Mommyshorts Chef Mazzy

There's a lot to be learned, on both sides, when kids help in the kitchen.

Time spent planning and preparing meals is a great opportunity to explore likes and dislikes (can you convince a kid to try dipping in marinara sauce if they hate ketchup?) and possibly expand food horizons (new foods might be ok as long as they're not mixed in!).

Letting kids contribute their ideas not only empowers them, it may provide valuable insight into what makes the difference between a barely touched meal and clean plate!

Ilana, from the blog Mommyshorts, brought her kindergarten daughter Mazzy into the kitchen to share a favorite recipe from her own childhood. "Chicken on the Beach" may in fact be just breaded chicken cutlets fried in a pan, but the story Ilana’s mother used to tell made it fun and memorable for mother and daughter to do together:

• When the chicken got dipped in egg, she said it was going for a swim in the ocean
• When the chicken was coated in bread crumbs, it was playing in the sand
• And the chicken wasn't frying in a pan, it was bathing in the sun!

Mazzy loved the story and will always remember learning how to make Chicken on the Beach. She also felt like a big girl, allowed to make important contributions to the meal herself -- like choosing the sides and adding cherry tomatoes to liven up the plate.

Ilana and Mazzy made 3 dinners together: Chicken on the Beach, Deconstructed Pasta with Meatballs and Impromptu Stir Fried Rice. There was plenty Mazzy could to to help, and Ilana learned a lot too:

1. Ilana's daughter loves cooking, maybe more than she does!
2. Kid friendly gear helped establish a more kid-centered approach to cooking and meal time.
3. Her daughter Mazzy is still the pickiest eater she knows.
4. There’s still hope for her youngest to be not-so-picky.

Visit Ilana's entertaining and illuminating blog, Mommyshorts to read the whole post. While you’re there, enter her giveaway to win $250 of great MightyNest gear that makes cooking with kids fun! By entering, you’ll also earn 25 points in the challenge.