Baking/cooking with dc without sugar and white flour?

[Tabrett]

I would love to start baking/cooking with my dc. But I don't because all I can think to bake with them is cookies and cupcakes.:glare: I don't want my dc's memories of cooking with mom to be associated with sweets. I want good memories with healthy foods!

My dc don't eat rolls or bread. They just don't.like.bread!:eek:

 

So...what can I bake or cook with them to create memories minus the sugar and white flour?

 

Any great whole foods kids cookbook suggestions?

 

My kids are 3, 5 & 7.

[Kebo]

Hmmm, some ideas off the top of my head:

 

whole wheat pizza dough for homemade pizzas.

 

Baked fruit desserts, sweetened with honey. Baked apples and pears, for example.

 

You could bake craft projects such as ornaments. Or dog treats if you (or a friend) have a dog. They don't have to look pretty!

 

If it doesn't have to be baking, you could make things like hummus or soups (lots of things to chop and throw in)

 

If you have garden space, my kids love being able to pick their own foods. Lettuce, basil, snap peas, tomatoes, corn, etc were all popular here.

 

My three year old loves to help out in the kitchen, and she doesn't really care what job it is. She loves cracking eggs or adding ingredients to whatever I'm cooking. She may not remember what we are cooking, but I'm sure she'll remember helping out. But, my boys have to be inspired to want to help, so I understand wanting to find something special to make :001_smile:

[coffeegal]

Braided & specialty breads. :001_smile:

[snickelfritz]

My kids and I make a lot of muffins and sweet breads. Pumpkin, banana, carrot raisin, etc... I take a recipe and decrease the sugar a liitle each batch, until I get it to where it's yummy, but not overly sweet.

 

We also make biscuits and waffles. Can you tell that most of our together cooking is breakfast? That's when I have the most time for them to help.

[LibraryLover]

Pasta: (Not baking, of course, but using dough, which many childreen enjoy.)

 

www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pasta-recipes/a-basic-recipe-for-fresh-egg-pasta

 

Empanadas are fun to make:

 

www.delectableplanet.com/recipes/whole-wheat-empanadas.html

 

Pretzels

 

3 cups whole wheat flour (more if needed)

1 package fast rise yeast

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/3 cup very warm water (125� to 130�)

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon honey

1 egg white, slightly beaten

Coarse salt or sesame seed

Directions:

Mix 2 cups flour, the yeast (dry) and salt in large bowl. Stir in water, oil and honey. Beat until smooth. Mix in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle.

 

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; knead about 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Cover and let rest 10 minutes.

 

Heat oven to 400º. Grease cookie sheet. Punch down dough; divide into 12 equal parts. Roll each part into rope, about 18 inches long. Twist each rope into pretzel shape on cookie sheet. Brush pretzels with egg white; sprinkle with coarse salt or sesame seeds.

 

Bake about 15 minutes or until pretzels are golden brown and crust is crisp. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Serve warm and, if desired, with prepared mustard.

 

 

Healthy muffins, oatmeal cookies with good flours, and less processed sugars with some redemming qualities-- local honey (good for allergies), pure maple syrup, yinnie syrup (brown rice syrup), which have some good mierals. Blackstrap molasses has B vitamins and iron.

 

www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pastry-cake/butternut-squash-muffins

 

www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,2332,152181-238202,00.html

 

www.marthastewart.com/recipe/healthy-oatmeal-cookies

 

http://planetgreen.discovery.com/food-health/sweeten-cookies-maple-syrup.html (you can omit the 1/2 cup brown sugar and it won't make a bit of difference)

Edited December 21, 2010 by LibraryLover

[stripe]

Muffins w/ fruits and whole grains? King Arthur Flour has some nice suggestions on their website.

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/whole-grains

 

Kids' Fun & Healthy Cookbook by Nicola Grimes isn't bad.

 

I'd see what your library has. Many, many books focus on sweets, so I understand the concern....

 

Also things like salads (fruit as well as vege, plus meat / eggs/ cheese) and soups have lots of "stuff" that can be chopped and prepped.

 

You might also consider just teaching them how to cook whatever you normally eat.

 

Cooking with Children: 15 Lessons for Children, Age 7 and Up, Who Really Want to Learn to Cook by Marion Cunningham is a nice book. It includes things like a roast chicken and vegetable soup, and good descriptions of technique.

Edited December 21, 2010 by stripe