Did you know that cooking with your kids is a natural way for them to develop motor skills? If you’ve never looked at cooking that way before, think again. There’s a reason why kids have a universal love for cooking – just like for stacking blocks and banging!

Cooking is especially good for preschoolers and here’s how:

1. Two year olds are developing large muscles in their arms: They will enjoy stirring and stirring and stirring . My two year old is always asking to stir; and her subconscious knows why! At 2 years old, a child naturally imitates circular strokes as part of their normal physical development. So, let them stir at every opportunity.Here are some ways to encourage arm muscle development through cooking:
   • stirring: flour, eggs, pancake batter, gelatin making, etc.
   • scrubbing potatoes and vegetables
   • cleaning the cutting board: Give them a washcloth and some lukewarm water with the cutting board in the sink. They’ll have a blast rubbing the wet washcloth up and down the cutting board to clean it.
   • pouring from large measuring cups into a bowl

    

2. Two year olds are developing the ability to turn pages: Another motor skill developed during the preschool age is the ability to turn pages.So – just pondering here…is it the story they love so much or just turning the pages of the book? Well, actually both. They need the motor development of turning the pages; and the pictures and vocabulary improve their intellectual development.

    

3. Two year olds love “patting” and “pressing”: From being fascinated with “patty-cake” chants at an early age, preschooler’s still love to pat and press.I’m sure you’ll recognize your preschooler doing this at the park: scooping up rocks or sand, piling them up, and patting the top into different shapes.

   Well, here’s some suggestions to bring the “patting” inside:

   • packing down brown sugar in the measuring cup
   • gently pressing a fork on top of peanut butter cookie dough on the cookie sheet
   • patting to level off the top of a cup of sugar
   • patting and pressing on pizza dough
   • pressing down with a cookie cutter on rolled sugar cookie dough

    

4. Two year olds love to dip – and this develops arm muscles skills too!: it takes a lot of coordination to dip! Getting the food in the dip, then moving the arm and somehow getting it into your mouth. If it wasn’t difficult, they wouldn’t get food all over their face! So, unless your 2 year old always has a clean face when he or she is done eating, here’s some dipping opportunities:
   • carrots in salad dressing
   • french fries in catsup
   • dipping a spoon in the emptied batter bowl to clean out the goodies
   • dipping fruit in a fruit dip or chocolate (like frozen bananas or strawberries)
   • dipping chicken or fish in a batter for you to cook
   • dipping the bread in French toast mix

    

So, instead of “shooing” your preschoolers and 2 year olds out of the kitchen, let them dive in with these simple tasks that not only give them great pleasure, but help them develop their age appropriate motor skills.

About The Author
Laura Bankston is author of Internationally selling Cooking with Kids Curriculum: “Homeschool Cooking in a Box” and the “Homeschool Cookbook”. She currently home schools her three children, maintains home school support websites, and manages their family-owned service business. For information on her curriculum and free home school support services, please visit www.homeschoolcookbook.com.  laura@homeschoolcookbook.com

Some of the key nutrients in brown rice include B vitamins, maganese, selenium, iron and fiber. The health benefits of brown rice read like a laundry list to disease prevention and boosting the immune system. These benefits include lowering cholesterol, reduced risk of diabetes, heart disease, heart attack, stroke and colon cancer, reduced severity of asthma, and lower frequency of migraine headaches.

Whole grains, like brown rice may also help women in weight management. An obesity study conducted at the Harvard School of Public Health showed that women who consistently consumed more whole grains weighed less than women who consumed fewer.

When it comes to eating brown rice, most people discover the nutty flavor is far more appealing than the bland taste of its stripped down relative.

Age to introduce: About six months old in the form of infant cereal only. About 12 months for cooked grain texture.

At the market: Brown rice contains natural oils, which can turn rancid on the shelf. For packaged rice, check for usability dates and when buying in bulk, choose a store that has a high turnover. If organic brown rice is available, consider purchasing it over conventionally grown rice. Conventionally grown brown rice has been found to contain small traces of arsenic. While the levels of arsenic are low and will not cause immediate illness, the build up of arsenic in the body, might be linked to some cancers.

Storage: Oil-rich brown rice will turn rancid at room temperature. If stored in a tightly closed container in the refrigerator or freezer, it will stay fresh for up to a year.

Tips on cooking rice: Rice can be a little tricky to cook perfectly. Here are a few tips from the U.S. Rice Federation that will help you out:

• Accurately measure rice and liquid.
• Set timer to prevent under or over-cooking.
• Keep lid on pot during cooking to prevent steam from escaping.
• Rice triples in volume. Use cookware appropriate for the amount of rice you are preparing.
• Do not stir. Stirring releases the starch, resulting in rice that is sticky.
• At the end of cooking time, remove lid and test for doneness. If rice is not tender or liquid is not absorbed, cook 2 to 4 minutes longer.
• When rice is cooked, fluff with fork or slotted spoon to allow steam to escape and keep the grains separate.

