Ben's Beginners Contest and My Healthy Tips!

I love to cook and most times you will find me in the kitchen whipping up one dish or another. I taught my kids when they were young and now I am able to share the experience with the grandchildren.I think that it is important that they learn their way around the kitchen.And teaching them at a young age~really makes a difference. . There are so many ways that they kids can help and it seems that when they help they are more likely to eat it!

My Healthy Tips~

Keep the kids busy,let them help no matter how little the chore is to you.As just getting that spoon or dish that you need makes them feel that they helped in such a big way!

Add foods that they like when you are cooking. Such as I have one granddaughter that does not like mushrooms~so we substitute that for onions as she loves them.

I like to have them try new foods all the time,they don't have to like everything that they try. But I want them to give it a chance.As I like beets~and I know that they are many that that don't so if they like them fine~if not we will try a new food the next time.

I like to take them shopping with me.In the summer we took a trip to the Farmer's Market and they got to see all the fruits and veggies that we could choose from. We also had a garden so when they picked the veggies they were more excited to eat them.

I like to also that they now have all the cooking things that kids need in their own size.As those little hands can't seem to hold the big tools we use properly. I love the all the little sets that you can get now and guaranteed that they love them more.

Making different shapes with foods is fun too! I like to cut sandwiches with cookie cutters to make them different shapes.Also you can make ants on a log{peanut butter on a celery stick with raisins}~they is always a favorite here!

Let them help~I know that they might make a mess or spill that milk over.But you know what? That can be wiped up~but the memories that you make will last a lifetime... 

Now that I have shared my Tips~I would love to tell you about a contest that Uncle Ben's is having~

Uncle Ben’s has launched an exciting national contest called Ben’s Beginners! By entering the contest, you could win $20,000, along with a $50,000 grant towards a cafeteria makeover for your child’s school. In addition, you will have a chance to appear on The Rachael Ray show! Uncle Ben’s is calling for parents with children ages 5-12 to submit a 2-3 minute video of you cooking a rice-based dish with your children. For more info on the contest, please check out Ben’s Beginners on Facebook!

About Uncle Ben’s
Uncle Ben’s~the number one rice brand in America, is proud to offer a wide range of rice dishes with flavors and textures that will help bring more to your meals, both for convenient side dishes and savory main courses. Uncle Ben’s® offers a wide variety of white, whole grain brown, and flavored rices in cook times ranging from 30 minutes to 90 seconds, as well as rice for food service operations such as restaurants, schools and hospitals. The first mass-produced parboiled rice, Uncle Ben’s® is the top-selling branded rice in the United States and products can be found in more than 100 countries worldwide. Uncle Ben’s® Brand products are manufactured by Mars Food NA, part of Mars, Incorporated. For more information, visit www.UncleBens.com.

Find them on Facebook

Check out recipe ideas from Uncle Ben’s.

What are you waiting for? Go enter now!

{“I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Uncle Ben’s blogging program, for 6,000 My SocialMoms Rewards Points. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”}