Cooking with my girls

I grew up in a home where dinner was prepared from scratch every night.  Very rarely did we have take out or go to a restaurant, let alone frozen food.  Cooking is something I really enjoy as well.  With three little ones under 4, it is sometimes harder than other days to get that meal cooked & I go to some quick pasta with a little sauce of butter, garlic & Parmesan.  Many nights it is just the girls and I for dinner, so I don't feel as pressured to make a "complete" meal.  I do however, really like to cook.

Yesterday, the girls & I made eggplant Parmesan.  We have dinner Sunday nights at my parents, and thought this would be a fun thing to share.  I love to try and involve my girls when I cook.  They love to help and it keeps them entertained as well!  When kids help, you can't be too much of a prefectionist or all of the fun will be gone & the stress level will go through the roof!

I gave Coco the task of breading the eggplant & Vivienne put the egg on.  They did a great job!  The key is to stay calm, and teach them the "right" way to do things.  Otherwise, you end up with a crazy mess.

Here is the recipe we used. Eggplant Parmesan from Epicuious.com  I didn't make my own sauce, but used a small jar from Trader Joe's.  I also just used one large eggplant.  It was the perfect amount for 6 of us as a side dish.   It was yummy, and yes .. they all ate it!!