Thursday, January 8, 2009

The Tale of Despereaux + Cooking Minestrone with Kids = Kids Off The Couch and IN the kitchen!


Recent bone-chilling weather has had a homey influence on our New Year's Resolutions, which include warm family meals and reading books by the fire. The new animated film The Tale of Despereaux (still in theaters), adapted from one of our favorite read-aloud books by Kate DiCamillo, stars an intrepid sword-wielding mouse who seeks to lift a kingdom's ban on soup. Inspired to spend some time cooking with our kids, we sought out a kid-friendly Minestrone recipe from Caroline Styne, a Los Angeles restaurateur and mom. The secret ingredient? Kids in the kitchen! With Caroline's expert tips, our kids were shopping and chopping, stirring and spicing up a broth made of local, seasonal vegetables. A perfect recipe for family fun on a blustery day. Click here for Caroline's tips for cooking with kids, learn her recipe for Minestrone and read why this film isn't really G-rated.