Growing up I remember my mom cooking and baking with my mom. We didn’t do it a lot but the times we did were very special to me. I can still remember the time my mom accidentally pulled the beater bar out of the chocolate cake batter before turning it off. I was sitting in my pjs on the counter beside the mixer when it happened. Chocolate went everywhere and I thought it was hilarious! She laughed at herself and took the accident in stride. We cleaned up, baked a cake, and had a great story to tell Dad. Now as a busy mom I want to remember to take time and cook with my kids. The messes and mistakes are worth the memories. Last Saturday, we baked blueberry muffins from scratch along with scrambled eggs. It was fun but it took so long to do that it ended up being brunch.
While I don’t have time every day to involve my kid’s in each meal preparation I try to every now and then. Tonight’s dinner was a simple one. Ragu® sauce and bow tie pasta. Easy peasy and my daughter was able to help! She only poured the past in the the pot, poured the cooked pasta into the sauce, stirred it, and added Parmesan cheese to everyone’s dish but I know she felt like a chef. It may have been the chef’s hat and apron she was wearing that made her feel that way but I like to think it was because I spent time with her and allowed her the opportunity to serve her family.
Occasionally we’ll enjoy “poor man’s pizza”. French bread (from the day old section, hence poor man), Ragu®, cheese, and pepperoni make these little pizzas we heat in our oven. (But don’t forget to toast the bread separately first. It holds the sauce better when toasted.) My grandmother used to make something similar for me after school with a little sandwich press. I can vividly remember watching her make them and finally being old enough to help her make them. Maybe our poor man’s pizzas will bring the same fond memories to my daughter’s mind one day. For spur of the moment poor man’s pizza, I keep the ingredients on hand. Getting them at Kroger with everything else I need is just like a basic staple. I always have Ragu® on hand. I love that it’s ready, and I can have a quick, quality meal made for my family without spending all my time in the kitchen. As much as we love cooking together, having the flexibility to choose where we spend our time together is just as awesome! This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Ragu® . The opinions and text are all mine.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Ragu® . The opinions and text are all mine.
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