For those who plan ahead, soaking brown rice overnight cuts the cooking time dramatically. Soak the rice in the measured amount of water you’ll need to cook it, and cook it in the same water, adding more if necessary. DO NOT drain the rice after soaking it, nutrients will be lost.

And for those who do not like to cook rice, you can pick it up from your local Chinese restaurant. Almost all Chinese restaurants offer a choice of white or brown rice.

Here are some creative and tasty ideas for adding brown rice to your family meals: Never serve a boring side dish ever again. Adding a few simple ingredients to brown rice will put a gourmet spin on any family dinner. After your brown rice has been cooked, and while it is still in a hot pan, try adding any of these ingredients:

• Chopped cilantro, parmesan and lemon zest with 2 tablespoons olive oil.
• Chopped mango, black beans, 1 tablespoon lime juice and 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Chopped, cooked shitake mushrooms, green peas, sesame seeds (or a drizzle of sesame oil) and 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Chopped tomatoes, scallions 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Chopped pineapple, cilantro and 2 tablespoons coconut milk
• Chopped cooked carrots, sliced almonds, and fresh parsley and 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Creamed spinach, crumbled gorgonzola, and chopped walnuts
• Chopped cooked broccoli, cubed firm tofu, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon olive oil

Don’t throw out leftover rice. It is great to have on hand for stirring into soups and broths. You can also use it to make terrific salads, here are two simple recipes.

Veggie Brown Rice Salad
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked brown rice
1/2 cup corn kernels (roasted is a nice touch)
2-3 seeded, chopped plum tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped green and red pepper
2-3 chopped green onions
1/2 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions: Toss all ingredients in a bowl, add salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Fruity Brown Rice Salad
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked brown rice
2 apples, peeled, cored and chopped
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 cup vanilla or lemon yogurt
1/4 cup of honey
2 tablespoons lemon juice.

Directions:
Toss all ingredients in a bowl and serve.

About the Authors
Cheryl Tallman and Joan Ahlers are sisters, the mothers of five children and founders of Fresh Baby, creators or products such as homemade baby food kits, baby food cookbooks, baby food and breast milk storage trays, breastfeeding reminders, and child development diaries. Visit them online at www.FreshBaby.com and subscribe to their Fresh Ideas newsletter to get monthly ideas, tips and activities for developing your family’s healthy eating habits!

There is nothing much to environmentally friendly parenting and most of the things you can do to stay green are common sense more than anything. None of the below tips are elements of daily life that easily spring to mind when you have a thousand other things whirling around your head! But they will help to give you an idea of what is involved in environmentally friendly parenting and hopefully inspire you!

• You will not have to think about car-pooling until your child is of school age, but it is worth getting into the habit as soon as possible. Share a car when you have errands to run and your partner or spouse has to go to. You will save money and do your bit to help the environment! Car-pool whenever you can.
• Get into cooking! Using organic ingredients and cooking all of your meals from scratch will help to reduce the amount of rubbish that you are throwing away. Because there will be no convenience foods in your diet, there will be a reduced amount of packaging to throw away. This will also benefit your child, who will be eating good, wholesome foods!
• Unplug every item of electrical equipment when it is not in use. Not only will you be making your home more efficient in terms of the energy usage, but you are also baby-proofing your home by reducing the risk of electrocution that can result from little ones playing with cords.
• Recycle everything! This includes the usual bottles, jars and cans, but also items like baby clothing and toys. There are usually community associations that organise swaps and charitable events, or you could easily take old items to the local charity shops instead to help others as well as the environment.
• Practice green household chores. Instead of using a tumble dryer to dry baby clothes, use an outdoor washing line instead. Not only are you being more energy efficient but also you are improving the quality of your baby’s clothes. They will be softer to the touch and will last much longer.

So now you know some of the best environmentally friendly tactics for, you just have to get your thinking cap on and examine any other ways that you could change your lifestyle and home practices for the good of the environment and your family!

Entertaining your children’s friends is never an easy task and coming up with an idea for a birthday party is often harder. Recently, Fresh Baby creator Cheryl Tallman’s son Spencer turned five and the event was celebrated with a cooking school extravaganza. For 2 1/2 hours Cheryl and her husband transformed their home into “The Cooking School for Brilliant Kids.” Here she shares just how she did it!

We started out doing a little research on the Internet and found a neat web site called www.kidsaprons.com. We ordered disposable chef hats and aprons, and picked up a few kidsized cooking utensils to use in the take home gift bags. We also planned the menu and developed a schedule for the party.

Before the children arrived, we covered a ping pong table with white paper, did some prep on the foods, and decorated the dining room table for the birthday luncheon with balloons and the Star Wars tablecloth and plates that Spencer picked out.

