🧑‍🧒‍🧒🍽️🧑‍🧒‍🧒Batter Together: Why Family Cooking Isn’t About the Food

Published: Tue, 06/24/25

Updated: Tue, 06/24/25

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“Teach a child to cook and you feed them for a lifetime.” - Alice Waters

~🧑‍🧒‍🧒🍽️🧑‍🧒‍🧒A Few Words From Susan🧑‍🧒‍🧒🍽️🧑‍🧒‍🧒~

I’ve always believed that the kitchen is the heart of the home, and it truly comes alive when shared with family. Some of my favorite memories growing up are of crowding around the kitchen table with my family: flour dusting the air, laughter echoing off the walls, and everyone - no matter their age - getting their hands messy.

This week, I’m celebrating the joys (and occasional spills) of cooking together, whether you’re stirring sauce with teens or baking muffins with toddlers. In our featured video, Baking with Toddlers, I show how even the littlest hands can help create something delicious and make lasting memories in the process.

Don’t miss this week’s product offer: 50 percent off our Medium Glass Storage Jar, which is already available at a deep discount, so you will be getting this below cost!. It’s the perfect size for holding my granddaughter Mabel’s favorite snack, pretzels.

Cooking together isn’t just about the food; it’s about connection, creativity, and a little bit of chaos (the good kind!).

Best,

Susan

Subscriber Bonus - Scroll Down to See if You Won!

Each week, we announce a winner of a free Cestari product - you pick your prize from our entire product catalog!

One winner is randomly selected from subscribers each week, and announced at the bottom of the newsletter.

Trivia Question

What iconic children’s book includes the line, “Then he ate through one apple... but he was still hungry,” inspiring countless family fruit snack projects?

Answer at the bottom of the newsletter

13 Secrets to Successful Baking With Toddlers

Discover the joy and challenges of baking with toddlers! This video provides practical tips to make your baking experience enjoyable and educational for both you and your little one. From setting up a safe baking environment to involving your toddler in the process, you'll learn how to create memorable kitchen moments.

Tip of the Week: Set Up a "Yes" Zone in the Kitchen
Create a safe, child-friendly area where kids are encouraged to explore, stir, or roll dough without constant corrections. This encourages independence and reduces stress for everyone.

The Joy of Cooking Together

Bringing the whole family into the kitchen can turn an ordinary meal into a mini adventure. Here are a few ideas to make cooking together feel special—and stress-free:

Assign age-appropriate tasks. Little ones can wash veggies with the Cestari Vegetable Scrubber, while older kids can help chop (with supervision) or measure ingredients. Matching the task to the child’s skill level builds confidence and prevents frustration.
Make it a game. Turn pizza night into a topping competition, or see who can come up with the most creative sandwich using what’s in the fridge.
Try a build-your-own dinner. Set out bowls of cooked pasta, sauce, veggies, and cheese, and let everyone assemble their own perfect plate.
Make a visual recipe board
Use photos or drawings to illustrate steps in a simple recipe. This helps pre-readers understand what comes next and keeps them engaged from start to finish
Build a routine around kitchen time
Designate a regular time for cooking together, such as “Saturday pancake mornings” or “Friday pizza night.” Children love predictability, and traditions strengthen family bonds.
Let the kids choose the menu
Allowing children to pick a recipe or dinner theme occasionally makes them more invested in the meal—and more likely to try new foods.
Celebrate small wins. Even if the cookies come out a little wonky, the smiles are what matter most.

Special Offer for Newsletter Subscribers

Save 50% on Cestari's Medium Storage Jar, with code BIGJARDEAL through July 1 at the Cestari store on Amazon In addition to providing airtight food storage, the jar makes a beautiful container for a terrarium - a great activity to do with your kids, and a beautiful home accent.

Reader's Tips for Cooking with Children

Barbara from Lake Stevens, Washington shares, "I give my grandkids their own aprons and a small mixing bowl so they feel part of the process. They love having ‘their station’ and it keeps them engaged while I manage the rest of the meal."

Patricia from Peachtree City, Georgia offers, "We turn dinner prep into a music session. I play oldies or show tunes and assign tasks to the beat of the music. It keeps energy up and turns a routine chore into something we all look forward to."

Linda from The Dalles, Oregon notes, "My trick is using cookie cutters on vegetables. When the kids help make heart-shaped carrots or star zucchini slices, they're much more likely to eat them at dinner."

Susan from Show Low, Arizona explains, "We keep a ‘kids’ pantry bin’ on a low shelf with healthy snacks and safe utensils. My youngest knows where her favorites are stored and helps pack her own lunchbox with just a little supervision."

Debra from Gillette, Wyoming adds, "On Sundays, each child picks one meal they want to help cook during the week. It gives them a sense of ownership, and they’re always more enthusiastic when it’s their night to lead the kitchen."

The winner of this week's Free Cestari Product is Naomi Clark. Naomi, please select your product from the Cestari Store on Amazon, and send us an email at [email protected] letting us know what you'd like, and where we should ship it.

💡 Answer to Trivia Question:

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. The book is often paired with fruit-themed recipes or activities that children can help prepare.

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