3 Tips for Family Fun in the Kitchen – Cooking Together!
Each night, as you prepare the family’s meal, who helps out? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?
Your kids are probably watching television, updating their Facebook status or madly texting their BFF, certainly not lining up to help out with dinner.
A new program from Unilever Foods may help change that. The Family Dish…A Recipe for Fun was created to encourage families to cook together as a way to bring them closer.
“Thefamilydish.com presents easy-to-follow, easy-on-the-budget recipes from The Family Dish Cook Book using pantry staples; Filled with stories and videos from trusted mom bloggers as well as offering the professional knowledge and personal experience of Unilever Consumer Kitchens’ experts, this site was created to help bring families together in the kitchen.
Here are 3 tips to make it fun for everyone!
Find A Food They Like
Think of what the family likes – Italian? Mexican? Go on the internet together and find a recipe that pleases the majority. You can even download an episode of your favorite cooking show.
Make it a Learning Experience
Learning a new recipe together is a good bonding experience because it shows moms and dads don’t know everything. It puts everyone on a little more even footing and may open up your child to talking about things they wouldn’t normally mention. I also find when I’m cooking with my kids, I can teach them about fractions from measuring ingredients. I can also teach them about different methods of cooking and preparing such as cutting techniques or measuring things like shortening or peanut butter.
Make a Mess
It’s ok – it will get clean. You have a whole crew to help you! Sometimes when they have ownership in the process, they’ll be more willing to help you clean up after they taste their delicious creation. Put on some tunes and get moving! Then you’ve earned your dessert.
Here are three recipes from Unilever Foods to get your creative juices flowing and jump-start your family’s cooking extravaganza.
Fettuccine Primavera
Ingredients
- 1 jar (1 lb. 10 oz.) Ragu Old World Style Pasta Sauce
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 cups assorted cut-up fresh vegetables (broccoli florets, red and/or green bell pepper, onion, zucchini and/or yellow squash)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
- 1 box (12 ounces) fettuccine, cooked and drained
Preparation
- In 2-quart saucepan, heat pasta sauce until heated through; set aside and keep warm.
- In 12-inch skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat and cook vegetables and basil, stirring occasionally, 6 minutes or until vegetables are tender. To serve, spoon sauce over hot fettuccine, then spoon vegetable mixture over pasta. Sprinkle, if desired, with grated Parmesan cheese.
Serves
6 servings
Preparation Time:
20 minutes
Cook Time:
15 minutes
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 1 3- pound boneless pork shoulder
- 1 envelope Lipton Recipe Secrets Onion Mushroom or Onion Soup Mix
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
- 10 Kaiser rolls or hamburger buns
Preparation
- Arrange pork in slow cooker. Combine remaining ingredients except rolls and pour over pork; turn to coat.
- Cook covered on LOW 8 to 10 hours or HIGH 4 to 6 hours until pork is tender.
- Remove pork; reserve juices. Shred pork with fork, then stir into reserved juices. Serve on rolls.
Serves
10 servings
Preparation Time:
10 minutes
Cook Time:
4 hours
Marbled Peanut Butter Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 box (18 to 23 oz.) brownie mix
- 1/2 cup Skippy Creamy, Super Chunk or Roasted Honey Nut Peanut Butter
Preparation
- Prepare brownie mix according to package directions, pouring batter into 9-inch baking pan.
- Microwave peanut butter in microwave-safe bowl at HIGH 30 seconds or until melted. Stir, then drizzle peanut butter over batter and swirl with butter knife to marble.
- Bake according to package directions. Cool completely on wire rack. To serve, cut in squares.
Serves
16 servings
Preparation Time:
5 minutes
Cook Time:
35 minutes
