Tuna Fish Casserole

Why you should LOVE cooking with your kids-it’s learning in disguise!
From the Penn State Cooperative Extension

Most children learn quickly that eating is fun. They also enjoy helping adults cook. Put the two together and you have the perfect recipe for learning. Children learn best when they’re busy and interested in what they are doing.
When children are busy scrubbing, mixing, stirring, kneading, spreading, tossing, squeezing, and pouring, they don’t realize there’s a special ingredient that you’re adding: It’s called learning!

• Cooking involves reading and talking. There is much to talk about as a recipe is read, followed, and prepared.

• Children learn math skills through counting, measuring, and following step-by-step directions.

• Science is learned as children see how food changes during cooking. They learn about hot and cold, floating and sinking, dissolving, melting, and freezing.

• Good nutrition is encouraged through cooking. Seeing exactly what goes into a recipe helps children learn to make better decisions about the food they eat.

• Children can learn about and connect with other cultures as they prepare foods from various cultural groups.

• Thinking skills are developed as children learn to compare and make relationships in food preparation. If we use too much flour in our cookie recipe, the result is a dry, hard cookie. Proportions are easily mastered when children learn that if you double the ingredients in the cookie recipe, you get double the cookies.

• Social skills are practiced in cooking when children work together, take turns, and solve problems. Most importantly, self-esteem abounds when children prepare foods for themselves and others.

Here’s another great recipe to try with your kids in the kitchen…

This meal is great for young children to help with or for children who are old enough to cook an entire meal by themselves. It is just as easy as the macaroni and cheese in a blue box, all they need to know how to do is boil water and cook noodles.

Tuna Fish Casserole

Ingredients:
2 C. Elbow Macaroni (Yeah for food storage!)
3 Cans Tuna Fish, drained
2 Cans Cream of Celery Soup
2 C. Cheese
1 12 oz.-16 oz. Bag of Peas

Instructions:
In a large pot, bring water to boil. Add macaroni and cook for 12-13 minutes, or until soft. Add peas for last 3 minutes of cooking. Drain macaroni and peas. Combine drained tuna, Cream of Celery Soup, and cheese and heat over medium heat until the cheese is melted. Add the macaroni and peas and stir.

Round out the meal:
Serve with baby carrots or tomato wedges, fresh salad (let children have some fun and pick the toppings for the salad), and milk.

For more tips and tricks for using food storage in your everyday recipes, please visit www.everydayfoodstorage.NET