My almost-7 year old has been all about cooking since I can remember. At his preschool graduation, among a whole lot of future fire fighters and princesses, he proudly declared his desire to grow up to be a chef. And although he has since also wanted to be a Rescue Bot, a superhero, a writer, an environmentalist, and a host of other things that catch his interest for a bit... there was always a slash in there. Rescue Bot/chef... superhero/chef... writer/chef... environmentalist/chef... He has been our "Best Kitchen Helper" since he could climb the stepstool to peer over the kitchen counter to observe whatever was happening.*
It probably helps that both his dad and I cook a lot at home, albeit different things. Dad is definitely the master of soups, stews, and grilled sandwiches... oh, and bacon... did I mention bacon? And I'm definitely more about casseroles, scrambles, and anything I can work protein and veggies into that successfully get into my childrens' stomachs. Also, mama loves to bake. I've been baking since I was in elementary school, so my children are no strangers to making cookie dough, cupcakes, and any other treat my sweet tooth inspires me to whip up.
*Food for Thought : I often hear parents lament how much slower cooking food is when trying to involve a kid - whether they are slow, uncoordinated, distracted, or want to stop to sample every ingredient (looking at my 4yo with that one). It can be tempting to give up trying to involve children in the process at all in favor of getting it done faster. Our society seems to be built around the idea of always rushing to the next thing, but I find the most joy when I take a breath, slow down, and focus on enjoying the current thing - in this case, the experience of spending quality time with my kids while teaching them a valuable life skill. Yes, they're slow - and messy, but how can they ever improve their skills if I don't encourage them to start somewhere? Plus... BONUS... the end product is delicious, so really it's a win-win!
All that being said, as much as we love teaching him what we know, we are also the first to admit that there's plenty that we don't know. As parents we want to nurture his love of cooking in any and every way we can, so I'm perpetually on the lookout for local kids cooking classes, camps, and other culinary opportunities. As the Publisher of Macaroni KID, I'm always trying to expand the variety of kid-friendly offerings I feature. There are unfortunately not a lot of local options for kids cooking, so when I came across the Kids Night Out Series at AnnaFaye Creations in Burlington, I was stoked to get him into her kitchen!
 Source: AnnaFaye Creations |
He and a friend recently attended 🎉🧁 Kids Night Out: Circus Extravaganza! 🍿🍎 and both had a blast! On the menu for the evening: Homemade Caramel Apples & "Circus Popcorn" Cupcakes with a side of dinner.
The first notable thing that happened shortly after our arrival was that an excited girl wearing a crisp, monogrammed apron came up to me and started telling me how she had just completed a full Kids Cooking class series at AnnaFaye's and how much she loved it. This was completely unsolicited on my part, but I seem to give off "fun mom who will be excited with you" vibes, so I often have children I've never met start to engage me in conversation about whatever they're currently exited about. Having never been to AnnaFaye's ourselves before, I took this spontaneous pediatric endorsement as a good sign that my kiddo was about to have a great time.
AnnaFaye's Kids Night Out events are designed for parents to drop their well-behaved little chefs off for 2 hours while parents revel in the quiet and lack of anyone asking them for anything for a whole 120 minutes. Parents can work in a date night, run errands, or enjoy the brief silence to catch a nap or read a good book. For my son's experience I actually hung out in the kitchen a little, though, so that I could observe and document the kid-cheffing fun to share with all you local parents.
Source: Samantha Earnhardt
I slipped out once owner Kim got the kids quiet and sitting to explain the evening's activities. I wanted to remove myself as a distraction so everyone could focus on the tasty tasks at hand. I slipped back in about halfway through so I could get a catch them right in the middle of the action.
As any seasoned cook knows, efficiency in the kitchen can save a tremendous amount of time and energy, and the evening's activities were planned accordingly.
The first activity (as summarized by my son) was to get the from-scratch cupcake batter whipped up, into cups, and into the oven.
While they were baking, Kim and the kids turned their attention to making candy apples. It involved prepping some fresh apples, creating a melty purple concoction of sugary syrup (my son's favorite part of the evening was stirring it and I can't help but imagine some sort of bubbling cauldron-type image!), and submerging the apples fully in it before placing them on a rack to cool.
 Source: Samantha Earnhardt |
This is about the time I snuck back in. The kitchen was abuzz with giggles and excitement (as it was for pretty much the entire time I was there).
I arrived just in time to see the group whipping up (literally) some vanilla buttercream frosting for the cupcakes. Kim filled a pastry bag, demonstrated the cupcake-frosting technique, and then each kid took a turn frosting their cupcake and covering it with mini-marshmallows. The highlight for me was when she brought out the Air Brush and had them each spray color their cupcakes a light orange to really achieve the "Circus Popcorn" look to it.
Cupcake fun! | Source: Samantha Earnhardt
Once the cupcakes were complete, it was time for dinner (yes, they were fully fed at Kids Night Out). In keeping with the night's theme, the meal was rounded out with freshly grilled corndogs and potato chips. That along with candy apples and popcorn-bucket-themed cupcake really was the most circus-themed edible ensemble I could imagine.
Was it a whole lot of sugar for him? Yes, yes it was. I would have loved a bit more nutritional balance across the meal because that's one of my eternal mom-missions... but honestly, I know how picky kids can be and can only imagine how challenging having a menu that a whole group of kids will eat must be, so it wasn't really a concern in this case. It was a special night out for him and his friend that he absolutely enjoyed.
Overall, I would describe what I witnessed at Kids Night Out as a little bit of chaos (and what children's event isn't?!) and a whole lot of fun. Doesn't that sound like something a kid would love? Well, he did love it - and he wants to go back soon!
Source: Samantha Earnhardt
Mark your calendars and secure your child's spot for these great Upcoming Kids Night Out Events at AnnaFaye Creations:
- 7/15: Fiesta Fantastico
- 7/29: Merry Grinchmas
Limited spots available, so reserve your child's place today!
In addition to Kids Night Out Events, AnnaFaye Creations also offers:
- Weekly themed baking classes for kids
- Birthday parties
- Monthly classes for ladies (Moms Night out, anyone?? ).
The storefront is open on Saturdays 1 PM - 6 PM for delicious treats, including their famous Banana Pudding and Macarons.
Disclosure: Our family was provided with complimentary admission to this event in exchange for writing this article. The observations and opinions expressed are all my own (and my son's!)
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