Take a Taste Tuesday with Lauren Seitz

Hey there, I’m Lauren! I’m a wife, mom and reading specialist in the Columbus area. My daughter is 19 months old and enjoys being outside, dancing and chasing our dog around the house. I am so happy to be collaborating today and sharing with you one of the ways we have fun in the kitchen!

Every night at dinner time, you can find my little one clinging to my legs while I cook or asking to come up so she can “mix, mix, mix”. (She does the cutest little motion with her hands as she says it too!) I try and let her join in when she can and I can tell that she loves being in the kitchen. It probably stems from her love of food, because she’ll eat just about anything. I think it also helps that she sees us in the kitchen almost every night. I love to cook and hope that this provides us with many opportunities as she grows to spend time together doing something we both love! One of my favorite things to make with her is guacamole. Avocados were her first favorite food and to this day, she can put a whole one down if we let her. It’s also a fun one to make with kids because it’s simple and fun to mash up the various ingredients. Having everything cut up ahead of time makes it super quick for her low attention span and means we are just that much closer to trying out the finished product! I try to teach her the terms for the foods we are using, and have her repeat them, as well as terms for what we need to do. It is hard to keep her from “taste testing” sometimes-we had a few less tomatoes than I planned on using in this one!

I’ll be honest that I am usually not one for recipes. I wing it more often and add a little flair if I feel it needs it but that’s part of the appeal of cooking for me. Guacamole is one of those things that is perfect for adaptations too which will help if your kids are a little more picky. Here is my “recipe”and some photos of us making it together.

4 avocados, peeled and cubed

4 Roma tomatoes, diced

1/2 of a small red onion, diced

1 handful of chopped cilantro

Juice from 1 lime

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 small jalapeño (optional-I chop for us and add in after getting some out for her)

Mix all ingredients together, mashing the avocado as you mix. Add more cilantro or salt to your liking. You can also substitute white onion for red, add Tabasco instead of jalapeño, and add chili powder for a little extra flavor.

I’d love to know other recipes your kids love making with you! You can find more about me and my family on my blog, takingintheSeitz.com and on Instagram @lseitz8986!

Thank you for letting me share a little about me and my family in the kitchen!

Each Tuesday for the next several weeks a fellow mom/friend/community member will be sharing a fun recipe, tips to include kids in the cooking process, or a great family restaurant for “Take a Taste Tuesday.” If you are interested in sharing your eating and/or cooking fun be sure to connect with me via email!