Looking for something tasty to make as a family? With lots of freedom to be in the kitchen, this is the perfect time to try that recipe you’ve always wanted to tackle. Use our tips below to keep the vibe fun (rather than frustrating) and to make the most of your time together at home.
Create a Recipe Wishlist
Maybe you’ve always wanted to learn to bake bread or perfect your pie crust. Now is a great time to dedicate yourself to that goal. Create your recipe wishlist with 20-30 recipes you want to make over the next month or maybe the 3-4 that you want to master. Just make sure you have the ingredients accessible or on-hand.
So what’s your goal: do you want to master a style of cuisine, like Indian food or learn to bake bread, maybe tackle the perfect pie crust? Not every recipe needs to take a lot of time. You can start with our quick bread recipes for Applesauce Muffins, Lemon Bread, or Carrot Bread. You’d be surprised how much you can master a little bit at a time.
Get the Whole Family Involved
Food connects and comforts us all and the best memories are made in the kitchen. Make a weekly family meal plan together so everyone has a say. And, let everyone choose how they want to play a part. Kids love to be in the kitchen. If you’ve been hesitant to let them help before, this is definitely the time to start.
Kids can pitch in with the youngest helping tear lettuce, butter pans, mash and mix to the older kids measuring ingredients, chopping vegetables, even handling an entire recipe themselves. (They might even be able to brown ground beef, in which case, they can cook our recipe for Tortilla Casserole from start to finish!) Whatever ownership a child takes in preparing a meal helps grow their confidence, broaden their palate and spend meaningful time with you.
Start a Family Cookbook
Want to create a keepsake your family will love forever? Start a family cookbook that everyone can contribute a recipe. Choose a blank book, journal or composition notebook and start recording what your family’s favorite recipes that you or they make. Include dates, notes about the day, or significant moments in your family’s life at the time.
Print and cut recipes – like our breakfast favorites Apple French Toast Loaf with Maple Butter, Fresh Strawberry or Blueberry Crepes, Apricot Danish Breakfast Pizza, Puffy Baked Apple Pancake – then paste them into the journal and write notes in the margins about what your family liked and didn’t like. Tweak the recipes and develop a system to rate each one, whether it’s a thumbs-up or a five-star rating scale. Stay faithful to this diary and you’ll have a family heirloom to look back on for years to come.