Friends Of Elsie

The familiar reprimand don't play with your food is a statement that I couldn't disagree with more. As a children's cookbook author and kids cooking instructor, I'm an ardent advocate of bringing kids into the kitchen and encouraging them to play with their food. Here are some tips to consider when involving your kids meal planning and preparation:

• Use vibrantly colored ingredients and fun shapes to capture their interest and make them more receptive to sampling new foods

• Cook with fresh, nutritious ingredients to help your kids establish lifelong healthy eating habits

• Turn cooking into a craft activity by inviting them decorate the serving piece or display object

• Teach kids new vocabulary words as well as math and science concepts through cooking

• Take advantage of the time you spend together in the kitchen to make great memories

You can see these tips in action by watching my cooking demonstration with the Heavyside's, a dairy farm family that's part of the 100% farmer-owned cooperative that makes Borden Cheese. You'll see the Heavyside kids make colorful kabobs that are served in fun clay pots, which the kids decorated with paint pens.

Bring your own family together in the kitchen to make our Tutti Fruity Cheese Kabobs and Cheesy Flower Nachos. You'll be stirring up fun memories in no time! Then, visit Friends of Elsie on Facebook to share how these recipes turned out for you and offer your own kid-friendly cooking ideas.

To get more tips from my kitchen, visit my Kids Cooking Shop and blog or connect with me on Twitter!

Barbara Beery, Batter Up Kids