I’ve asked some of my favorite creative mamas to help out while I’m away with our new baby. Today, the wonderful Erin Austen Abbott from one of my most favorite shops – Amelia – is sharing a recipe from one of her favorite activities with her son Tom Otis: cooking! Thanks Erin! –Nole

When I was in the fourth grade, my mom had me start making my dinner for myself each night. I had cooked with her a little before that, but I was more or less thrown to the wolves to figure it out. She also dropped me off at the grocery store and I did my own shopping. While that was REALLY young, it taught me some valuable lessons. How to shop on a budget yet still get the most for your money, the beauty of fresh veggies, and it allowed me to not be scared to create my own recipes. –Erin

I’ve grown to love cooking… I cook breakfast each weekend for my family. I make dinner six nights a week and I’ve started cooking with my two year old. He gets out his stool and climbs up to sit where he can see. I talk to him about each step that goes into the dish. If I mince the onion, we talk about it. When I select a spice, we talk about it. I tell him about flavor of the spice and how they go with the other ingredients. We might talk about the country that the dish is from. I let him stir, pour and his favorite part, taste test. I hope that he will always want to cook with me, because everything is more fun with him around to help.

Below is a recipe, that is one of his favorites, that I created for him.

Veggie Pizza

Prep time, 10 mins

Cook time, 12-15 mins

Total 22-25 mins

Ingredients

One flour tortilla

Olive Oil

Basil

Garlic powder

Salt

Pepper

Several Broccoli florets

One stem of Kale

Mushrooms

Onion

Green Peppers

Spinach

Spaghetti sauce

Cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Lay the tortilla on a cooking sheet.

Spread a light layer of olive oil on the tortilla.

Sprinkle garlic powder, salt, pepper, and basil over the tortilla.

Add a spoonful of sauce onto of the spices.

In a blender or food processor, blend the raw broccoli and raw kale until finely minced.

Add a layer of the mixture over the sauce.

Sprinkle cheese to cover.

Add mushrooms, onion, green onion, chopped spinach.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until cheese begins to brown.

*If your child is really picky about the veggies, you can blend them with the broccoli and kale and hide them under the sauce and cheese. None the wiser.
Enjoy!