen utensils. Kids can easily help gather ingredients (from the house, or the store), wash fruits and veggies, and assisting with simple tasks such as cracking eggs, measuring ingredients, opening cans, and mixing. Remember to teach knife safety, stovetop and oven safety, and meal planning as they get older and more capable. Don't forget to snap a photo of your kids so they have something to remember it by, and if you're sharing on social media use #kidstakeoverthekitchenday! We'll be getting into this tonight, so keep a lookout at our IG account @dare2dreamfarms for fun videos and photos.

Simple Garden Salad

Serves 6. Prep time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• Small head of leafy green lettuce

• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes

• 3 hard boiled eggs

• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 1/2 tsp mustard powder

• 1/2 tsp garlic salt

• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

• 1/4 cup pine nuts

Instructions

Wash the head of lettuce, and dry using paper towels or a salad spinner. Using hands only, rip lettuce into bite size pieces and place into a salad bowl. Wash cherry tomatoes and add to the salad. Using kitchen shears, cut hard boiled eggs into small pieces and add to the salad. In a small cup or bowl, mix together balsamic vinegar, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, mustard powder, and garlic salt using a whisk or a fork until emulsified into a dressing. Pour dressing over the salad and toss to coat the ingredients evenly. Garnish with feta cheese and pine nuts.

Mashed Cauliflower and Cheese

Serves 6; Prep and Cook Time: 10min

Ingredients

• 2 Small Heads Cauliflower

• 1/2 cup water

• 1/4 cup milk

• 1 tbsp butter

• 1 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp pepper

• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

Wash cauliflower, and break into florets. Place florets in a microwave safe bowl with 1/2 cup water, or enough to cover the bottom of the bowl. Cover the bowl with a paper towel, or a plate and cook in the microwave on high for 4-5 minutes, or until tender. Using a strainer, drain the caulflower. Return to the microwave safe dish. Mash the cauliflower with a fork or potato masher and stir in milk butter, salt and pepper. Top with shredded cheese. Microwave covered for 1.5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Allow 1 minute to cool in microwave.

Chicken and Veggie Skewers(Ask an Adult or Learn to Grill)

Serves 6; Prep and Cook Time: 45min

Ingredients

• Italian Dressing

• Wooden skewers

• 2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts Cubed (Buy precut or teach knife safety)

• 1.5 lbs new potatoes or red potatoes

• one box Cremini Mushrooms

• 2 cups pearl onions

• 2 cups Pear tomatoes

Instructions

In a large bowl, or gallon freezer bag, marinate chicken breasts in Italian dressing overnight. Wash hands after handling chicken. Soak wooden skewers in water for 10-30 minutes. Wash potatoes and poke holes in them with a fork. Place in microwave safe bowl with 1/2 cup water or enough to cover the bottom of the bowl. Microwave on high for 5-6 minutes, and allow time to cool before handling. Wash mushrooms, potatoes, and tomatoes. Peel onions. Using a wooden skewer, create your own pattern of veggies, potatoes, and chicken. Wash hands after handling chicken. Grill skewers on medium-high for 15 minutes, regularly brushing with Italian dressing, or until chicken juices run clear.

5-Minute Raspberry Ice Cream with Mint and Honey

Serves 4; Prep time: 5 min

Ingredients

• One 12 oz bag frozen raspberries

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 2/3 cup heavy cream

• Fresh mint

• 2 tbsp Local Honey

Instructions

Combine the frozen strawberries and sugar in a food processor or blender. Process until the fruit is roughly chopped. With the processor running, pour the heavy cream in slowly until fully incorporated. Serve in small bowls with a drizzle of local honey, and two leaves of mint.

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