The ABC's of Cooking with Lynn Fredericks
author of Cooking Time Is Family Time

Lynn Fredericks gives new meaning to our ABC's. Each installment will focus on a new ingredient beginning with the next letter of the alphabet. C for Carrots features recipes, fun and family activities with carrots.

Carrots are rich in Vitamin A (actually carotene, which the body converts to Vitamin A) and a very delicious, naturally sweet root vegetable. In addition to the health of the eyes, Vitamin A also promotes the growth of bones and teeth, supports the immune system, and promotes the health of internal cell tissues and the skin. Point out other Vitamin-A rich fruits and vegetables when shopping in the produce aisles — squash, sweet potato, pumpkin, mango, apricot, cantalope and papaya.

Because carrots grow underground, it is interesting for kids to come to realize that the carrot itself — the part you eat — is a root. Help your children understand this better, by checking out the root vegetables in the supermarket or farmer's market, and looking for similarities in shape, stems, leaves etc.

Below are some family activities involving carrots, along with some proven family-friendly recipes from my book, Cooking Time Is Family Time.

Important: Please note that an adult should always be present during cooking time.

• Carrots with Bow Tie Pasta
• Linda's Carrot Cake

CARROT STAMPS — The next time you cook carrots, choose 2 or 3 of the largest in diameter and save a full 2" of the tops. Discard the greens if attached. Now, ask your child to draw a simple shape or his or her initials. Then, carve the shape or initial (1 per carrot) into the widest part, leaving the design intact and the remaining area carved away. Now get some paper and some tempera paint or stamp pads, and let your child decorate the paper or paper bags with the carrot stamps to their hearts' content! For larger stamps/bigger designs, you can use a potato!

CARROT PLANTING — Purchase a bunch of carrots with the green tops still attached. Cut one carrot top with 1/2" of the carrot attached. In an indoor planter, place the carrot top in cup of water and watch it take root. Then plant in an indoor planter or the garden (if its spring/summer) and wait a few weeks and then let the children dig it up so they can see just how carrots grow.

Check out other recipes that bring the whole family together:

>>> Buy This Book Cooking Time is Family Time: Cooking Together, Eating Together, and Spending Time Together by Lynn Fredericks, William Morrow & Co., August, 1999 In COOKING TIME IS FAMILY TIME, Lynn Fredericks shows people how they can improve the time they spend with kids by inviting them into the kitchen to help prepare meals. Included are 125 recipes emphasizing a variety of fresh, healthful ingredients and strategies to get kids to gobble them down. Each recipe offers directions that specify which steps are right for younger kids and which are more challenging for their older siblings.

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The ABC's of Cooking ::: Aa |Bb |Cc |Dd |Ee |Ff |Gg |Hh |Ii |Jj |Kk |Ll
Kid's Meals | Lynn's Thoughts on Feeding Her Children | Recipes | Book