When each kid arrived, they were fitted with their chef hat and apron, and we took a digital photo. We printed out their names (i.e “Chef Spencer”) on plain paper, cut it out, and used clear packaging tape to stick their name on their apron and hat. While we were waiting for all the guests to arrive, the children were given stickers to decorate their chef hats. This gave them something to do and also gave them some time to get comfortable.

The party menu included French bread pizza, pigs in a blanket, carrots sticks and green beans, and for dessert, ice cream and cupcakes. Our school started with a “group” experience of making ice cream. Each child took a turn pouring, measuring, or whisking, while the others watched attentively. We poured our ice cream in the machine and moved on to making lunch.

We spread the kids out around the table and started with the French bread pizza, each child took a piece of bread and “painted” it with pizza sauce, sprinkled cheese, added pepperoni, and placed their creation on a cookie sheet. The pigs in a blanket were next. Each child took a piece of crescent roll dough that were already separated onto a piece of wax paper. They picked up a hot dog with tongs and then rolled the dough around the hot dog, and they were placed on another sheet pan.

After the main course was prepared, we took a class photo, and it was time for a break while the master chef (me!) put everything in the oven. The kids all went into the living room for a game of “Pin The Mustache On The Chef”, and a magic show put on by my husband Roger, who picked up some magic books at the library the week before. By the time entertainment was done, the kid’s masterpieces were ready to be served. In the dining room each child’s plate had a piece of pizza, a pig in the blanket, some carrot sticks and green beans. The kids were so excited about their accomplishments. They all happily and proudly ate their lunch.

After lunch, it was back to cooking school for cupcake decorating. We had colored icing bags (tied at the top) and an assortment of sprinkles. This was the BEST event of all, the kids had great time. The creativity of a five year old is absolutely precious. After about 20 minutes, it was back to the dining room, were we sang “Happy Birthday”, and gobbled up our cupcakes and homemade ice cream. After that, we opened gifts and gave out the take home gift bags. Two and half hours seemed to fly by.

Spencer’s thank you notes were sent with a certificate (printed on our home computer) from “The Cooking School for Brilliant Kids”, and it included the child’s picture and the class photo.

If you are thinking of having your own cooking extravaganza, here are few tips that you might find useful:

Cooking
Never hold your baby in your arms when making a meal. Boiling water and oil from the foods you cook can quickly splash onto them. Use your back burners when possible and turn handles away from the front of the stove.

Pulling Up
Be prepared that before your baby starts walking he will start pulling himself up on your furniture. Be sure to have all heavy furniture, including the changing table, secured to the wall so it can not fall down on them.

Crib Safety
Double check that the crib is a safe place for your baby to lay. Slats should be no more than 2 3/8″ apart and bumpers should be removed by the age of five months or when your baby begins pulling herself up — whichever comes first. Never keep stuffed animals or loose bedding in the crib. If it is cold, put footed pajamas on your baby or put him in a wearable blanket.

Outlet Covers
Make sure all outlets are properly covered. Some believe that individual outlet covers come out easily and are a choking hazard, so you can now replace all electrical outlets with sliding outlet covers for added safety.

Bath Time
Never leave a child unattended in a bathtub. A baby can drown easily and quickly. If you are expecting a call that is that important, bring a cordless phone to the bathroom with you. In most cases the caller can leave a message. Prepare the towels, clothing, pajamas, diaper and lotions that you will need when your baby is done with his bath ahead of time so that you can stay by his side and keep him safe the entire time he is in water.

Windows
Do not place furniture that can be climbed on near windows. This is especially true in rooms that are not in your direct view, like your baby’s room, and during the summer when you might have your window open.

Medicines
Just because it is child resistant doesn’t mean that your baby can’t get it open. Remember to keep all medicines high up and out of your baby’s reach. For added security buy a lock to put on the cabinet.

Cleaners, etc.
Not only can medicines hurt your baby, but so can other products such as hair spray, mouthwash and your cleaning products. They should all be locked up or put up out of reach of your baby so that he does not accidentally get sick.

Car Seat
Your car seat is the one thing keeping your baby safe during an accident. Be sure to have a car seat inspection done by a member of the police department or someone certified in installing car seats. In a study completed by National Safe Kids Council, over 87 percent of car seats were installed improperly. Your child should always be in the back seat and rear-facing for an infant under one year and less than 20 pounds.

Infant Carrier’s
When your baby is in a carrier, never place it on a counter or high surface. She could easily wiggle and topple over, much faster than you will be able to react and catch it.

Clothing
Check baby’s clothing regularly for loose buttons, snaps, etc. Never use strings to attach the pacifier to baby’s crib or clothes and check that it is not getting old. If you sense there is something harmful in your baby’s clothing and you can not fix it, just throw it away. It is better safe than sorry.