Cooking With Raddish

My kids like cooking. I often attempt to find jobs for them to pitch in with meal preparation, but I find myself in a rush to get the dinners made and forget to include them in the tasks that are suitable for them. I do try to find snacks or meals that they can play a role in, but searching for kid-friendly recipes that really give them the chance to get their hands in there can be time consuming.

I was super excited when I stopped at the Raddish booth at the CHEA Homeschool Convention this past April. It was just what I had been looking for. I was drawn in by their colorful, laminated tri-fold recipe cards that are adorably illustrated with complete step-by-step instructions. These step-specific illustrations make it easy for pre-readers to understand the steps, too. The ingredient list and steps are clearly placed, and the outer folds of the recipe cards feature Fun Bites (teaching a new skill, kitchen experiments, facts and tips) that are related to the recipe.

The kids get to participate in preparing something fun and delicious, and we are given a guide to help teach them and connect with them while we cook. The Raddish website also features online extension activities for each recipe card to round out the learning experience.

The cool thing about Raddish is that you purchase a subscription – buy a single box, or get a 3-, 6-, or 12-month subscription – and each month a box full of culinary inspiration shows up at your door. I wanted to try it out, so I was ecstatic when I was given the opportunity to sample a box with my kiddos. The box arrived complete with the Raddish apron, three recipe cards, a skill card, table talk cards, and even a cool tool for us to use with one of the recipes: a dough scraper.

Our box’s theme was Food For Friends and our recipes were strawberry jam, share with me scones, and tacos. The kids and I made the strawberry jam first. They loved learning to use the box grater to grate the apple, and the masher to smush the strawberries. And while the jam simmered, we read through the Fun Bites and the Kitchen Tips and talked about who we wanted to share our strawberry jam with.

The strawberry jam was delicious and we shared it with grandma, the cousins, and a few friends. The scones were quite tasty too, but we kept those for our breakfasts and snacks. When we made the scones, we all enjoyed learning to use the dough scraper. We plan on making the tacos for a special occasion, when family or friends can join us. And we are looking forward to it.

If your kids like to cook or if it is something you want to explore with your kids, this is such an amazing opportunity and I highly recommend it. Whether you are looking for a way to incorporate more family time into your activities or are looking for something to add to your homeschool curriculum, Raddish gets three thumbs up from my crew!