In the Kitchen with Mommy

Y'all, I love to cook. I love being in my kitchen creating things for the people I love to enjoy. I love all things foody (except for the actual foods as I am a very "selective" eater - doesn't "selective" sound better than "picky"??). I love kitchens. I have a dream kitchen.... well, actually I have a lot of dream kitchens (thank you Pinterest).

Want to know what's great?? My kids love being in the kitchen too! They love to cook and help me in any way they can. It is wonderful and precious and frustrating! Ha! If you have little ones you know what I mean. I love that they love to help me though. I hope I am setting a good example for them. I try.

I haven't always been one to jump in the kitchen and cook. But now, I do it without thinking. I cook supper every night at home. I haven't always been that way but I truly enjoy it now. I make meal plans and do the grocery shopping once a week. It is fantastic and makes my life so much easier.

I am even turning into one of those moms who tries to be super-healthy. I use the word "try" but that's not exactly the right description. My family is just as picky (if not more) than I am and I am having such a hard time making healthy foods for them. But I really want to.... really.

I read all these studies about how this food and that food contribute to cancer risks and this health problem and that. Its overwhelming and scary. And I feel like the study writers opened my pantry and used that as the basis for their conclusions. Seriously? I feel like anything I buy in the grocery store is bad for us.

So I'm deciding right now to make a change. I don't want to serve food just because it is easy. Yeah, it is so much easier to open up a can of soup rather than make my own... but don't you think mine is much better tasting? And much healthier too? At least my home-made foods weren't listed on any of the studies I've read as bad for us, so they are good right?! I want to really be that good example for my kids. And I want them to be as healthy as possible. There is enough junk food out there, they shouldn't be surrounded with it at home. (Note: I do not serve my kids much junk food, but they do get some. They are not surrounded with it at home, by any means.)

I love that my girls are interested in cooking and I want them to develop a love for healthy eating. I am going through all of my cookbooks today searching for kid-friendly, healthy, not too difficult, and yummy recipes that we can add to our meal rotation. Does anyone have any suggestions? Perhaps I need to start posting some of our favorite meals on here... Maybe I just will.

Love.