Let the Kids Cook Dinner

There is nothing better than coming home to dinner on the table when you are a busy mom!  Thursdays are a stressful day for me.  I have to rush my daughter to dance and rush back home to feed everyone.  My 10 year old has been showing interest in cooking for a while now.  Last week I decided to put him to the test.  I asked him to make English Muffin Pizzas for dinner while I was gone.  My husband would be home to step in if there were any problems, but he would be working the whole time.

My son was very excited but also nervous because this isn’t a meal he has seen me make before.  I explained to him that it was just like the homemade pizza kit I send to lunch with him. He would just need to put them into the oven to bake them after putting them together.    Being the nervous kid he is, he asked for me to leave a recipe.  Here is what I left him:

1. At 5:30, press Bake on the oven.  Press the up arrow until it gets to 425.  Press Start/On.
2. Spray the pan I left out with cooking spray.
3. Lay out the English Muffins on the pan. I already cut them in halves for you. (I even drew him a picture here!)
4. Spread sauce on each half, and sprinkle cheese on top of the sauce.
5. Put pepperonis on all but three of the pizzas.  (He doesn’t like them on his pizzas.)
6. At 5:50, put the pan into the oven.  Be careful not to burn yourself!
7. Check them every 5 minutes until they look done.  The cheese will be melted but not brown yet.

When I walked into the house at 6:10, he had just pulled the pan out of the oven.  Napkins and forks were on the table as well as water glasses.  He had cut fruit and already put it on the plates.  All he had left to do was to put the pizzas on the plates.  He was beyond proud and I was too!  He is looking forward to making these each week for us. It wasn’t an award winning meal, but everyone liked it, and it gave him a great confidence boost.  And for me, it was like eating out but not having to pay the bill!