Getting Them in the Kitchen...

I like to consider myself a pretty balanced mom when it comes to the food my kids eat.  We try, most times, to make healthy choices, but are open to the occasional stop along the drive-through.  Sometimes the meal I make is all from scratch and includes only clean prepared ingredients.

And sometimes it's a cheesy, can of cream of mushroom, smothered casserole that my mom made when I was little.

Sometimes it's fruit and Greek yogurt.  Sometimes it's ice cream.

Who am I kidding...it's usually ice cream :)

Our kids do well most of the time at meal time.  We have our moments of baby teething and toddler "I'm DONE's."  But for the most part we have been pretty lucky in that our girls will usually eat whatever I put in front of them.  I attribute this to two things...

1.  They have what we are having, and always have.  I don't make two or three separate dinners.  Everyone has tator-tot-casserole or the baked talapia.  Most times they eat it, sometimes they don't.

2.  I try to get Jackie in the kitchen "helping" me whenever I can.

I saw this a long time ago, while I was in college (way before Ethan or kids) and watching Rachel Ray's 30 minute meals.  She talked all the time about how cooking dinner was a family event.  Everyone was involved and it resulted in children who weren't picky.  I thought...that is cool!  THAT is what I'm going to do.

And it has stuck with me.  I try to involve Jackie in the kitchen as much as possible.  Katerina is just getting to the age where she is curious, but her jobs are limited to watching from her high chair and eating while Jackie and I work.

Tonight was baked ziti, cheesy garlic bread, and salad.

Jackie got to help with each part.  Ethan took advantage of the moment and snapped a few great photos of our evening.

Here she is helping mix the salad.  I chopped everything and she put it all together...while sampling peppers, romaine lettuce, and grape tomatoes.

Katerina tried to help...

but ended up snacking on a banana and bell pepper instead.

Jackie stirred the cheese mixture for the ziti..

poured the spices and cheese for the cheesy bread...

and helped lay the cheese layer in the casserole dish.

Don't forget to taste it first!

Oh...and a little something for mommy and daddy :)

Every single time I have her help in the kitchen it results in a great dinner experience for everyone.  Yes, there is a bigger mess and everything takes longer than it should, but results speak for themselves...

And I would be lying if I said that there wasn't some future planning in all of this...someday I'm going to ask my girls to cook dinner, and I want them to be comfortable in the kitchen and know how to make a yummy ziti!  I'm hoping for sooner rather than later... :-)