Cooking with your kids takes a lot of patience but is an extremely rewarding project. Both boys and girls enjoy spending time in the kitchen with their parents and if you take your time and do a little preparation ahead of time, it can be enjoyable for both parent and child alike. Before you get started there are a few things to keep in mind.

• Be familiar with the recipe. Although your first few times cooking with your child you should pick extremely simple recipes, like the ones at the end of this article, you should still take the time to read the ingredient list and directions through ahead of time so that you are familiar with what needs to be done.

• Have a safe work area. What works for you will not necessarily work for your child. Most children will not be able to work easily at counter height. If you have a sturdy stool for your child to stand on, that will work well. If not you may want to move the entire production to the kitchen table so that your child will not be trying to work above his or head.

• Check your ingredient list. Before you even mention to your child that you will be cooking together, make sure that you have all the ingredient necessary. Nothing is more discouraging to a child than be all geared up to do something fun and then hearing, "Sorry, it isn’t going to happen." Alleviate this concern by checking ahead of time.

• Premeasure everything. If you have an older child (older elementary age) you may want to skip this step as the measuring of ingredient is one of the more educational aspects to cooking. For younger kids, prepare just like they do on the cooking shows. Pre measure all your ingredients and line them up in the order they will be used. Some things, like eggs, will need to be out in bowls, but for your dry ingredients you can save cleanup time by putting each ingredient on a separate paper plate.

Apple Surprise

Each apple is one serving. For each serving, core one apple. Let your child fill the inside of the apple with a mixture of brown sugar, cinnamon and raisins.Put the apples in a flat dish such as a (non-metal) pie pan. Sprinkle apples with apple juice and microwave. Microwave time will vary, but start with 5 minutes. The apples are done when they are soft to the touch.

Brownie Hideaway

Prepare a traditional box brownie mix as instructed on the box. Before pouring the batter into the pan, add a bag of mini chocolate chips or peanut butter chips. When the brownies cool, allow your child to ice them with chocolate cake frosting.

Mini Pizzas

This one is great for a group of kids as long as you do your prep work ahead of time. Chop any vegetables your kids like, such as broccoli, carrots, onions, etc and place on separate plates. Assemble your other pizza toppings such as pepperoni, shredded cheese, and pizza sauce. The base of your individual pizzas will be the flaky type of canned biscuit.You should be able to make 2 to 3 pizzas with each biscuit because you will separate the layers for the crust. Let the kids top their pizzas with whatever ingredients they want then pop them in the oven. Watch them closely as they will only take 5 to 7 minutes to cook.

Once you and your kids have become comfortable working together in the kitchen it is time to expand your horizons. Probably one of the most rewarding aspects of cooking with your kids is the fact that they are much more inclined to eat something that they have helped to prepare. You should take full advantage of this fact and open up their palates to foods and cuisines that they would not otherwise consider. One of the easiest ways to expand your child’s diet is to have a national pride night once a month. Each month pick a country that you are going to investigate. Plan your menu around this country. When you first start, you may want to start with something that is familiar, such as Mexican or Italian. As you and your child become more adept at working together, choosing recipes and trying new things, get more adventuresome. By preparing several dishes, you are guaranteed to find something that everyone can eat, and depending on your child’s age, they can learn valuable research skills by helping to plan the menu.

Another fun idea for cooking with your kids is to pick a different food and plan an evening around it. Once again, start slow. Pick a food that you are familiar with but prepare it in an unconventional way. This is the time to dust off those recipes that you have saved because they looked interesting. Once you are comfortable, branch off into things you have never had. Introduce your child to jicama, lamb or persimmons.

Once you and your child have explored a variety of foods and cuisines, it is time to cut the apron strings so to speak. Let your child plan and prepare an entire meal. Your level of participation will depend on the age of your child, but let them do as much of the menu planning, grocery shopping and food preparation as is feasible, with you as the willing accomplice. Even by doing this once a month you are providing your child with wonderful time with a parent, not to mention life-long skills that will make your child the envy of all the others when they hit college and can feed themselves (and others).The key to cooking with children is to be prepared, make sure (from the start) that your child realizes that clean up is part of the job, and be patient. Yes, there will be times when it is easier to do things yourself, but by allowing your child to take control you a gift that is not easily replaced.