THIS POST IS A PART OF A 31 DAY SERIES TO INVITE OUR KIDS INTO THE KITCHEN. FIND THE REST OF THE SERIES HERE.
Have you ever considered how much your kids are learning about food outside of the kitchen and meal times? “Kids in the kitchen” is much bigger than what happens in one room of the house.
This is good news. Because even if cooking with your children isn’t your forte (yet), there are so many other opportunities to begin creating habits of health and hospitality.
“Kids in the kitchen” overflows into grocery store runs, trips to the farmers market, and visits to orchards, farms, and pumpkin patches to experience harvesting real food in a meaningful way. (Each of which will be talked about during this series!)
A few weeks ago we visited a local apple orchard with some friends. Traditions are great and this is one I think we’ll keep.
The weather was a lot warmer than last year, but this time I had three little farm hands to help fill the buckets. It wasn’t long before their bellies and buckets were full and we could all sit down to a picnic lunch in the field.
Taking the time to visit to an orchard, making it a family tradition, is worth more than just the bushel of apples you bring home.
Without even thinking about it, kids begin to associate fresh with flavor, food with the farm, and healthy eating with positive memories.
And, when you include friends in your traditions, a trip to the farm also becomes an opportunity for hospitality. Not in our home, but in the way we welcome each other to share our experiences and our lives.
Openness. Friendship. Kindness. Good Food. These are connections worth making!
(I didn’t even mention all the other learning that can take place at the orchard and at home reading about apples and farms. But, of course, in addition to all the fun of being outdoors and munching on delicious apples, we can take advantage of the time through our conversations and observations!)
I have a bushel of apples, now what?
If you have a lot of apples waiting for you in your kitchen, here are some ideas for what to do with them. And, if your kids (or you) aren’t too tired after picking them, apples can be great fruits to practice knife skills!
- Homemade Applesauce :: The Humbled Homemaker
- Freezer Pop-Tarts :: This Pilgrim Life
- Slow Cooker Apple Crisp :: Simple Bites
- Apple Butter in the Crockpot :: Simple Bites
- Spiced Apple Cider :: This Pilgrim Life (coming this month)
Have you ever taken your kids apple picking?
What is your favorite apple recipe for the Fall?
Find the rest of the Kids in the Kitchen posts on the series page.
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[…] boys will take a day to go fishing before it gets too cold, and next week I hope to take a day to go apple picking so we can enjoy cider and apple pie pop-tarts with friends. Homeschooling allows us to be in charge […]