Cooking with the Kids

 Today at the Homeschool Village we are discussing cooking with kids!

I have two boys, and I grew up in a household where my dad and my brother knew how to cook (they can make some foods better than I do!).  But I fear that I haven't been diligent enough in teaching my boys to cook.  Our biggest challenge is getting my 13 year old to read through ALL the directions! So pretty scary things have happened because of the lack of recipe reading! LOL

Here are some favorites that the boys love...I have two recipe buttons up at the top of my blog so check them out.

Key Lime Bars
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour, divided
2/3 cup confectioner's sugar
1 t. baking powder, divided
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
5 large eggs
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup fresh lime juice

Pre-heat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 9 by 13 pan. In a medium bowl, combine 2 cups flour, confectioner's sugar and 1/2 t. baking powder. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press mixture into prepared baking dish. Bake 20 to 25 min. or until it is lightly browned. In a medium bowl, combine eggs, sugar, juice, 1/4 cup flour, and 1/2 t. baking powder. Pour over hot crust. Bake 22 to 25 min. or until lightly browned.
 
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
1/2 cup oil
4 eggs
3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. salt
2 t. baking soda
1 small can pumpkin
12oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Beat eggs and sugar. Mix in rest of ingredients. Bake for 20 min. I normally make mini muffins out of this.


Sour Cream Banana and Berry Bread
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 t. salt
1 t. vanilla
2 cups mashed banana
4 cups sifted flour
2 t. baking soda
1 cup sour cream
2 cups cranberries (frozen works best)

Beat butter until soft. Add sugar, eggs, salt, vanilla, and bananas and blend together. Add dry ingredients alternating with sour cream. Blend well after each addition. Fold in cranberries. Bake at 350 in greased a floured pans. Do not overbake. Bread in small pans will bake in about 40 minutes. Bread in large pans will bake in about 60 minutes.

Here is a fun tradition...each fall as we start a new school year we create some fun cupcakes to start off the year.  Last year we made Schnauzer cupcakes since we had recently gotten a schnauzer puppy...They aren't the most beautiful things in the world, but it was fun!

Here is the "real deal" without the sugar!  His name is Titan.