Daddy Ebi has been away on business in China this week and was due back yesterday evening. Ebi-kun decided he wanted to make dinner for daddy and was very insistent on the menu...
Macaroni cheese with broccoli
Salad of cucumber, avocado, tomato and homemade mozzarella
Rainbow marble cake covered with cream cheese frosting, decorated with rainbow sprinkles
So, after he got in from school and had finished his homework, we got busy in the kitchen. We made the pasta first, Ebi-kun is a dab hand at making cheese sauce from scratch, I have to help a bit but it won't be long before he can do it by himself.
Next up, salad. He did this all by himself with the exception of cutting the avocado open, he was very particular about the position of the salad pieces.
Dinner is served, it was delicious too. The salad was topped with a little olive oil and salt. I had strict instructions (as oven operator) to make sure the pasta was extra crunchy on the top.
Then there was the cake, he did manage to use almost every bowl in the house making this and somehow I got left with the washing up, but it looked great when he had finished. It wasn't actually this yellowy green, that is thanks to the lights.
Looks a bit tastier in the early morning light! Cake, yoghurt and kaki for breakfast.
I think the key to cooking with kids and it being enjoyable is to leave enough time to do everything. On my own, I could have got the meal prepared in 30 minutes (not including cooking/baking time) but it took us about an hour and a half. That was a good chunk of quality time together and we always have a good natter whilst we are doing it.
Do you cook with your kids? What is their favourite thing to make?
I have to leave a comment after spending days looking through your blog. I got very inspired by the things you do with you son. I'm sure that I will try out some things with my children.
ReplyDeleteSo thank you for a great blog, I'm sure I will follow your journey in life :-)
Greetings from Norway
Thank you for dropping by Mellem, I hope to see you again!
DeleteMy kids love making meatballs! So much fun to crack an egg into meat and squish it all together.
ReplyDeleteSpinky would like to ask Ebi-kun how he made the cheese sauce. He reckons he wants to make real macaroni & cheese (rather than the Canadian special Kraft Dinner) inspired by you two!
Ebi-kun says...It is quite easy but you will need mommy to assist you!
DeleteFirst get mommy to cook some pasta and then drain the water off.
Put 2 cup of milk is a jug and warm it up in the microwave.
Put a big spoon of butter in a saucepan and melt it, when it is melted add 2tbsp of flour and 2tsp of mustard, that lumpy one with the bits in it. Stir it all together became not to let it burn. Ask mommy to pour in the milk, use a whisk and keep stirring the sauce. It should start to get thick, then add a load of grated cheese (about a cup) and keep stirring until it is melted. Turn the heat off. Put the pasta in a dish for the oven and then stir in the cheese sauce.
I love vegetables so I usually chop up broccoli and mix that in too.
Then mommy puts it in the oven for about 20 minutes until it is super crunchy on the top YUM.
Sometimes we use gorgonzola cheese or mature cheddar, you don't need as much fancy cheese because it taste stronger. Mustard and gorgonzola is not a good combination!
Hello! I've been following your blog for some time now, and this is the first time I'm commenting.
ReplyDeleteI love your family stories and to see how is to live on Japan. I'm Brazilian, and have a 7-year-old son.
He loves to help me to make cakes (he likes to break the eggs and to turn on the mixer). Also, he likes to help me to do 'brigadeiro' (I don't know if it has a name in English, it is a Brazilian kind of candy).
It is easy to do, and delicious! You just need a can of condensed milk, 3 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa and 1 tablespoon of butter. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine cocoa, butter and condensed milk. Cook, stirring, until thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and put it on to a plate smeared with butter. Let it rest until it is cool enough to handle. Form small balls and put chocolate sprinkles (or your favorite ones).
Cheers from Brazil!
Hi Cris, thank you for stopping by!
DeleteWe made Brigaderio a few years back, we got the recipe in a swap, Ebi-kun says he doesn't remember making them so maybe we will have to make some more :o)
This is the post from when we made them, Ebi-kun looks so little!
http://www.jojoebi-designs.com/2008/12/briaderiro.html
Hello! I've been following your blog for some time now, and this is the first time I'm commenting.
ReplyDeleteI love your family stories and to see how is to live on Japan. I'm Brazilian, and have a 7-year-old son.
He loves to help me to make cakes (he likes to break the eggs and to turn on the mixer). Also, he likes to help me to do 'brigadeiro' (I don't know if it has a name in English, it is a Brazilian kind of candy).
It is easy to do, and delicious! You just need a can of condensed milk, 3 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa and 1 tablespoon of butter. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine cocoa, butter and condensed milk. Cook, stirring, until thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and put it on to a plate smeared with butter. Let it rest until it is cool enough to handle. Form small balls and put chocolate sprinkles (or your favorite ones).
Cheers from Brazil!
Hello! I'm from Brazil and I've been following your blog for some time now. Love your family stories and to see how it is to live in Japan.
ReplyDeleteMe and my son (which is 7 years old) like very much to make cakes - he loves to break the eggs and to turn on the mixer, and to make "brigadeiro". It is a home-made candy, original from Brazil (that's why I don't know how it is called in English). It is simple to do and delicious... I'll leave the recipe here and hope you don't mind...
You'll need 3 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa, 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened of condensed milk. Then, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine cocoa, butter and condensed milk. Cook, stirring, until thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and poor it down on a plate smeared with butter. Let it rest until it is cool enough to handle. Form into small balls and decorate with chocolate sprinkles (or other you like). This is a must-have in all birthday parties here.
My best wishes to you and your family! :-)