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Four Christmas Recipes to Share with Your Grandkids
I have such great memories of being in my Grandma’s kitchen! From being a preschooler allowed to play in her ‘kitchen gadget’ drawer, to helping her stir ingredients, watching her prepare meals on the stove, and then sitting at the table in their small kitchen enjoying the results.
I will always cherish the spice shaker set I have that sat above her stove. It’s an instant trip down memory lane.
Spending time in the kitchen with our grandkids can be a time for passing down recipes and traditions. It can also teach life skills and helps our grandkids feel valued as they are included and recognized for their help in the process.
It is a wonderfully fun environment in which we can engage all their senses. There are textures, sights, smells, sounds, and of course the tastes which create bountiful opportunities for connecting!
We think Christmas is an especially fun time for ‘Baking Day” or even ‘Baking Hour’. It can be accomplished in person, or with a little help, virtually!
In preparation for your time in the kitchen this holiday season, we want to share the following five tips and encouragement, as well as three simple Christmas treats to try.
1. Prepare Ahead
Make sure to have all the ingredients at hand and with your grown kid’s involvement, schedule time in person or virtually. If you are connecting virtually, you could send a snail mail package with any ingredients that may not be common in their kitchens.
2. Enjoy the Process
As with crafting, the goal is the process, not necessarily the end product. There may be mistakes along the way, and those are great times to teach some kitchen tips (for example “We can clean up that broken egg on the floor using salt and paper towels – let’s try it together!”). It’s also a great time to tell about something you made that didn’t turn out as expected.
3. Teach Responsibility
Help them become responsible in the kitchen. Teach them how and why you do things the way you do. How to read a recipe, store food, clean vegetables, nutritional values, chop ingredients, how to tell when the cake is done…even the process for cleaning up can all be communicated in conversational and fun ways. And you are equipping them for their future too!
5. Share Your Stories
Pass It On. Do you have treasured family recipes? Tell stories of the people who taught you to cook. Learning about family history helps kids understand they are part of something big and wonderful that is passed on and on. You might create a recipe book of the things you have made, or begin a tradition of sharing recipes by mail that you have tried and enjoyed on your own.
You can use the recipe page from the free Ultimate Holiday Guide for Grandparents to get started!
Now here are a few fun and super simple treats that are on our list this year. They would be great for preschoolers (and kids of any age)!
Graham Cracker Reindeer
Simply spread frosting on a graham cracker, then add pretzel antlers, some candy google eyes, and a red candy nose of course!
Christmas Apple Slices
Dip apples in melting chocolate, and sprinkle.
Cinnamon Ornaments (from McCormick)
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees
- Mix 3/4 cup applesauce with 2 (2.37 oz. each) containers of ground cinnamon. Stir until combined and a smooth dough has formed. You may need to (or get to?!) use your hands to finish this process!
- Using a quarter of the dough at a time, flatten and roll out between plastic wrap until 1/4 to 1/3 inch flat. Then peel off the top sheet of plastic wrap.
- Using your favorite Christmas cookie cutters, cut dough into shapes. 2-3 inches is a great size. Then using a straw, poke a hole in the top of the ornament to thread the ribbon through.
- Place ornaments on a cookie sheet and bake 2 1/2 hours. (This is a great time to add in a Christmas movie, game or craft and you can get all of those ideas in the Holiday Guide!)
- They could also dry at room temperature on a wire rack for a couple of days – turning occasionally.
- Insert a ribbon through the hole and tie. You can decorate them with opaque paint markers, or just leave them ‘natural’.
Chocolate Chip Cookies – Christmas Edition
What would a bake day be without the classic chocolate chip cookies! We typically follow the recipe on the back of the chocolate chip bag but when it’s time to add the chocolate we opt for green and red m&m’s instead. It’s a fun Christmas take on a classic recipe.
We hope you enjoy all the sights, sounds, and tastes created in your kitchen this year!
We’d love to hear what you are making!
