Ideas please

stickywicket

On baking / cooking with a 5yr old boy. (That's WITH. I'm not planning to shove him in the oven :shock: ) Or, even better, stuff that DOESN'T require baking.

Last year I intended to do some when he was 4 but planning, in cold Yorkshire, and using the oven in hot California are two different things even with the air con and fan on.

However, I'd love to introduce him to some basic, reasonably healthy, food making. Pizza- topping will be one. I'm delighted to say he hates those enormously gooey, lurid, primary-coloured cream buns as much as I do but loves gingerbread men so they might figure. As might his Dad's childhood favourite – 'chocolately cornflakey things'. He's not particularly interested in food at all, though. He'd rather be playing baseball, lego or skylanders.

I'd love ideas for quick, easy things that preferably require no oven at all or, at least minimum cooking.

villier

Don't know if this is any good to you Sticky :

Mars bar fudge

2 mars bars
2 tablespoons of golden syrup
3oz of marg or butter
1 packet of digestive biscuits
300g chocolate

Melt mars bars, syrup and butter in a pan add crushed biscuits and spread on a greased swiss roll tin. Top with melted chocolate and leave to set. Cut into squares.

The wee one would have fun smashing the biscuits up. xx

theresak

Our grandsons loved putting toppings on pizzas, and they also love gingerbread men. You could do cupcakes with them - ours like to do the weighing &putting everything in the bowl, then using the mixer.

Flapjacks are another favourite.

stickywicket

Weighing Oh Gawd, I'd forgotten weighing.

Daddy will never let me borrow the scales he uses when making cricket bats

Looks like I'll have to invest. Thanks, Tezz and villier. They sound good.

Sharon2960

Jam tarts
butterfly cakes
maids of honour
bake potatoes and, when they are cooked, scoop the potato out amd mash with butter, stir some chopped ham in, return to the skins, sprinkle grated cheese on top and return to the oven to re-heat - voila, he's made his own dinner!

When I made gingerbread with my niece, we used various shapes - hands, hearts etc. then she decorated them with tubes or ready made icing in various colours, and all sorts of sprinkle things!

Have a lovely time!

Slosh

Fruit kebabs are a no cook option
Mini funny face pizzas, I used to use baps as a base, cut in half then flatten with a rolling pin before using toppings to make a face.
Decorate rich tea biscuits , coat with icing then decorate with toppings as wished
And if you want to avoid weighing out ingredients you can get some great character cake mixes for children these days, my Grandsons love these.

barbara12

coconut macaroons..not long in the oven
pizza on toasted half baguettes ..any toppings you like
Must say our favorites are always the fairy cakes with lots of different toppings they love it
And I am going to try Marie's fudge...

LignumVitae

Rocky road, jelly (not quite cooking), pasties made using ready rolled pastry, tiffin. In terms of weighing, I have a few american cookbooks and they tend to use cup measures which might be easier than taking scales with you. I have visions of a big scale set with weights in the bottom of your suitcase along with baking powder and butter and the like

stickywicket

Thank you all for some brilliant ideas.

I have made a list which I'll take with me.

I've also remembered simple dips with chopped veg - a good way of getting veg into them.

I think I shall buy some cheap scales over there. The US 'cup system' never made sense to me as their cups are no more standard than ours.

LV, food is a complete no-no at US security. And given that I do as far as check-in, and from baggage reclaim to where our son waits for us, in the wheelchair with all the bags loaded on top of me - no weights will be in them

Airwave!

You can get a box of 'Thomas the Train' cakes with pre made icing to go on top, not hard to do and at least some of the mix gets into the cakes! Our GC have progressed onto cooking other things now, bread is popular, the messier the better!! Making mini pizzas from scratch is good too.

stickywicket

Thanks, Airwave. Another good idea though Thomas the Tank Engine was, sadly for his Grandma, a couple of years back. I'll have to look for some Ninja Turtle or Star Wars ones