I imagine I find myself in good company with the admission that my culinary skills are, shall we say, of the limited variety. If good intentions equated to gourmet execution, we’d be on to something, but alas.
Thankfully, there are a good many basic meals that a culinary-challenged dad can still rustle up for his youngsters: cereal, PB&J, mac n’ cheese, etc. However, a good dadcraftsmen seeks to incorporate his kids into the creation of those meals. And if he were so adept, he knows from personal experience that stirring cheese powder into noodles doesn’t retain excitement and/or interest.
So, how to accomplish both a dadcraft experience and fill grumbling bellies? As can be so often said…pizza to the rescue. Just show me the kid who isn’t going to jump at the chance to roll their own dough into their desired pizza shape and then garnish accordingly.
Thankfully, the good folks at your local grocer have lobbed one to us right in the strike zone: frozen (or refrigerated) dough (If you’re a touch more adventurous, you can make your own dough). Give your kids the chance to roll out the dough and form a variety of different creations. This is likely the highlight of the process, so don’t rush it – give your kiddos the chance to experiment and play. We’ve enjoyed pizza people, letters, various ambiguous shapes, animals, etc. When the doughy canvas has been finalized, simply spread the sauce, sprinkle cheese, apply the desired toppings (pepperoni, bacon, olives, mushrooms, lunch meat, additional cheeses), and, after baking is complete, watch them relish the devouring of their individual creations. A successful meal, shared experience, and hopefully some leftovers.
dadcraft Pro Tip: To cap off the meal and this activity, save a small portion of dough for a dessert pizza. Chocolate sauce, jam, frosting should all be fair game for toppings.
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Pizza and Yahtzee go together. So do pizza and a movie. So do you and your kids cooking/baking, and we’ve got a couple of guides to help in the adventure.
Picture by Ward Broughton; Used via Creative Commons license. Amazon links are affiliate links.