Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Parents' Day

     Parents' Day is celebrated on the fourth Sunday of every July, and it is meant to be a combination of Mother's and Father's Days.  While not a well known holiday, Parents' Day  was meant for "recognizing, uplifting, and supporting the role of parents in the rearing of children"," when it was created in 1994.
     In honor of Parents' Day, today's post is about cooking with the family.  As we have talked about before, our personal traditions are tied to food.  Family dinners, recipes passed down through the generations, the "special silverware" we only use for holidays and company that's been in the family for generations - these traditions are all part of who we are, and for the most part, they've all been passed down from our parents.
     So why is it good to cook with your kids?  Cooking with your kids helps build creativity and self reliance, and it helps minimize pickiness.  Kids are more likely to eat dinner if they helped make it.  Even the youngest children can help out by stirring, adding ingredients and the perennial favorite, licking beaters and spoons used for cake batter.  But more than this, if you cook with your kids, you're spending time with them and more likely to eat dinner as a family, which can lead to healthier living.
     Cooking is a great way to teach kids new stuff in a fun way!  By cooking international foods, (yes, spaghetti can count!) you can teach your kids about geography, history, and other cultures.  Reading recipes and measuring ingredients teaches math and science.  
     Most importantly, cooking with your kids can be fun (albeit messy) for everyone, and it creates good memories and lasting traditions.   Kartika started Euforia Confections after her mother passed away because she wanted to share the cakes that she used to bake with her mother in Indonesia.