Fix-It and Forget-It

We found this great little document, compiled by the Better Kid Care Program at Penn State University, full of tips for teaching your child to cook. You’ll find ways to generate interest in cooking at various ages, tips for working with your child in the kitchen, a couple of easy snacks you and your child can create together, and a list of books to spark interest and teach skills.

And speaking of books, we have a couple of our own to recommend, if you’re looking for ways to engage your child in the kitchen. Fix-It and Forget-It Kids’ Cookbook is full of easy slow-cooker recipes for the younger set. Because the recipes don’t involve either the stove or the oven, they’re great for younger children just starting to show interest in the kitchen.

The Mayo Clinic Kids’ Cookbook is chock-full of healthy snacks, breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and desserts to create with your child. With easy-to-understand directions and simple ingredient lists, older children will be able to whip up meals on their own. Both cookbooks include beautiful full-color photos of each recipe.

Just wondering. . . is it ever too late to talk about good news? Continue Reading...

When the Thanksgiving turkey platter is passed to me, I always root around looking for the dark meat. Early on, I must have hit a piece of white meat that behaved like sawdust in my mouth—and no amount of gravy could rescue it. Continue Reading...

Whether your slow cooker is one of these old girls, or a sleek new one, call it into service whenever you’re in a cooking jam.

I keep putting it off and putting it off. I’ve written it on the calendar on a couple of different dates and erased each one. Continue Reading...

Boxed cake mixes are a gift to any busy cook, but it must be admitted that they can be just a tiny bit, well, uninteresting. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, however. Think of them, rather, as an invitation to creativity. Continue Reading...

In the children’s book Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, the weather comes three times a day and always brings something good to eat. Continue Reading...

Mention macaroni and cheese in a group and you’ll probably ignite a frenzy of nostalgia. Who doesn’t have fond memories of this perennial childhood favorite? For that matter, what adult doesn’t occasionally experience a craving for that most noble of all culinary combinations, pasta and cheese? Continue Reading...

Cast-iron Dutch ovens have sometimes been described as the original slow cookers. These heavy cookware pieces are great for anything that requires a slow simmer: sauces, stews, and roasts, for example.

Staub Dutch ovens are produced in France and have several distinctive qualities that set them apart. They are all hand-cast, making each Staub piece unique. The interior of each one is coated with a special black enamel that allows you to brown, roast or caramelize ingredients exceptionally well.

The outside of each oven also has a black enamel coating, but then Staub adds rich and beautiful colors on top of that to make it a perfect “oven to tabletop” dish for your home.
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Here are the results from our very first contest on Fix-ItandForget-It.com. Thanks to everyone who participated!
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We think that Mother’s Day should last for more than just one day. So to celebrate the amazing women who raised us and are still on the job—listening to our joys and worries, giving us hugs, and feeding us—we’re giving away two (2) All-Clad Slow Cookers and two (2) full sets of the Fix-It and Forget-It series (that’s seven books in total). Give ‘em to your mama or keep ‘em for yourself (we won’t tell).
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