Cooking with Kids: Pictures from The Madrona Famer's Market

So here's the challenge. How do you get your Jr. Jock nephew to be interested in food, and not just eating it? Hand him a digital camera and bring him to the market!!!

Oh, and not the SUPER-market, the Farmer's Market. Great place to find cool, weird, and interesting FOOD. The vendors love talking about their stuff, encourage everyone, especially kids, to ask questions and the kids love hearing about stuff...really!

The Madrona Farmer's Market is a smaller neighborhood market, so on a usual shopping day I could've been out of there in 20 minutes. When Zach & I went, we got through the market and Zach said, "Do you want to go around again?" I love it!!!

The vendors were totally cool and let Zach take pictures of the fruits and vegetables, even getting out of the way so Zach could snap the perfect pic. All the pictures that follow were taken by Zach. I have more pictures that I will share later. Oh, also, I did buy a few things at the market. I will share my recipes as soon as can.

Bush Scallop Squash...see Zach's shadow

Humongous Carrots

Creepy Cucumber

Big Ass Squash!!!

Purple "Looks like a brain" Cauliflower

Happy World Vegetarian Day!!!

Cooking with Kids!

My son, Tyler and my dad, Novelito with the famous Corned Beef.

Cooking with kids, an experience I cannot describe in one word. The key to keeping the experience positive is to keep the recipe simple and expect a big mess. Don't be afraid.

If all else fails... P B & J!

I am going to start posting Kid-Friendly recipes on Thursdays, that are both easy and approved by the pickiest eater. My son, the HS Senior is too busy to hang in the kitchen with mom. However, I have another kid helper in mind, if I can convince my Godson Zachary to join me after school. Zach and I have spent a little time cooking in the past...chocolate pudding, pumpkin pie, and tuna fish salad - is that cooking? I think it would be fun to try other recipes now since Zach is older. Zach has an older brother, Riley and a little sister, Chelsea, who might make a cameo in the "Baking" scene. Should be fun!!!

My Nephew Zachary sporting Tyler's Mexican Wrestling Mask...Boys will be boys!!!

Here's my other Godson, Lucas. He loves RICE! I spent time with him and his older brother, Max, this summer when their baby brother, Anderson, was born. Lucas is so cute, when I would cook something for dinner, he would quickly push the step stool over to the stove and say, "Can I cook?" You gotta love that.

I have tested many recipes over the years. The challenge I had for my picky eater was hiding the green stuff. I referred to Baby Let's Eat! by Patricia Messing during the toddler years and then Feeding the Young Athlete by Cynthia Lair, later when I needed a little help. I'll start digging out my my recipes and start sharing with you.