There are many kids who are little chefs in disguise, and even if they aren’t, come Thanksgiving, when everyone is in the kitchen, the kids will appreciate helping you out! It’s a great way to get them involved in the excitement of the big meal. Children will appreciate contributing in any way that they can.

When thinking about some tasks they can do, keep in mind both the child’s age and the amount of time a task takes to do. Make sure that the kitchen fun is age-appropriate, i.e young children should not be using knives or other sharp objects preparing food, and these types of objects should be out of reach so no accidents take place. You may want to provide an apron to your little chef to protect clothes and help them get in the mood. Also, remember that kids will not want to be in the kitchen the whole day, as there are parades to watch, the football to throw, and perhaps a turkey craft to do. So, keep their time in the kitchen limited to keep them excited, but not bored and restless.

Here are some great cooking ideas for the kids:

• Mash the potatoes
• Fill the pie shells with the filling
• Stuff the celery with cream cheese
• Arrange the vegetable tray
• Set out cheese and crackers
• Stir Jell-O
• Freeze ice cubes with cranberries
• Stuff the turkey
• Place ingredients in the salad and toss
• Whip the cream
• Fill the deviled eggs
• Rolling out the pie crust

All of these will be fun. If you have older kids (tweens and teens), perhaps they would like to peel potatoes and/or make the pie filling.
This is a great Thanksgiving Day activity and will really get your children into the spirit of the feast!

Barbecue has to be one of the greatest things about summer. The fall off the bone ribs, juicy chicken, and tender pulled pork is enough to make your mouth water. Of course, going out to a great barbecue joint can be expensive. Thankfully, there are ways to save money by making barbecue in your own kitchen.

First of all, let’s talk meat. You don’t have to buy baby back ribs, boneless and skinless chicken breasts, or pork loin to make good barbecue. In fact, some of the best barbecue is made by using less expensive cuts. Country style ribs, for example, are made from the meat cut from in between the rib bones. Why pay more for baby back ribs, which are mostly bone? When it comes to chicken breast though, on the bone is better. As the meat cooks, the bones help keep the meat moist and flavorful. And, let’s not forget Boston butt. While it may look like a fatty piece of meat, it makes the best pulled pork you’ll ever eat.

What about cooking all these delicious meats? Ribs and Boston butt do wonderfully in a slow cooker. You can cook the meat 8-12 hours and the meat will be fall apart tender. Chicken breasts on the other hand do best on the grill or even in a grill pan. If you want your barbecue now though, look no further than the pressure cooker .

You can also find recipes online for homemade barbecue sauce, but most store bought sauces are very affordable and there’s a flavor to suit almost any palate. Whether you like the tangy taste of North Carolina barbecue or the sweeter taste that comes from Memphis, you’ll find a store bought sauce to please your taste buds. Also, don’t forget that many barbecue joints sell bottles of their sauce.

Here’s how I do my country style ribs:

2 pounds of country style ribs
Barbecue sauce, any flavor

1. Slow cook the ribs for 8 – 10 hours, depending on your slow cooker.
2. Remove the ribs from the cooker and place on a cookie sheet.
3. Coat with barbecue sauce and bake at 350 until the sauce adheres to the ribs, about 15 – 20 minutes.