Cooking is a vital life skill, so the sooner kids start to learn, the better.
The lovely people at Foodini Club monthly recipe box for kids have been kind enough to send me the October box for my daughter, Little C, to test out (with a bit of help from me!)
Halloween themed of course. The box is quite big, but thin enough to fit through the mailbox. It’s also quite heavy, which is rather exciting!
This is what makes it weighty. Three pre-measured packages of dry ingredients for a sweet and a savory recipe. They’re also helpfully labelled.
The spooky pumpkin-themed box has the two main recipes, a skills card for making pastry, recipes for making a pumpkin drink and flavoured pumpkin seeds, plus extra items for the craft activity. There is also some fun pumpkin- and Halloween-related trivia.
It’s all contained in a beautifully designed and illustrated folding booklet.
Naturally Little C wanted to make the Pumpkin Muffins straight away!
The recipe included instructions on how to prepare fresh pumpkin. There was also the option to use canned, which is much easier. It’s always something I have around because we celebrate Thanksgiving, as I use it for pumpkin pie.
Supermarket pumpkins are bred for colour and shape, to make jack-o’-lanterns. It’s much easier to find the canned pumpkin in supermarkets nowadays, and to be honest, it’s much better than fresh pumpkin!
Measuring, melting, mixing, stirring.
A little supervision was required for melting the butter, but being able to pour out the packages of spiced flour and sugar made the process very simple.
Also in the box was a little package of decorations. There were sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, chocolate chips, and candy eyes.
Decorating the muffins is almost the best bit!
Then into the oven.
While the muffins were baking, we made a start on the craft project, a monster house.
The instructions suggested using a juice carton, but we don’t buy juice. Instead I found a box that would work just as well.
Black and orange tissue were included in the box, and this was glued over the box after cutting out windows.
We used a craft knife for the cutting, as cardboard is going to be a little tough for kids. I did a few of the windows, then handed over to Little C. (I believe that kids should know how to use knives, with supervision.)
We left it to dry overnight, as Little C was pretty generous with the glue!
Want to see the muffins?
They taste REALLY good too!
The next day we completed the monster house.
Little C drew monsters on black paper, which I then cut out. Craft knife again, though these were too fiddly for little hands to do.
Then they were stuck on orange tissue, which was then stuck on the inside of the window. This was also kind of fiddly, but we managed it together.
Now, there was one other thing in the box. I had no idea what it was at first, until Little C pointed out that it was the LED light mentioned in the craft instructions.
We switched it on and placed it in the box.
Look at the glowing light! Doesn’t it look marvellous?
The other main recipe is a savory, a Pumptata, or rather a pumpkin & onion crostata. I’m glad for the pastry skills card, as making pastry is a weak point of mine!
There is also a recipe for a pumpkin and apple juice, which sounds deliciously autumnal, and different ways to flavour sprouted pumpkin seeds.
I’m incredibly impressed with this box. I love the combination of cooking, learning, and creativity.
Including dry ingredients is inspired, it makes the whole process much easier.
The price starts at £11.75 for a single month, but longer subscriptions bring the price down. Even a single month is, I think, great value. There’s so much to do, and I love the emphasis on seasonal produce. There are also gluten free and nut free options.
I think this is a wonderful way to have some fun cooking with your children.
The whole process is incredibly kid-friendly, beautifully illustrated clear instructions, and plenty of engagement and fun.
We’ve thoroughly enjoyed trying out this box, a huge thank you to Foodini Club for sending it!
*************************************
Thank you for reading! Why not pin this for later?
Foodini Club is a monthly delivery of 2 Recipe Packs including dry & store cupboard ingredients plus 2 x illustrated recipe cards
Dry ingredients (i.e. flours/grain/spices/herbs/seeds etc) mixed & packed in recyclable Foodini Club pouches
1 sweet recipe & 1 savoury recipe every month focused on seasonal fruit & veg
Including 2 x itemised illustrated shopping lists & measurements guide
Free Activity pack – a craft or growing activity & may include bonus free items through your subscription
Occasional Kitchen Skills card, introducing skills and cooking techniques to your young chefs
Free welcome pack (including recipe binder) with every new 6 or 12 month subscription (UK only)!
Free delivery within UK.
*************************************
