Cooking with Grandkids to Explore the World

One of my favorite things to do is spend time with my grandsons. It’s not just because they are cute, precocious and loving, but they are honest to a fault with their observations of the world around them. They live life with a gusto most adults have lost. I absolutely love their raw frankness. Young kids are still in the stage of sincerity, wonder and joy. Many grandparents have a special, unique relationship with their grandparents because we cherish these qualities. It is here, in these moments, we find the true joy of youth.

“Becoming a grandmother is wonderful. One moment you’re just a mother. The next you are all-wise and prehistoric.” Pam Brown

While the fellas are little, I make an extra effort to get them in the kitchen with me to create something. I cannot think of anything better than teaching a child self-sufficiency through the skill of cooking. It also opens a window to the world with the foods they touch, taste and eat. So, today we are visiting Italy! We are making flatbread pizzas with Creminelli Fine Meats.

Every kid loves pizza! I don’t know if it’s the tangy sauce, the soft, cheese or the salty goodness from the sliced salami, pepperoni or prosciutto…….Oh, I could go on and on! When choosing pizza toppings, pick those with quality ingredients, so that your food tastes amazing and the experience is memorable, which is why we chose Creminelli Salami.

Cooking with grandkids go hand in hand for making memories!

Today, my master chef in training is my oldest grandson, Olin. Since he was little, we have cooked together and I have taught him to smell and taste the ingredients we are using. When he heard pizza was on the docket, you gotta know he got in there! Being able to slice our own salami to put on the pizza, is extra special.

Having acquired our own slicer years ago, has been an amazing benefit. It allows us to slice whole portions of Creminelli prosciutto, big chunks of mortadella or salami. It goes without saying, I was the designated slicer under Olin’s watchful eye. Apparently, I was doing a fine job, since he just kept on tasting and tasting, to the point I wasn’t sure he was going to be hungry enough to actually eat the pizza.

As easy as it is to slice deli meats, we were having a hard time creating a big enough stack of salami to begin putting our pizza together. As we prepped out meats, I noticed a little, band of sneaky, monkeys eager to snatch slices of salami when they thought nobody was looking.

Making pizza at home with kids is relatively easy. Today rather than making our own standard pizza crust, we opted for a flatbread. We whipped up a quick batch of sauce, got out the shredded mozzarella, our stacks of sliced, salami and started assembling. We popped the pizzas in the oven and twenty minutes later, Olin was able to share his creations with his eager little brothers.

As we baked the pizzas, we enjoyed the wonderful aroma of bubbling sauce and cheese. Olin was eager to taste his Italian creation. When they were baked and properly cooled, I cut the pizza and we placed the slices on a board. Olin now assumed the role of waiter. He headed outside in pursuit of his brothers, to share a meal he made himself. Younger brother Ahren was outside playing hide and seek, but was quick to reveal himself when he saw Olin heading across the yard with pizza. As you can probably predict, they all enjoyed this wonderful treat and Olin walked a little taller after watching his brothers quickly polish off his creations with an eager plea for more.

What Italian pizza toppings does your family enjoy most?