Cooking Together Stirs Academic Benefits

cooking-togetherDid you know that cooking at home with your child is a great way to support academic learning and communicate to you child that reading, writing, and mathematical skills are meaningful and purposeful parts of our daily lives?

When you cook together you model that reading is important by reading recipes from cookbooks or online food sites. Talking about unfamiliar words in the recipe builds your child’s vocabulary.  In the recipe below, you can focus on words like softened. Taking the time to explain that cream cheese isn’t soft when cold but as it warms up and it goes through the process of whisking it becomes softened. As you write a list of groceries needed for a recipe you are modeling that writing happens daily in our lives. And, as you begin to cook, have your child help you measure out the ingredients. This helps them with mathematical concepts.  Happy Cooking and Learning!

Apple Carmel Pizza

Ingredientsapple-pizza

Sauce

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1 tablespoon packed brown sugar

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pizza

1 can refrigerated pizza crust

2 large apples

1 tablespoon packed brown sugar

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

 

Directions

  1. Heat oven to 400°F. Dust large rimmed cookie sheet with flour.
  2. In large bowl, beat cream cheese with whisk or electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add remaining Sauce ingredients; beat until creamy and soft.
  3. Unroll pizza dough onto cookie sheet. Bake 5 minutes.
  4. Peel and core apples; cut into thin slices. Place slices in medium bowl. Add remaining Pizza ingredients; toss gently to coat.
  5. Bake 10 minutes longer or until sides of crust are light golden brown. Cool 5 minutes. Cut and serve!

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