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way, make your food come alive in the eyes ofyour child and you will be very pleased with theend results.Some tried and true tricks:Disguise vegetables by putting them in healthymuffins. Squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, andeven spinach work well in muffins. Soups, sauces,dips, spreads, and smoothies are also ways tosneak those vegetables in.Sometimes changing the appearance of a vegetableis all you need to refocus your child’sopinion of food, especially vegetables. Usecookie cutters, ice cream scoops, or fun-sizedbowls for food presentation. My family lovesAsian food so we learned that Asian marketsare a great place to find all sorts of utensils tocut fun shapes from food. Have your littlechef turn that zucchini into a flower andwatch them smile! Hearts, letters, stars, andleaves are also winners.Make plate-art by creating pictures, designs, orfun colors with food. Instead of a pile of turkey,some sweet potato and asparagus, howabout asparagus “trees”, a sweet potato“sun”, and turkey “clouds”? Making storiesfrom food can get any picky eater interestedin their meal. Just remember to keep yourchild focused on erasing the canvas for thenext meal by eating their art!Tactic Three: Being a Good Role ModelHaving fun in the kitchen is really effortless whenall the right precautions are in place. It is alwaysimportant to set the tone about being safe andresponsible around hot stoves and ovens, sharpknives, glass, and all the other potential hazardsin your kitchen. Practicing safety is the first thingyou always do when working with anyone, notjust kids! Practice careful cooking and your childwill too.Here are my basics of kitchen safety to remembereach time you cook.Always clear and clean before, during, and aftercooking. Use non-toxic soap or cleaners toprep your space. Make sure your utensils,counters, and hands are clean, your cuttingboards are washed/sterilized, and your workarea is cleared from all food, crumbs, orkitchen equipment not in use.Practice working slowly and deliberately–no runningin the kitchen! If you walk around witha knife, hold it so the blade is facingdown. And of course, this should remind youto wear close-toed shoes in the kitchen anddefinitely ensure your child is properlydressed.Make sure you read the recipe carefully and haveall your ingredients in place and organizedfrom the start. This makes cooking not onlysafe, but less stressful! Once you are ready,assemble all gadgets and safety tools you willneed such as oven mitts, cooling racks, ortowels for cleaning up spills. And when thoseinevitable spills happen, clean them up rightaway to prevent injuries.Always stay in the kitchen with your little chef,especially when the stove or oven is on.Let your child know you are available for questionsand that you want to help and cook togetheras a team. Learning how to work togetherin the kitchen teaches your child toshare space and communicate clearly.Most of all make the kitchen welcoming for yourchild. In my family, we had special cookingtools, utensils, bowls, boards, cups, plates,etc. for our kids to use. Their smaller handswon’t feel as awkward handling a kidfriendlyknife, and you will feel safer aboutthem using it.22 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 3, Issue No. 3