Cooking is for Kids (and Moms, Too)

Want to do more for Mom this Mothers Day than toss her a bouquet of flowers and some generic cardstock from Hallmark?

If you're like me, I want to actually spend time with my mom and grandmothers on Mothers Day, not just gift them an arm-full of random items I picked up at Walgreens and sign off.

What better way to spend time with Dear Ol' Mom than to let her slice and dice as you take over the slaving over a hot stove?


If that sounds good to you, then call Chef Bill Harris at Thyme: An American Bistro. Harris will be hosting an assortment of cooking classes - from Vegetarian Asian to Spring Wines - throughout the month of May. The classes come with a recipe booklet, hands-on instruction in the Thyme kitchen and, of course, a meal to sample all of that accomplishment.

"What better way to meet new people and share experiences with friends or your children?" Harris said of the classes.

Anyone shopping for a gift the kids can give to mom should look into the Kids' Springtime class. Kids and moms will combine forces and churn out a feast boasting a spring theme: tomato salad, herb pesto, onion soup, bread baking and more. The class, at 9 a.m. on May 9, is $45 for mom and child.

Harris offers other kids' cooking classes, too, and with a really wide scope. He teaches kiddos the fundamentals of cooking from frying and sauteeing to soup and bread making. The next class is June 13; the cost is $50 for a parent and child.

After that first class at Thyme, keep checking the Thyme Web site for more classes. They change seasonally. Check on the menu while you're at it - Harris posted the new spring menu a few weeks ago, and it's to-die-for.


If the kids are doing a lot more toddling and playing in the sandbox than they are whipping up gourmet brunches, head over to Sage Culinary Studio on Brookside for one of the Mothers Day cookie decorating sessions.


Get scheduled between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. and your little one can spend an hour or so decorating a plate of cookies. Kiddos will decorate plenty of them, so it's okay if one is sacrificed to the snack gods. There will be plenty left to give to Mom or Grandma for Mothers Day. At $15, these sessions will fill up quickly, so register now. Plus, registration after May 7 is $20 per child, so get movin'.

Be sure to check back with Sage for upcoming cooking summer camps, along with more holiday cookie decorating sessions. Sage owner Catherine deCamp knows how to make cooking not just a learning experience for the kids, but also a darned good time. What's to lose?

Have an idea for showing mom some love this Mothers Day without resorting to discounted Russel Stover and coupon books? I'd love to hear it! Please leave your geniusness in the comments.

In case you are still wondering who the heck the women in the photos in this post are, I'll tell you. They're the moms I'm so lucky to have in my life. From the first photo, down: Terrisa, my mom; JoAnn, my Meme; Helen, my grandma and the first woman president of the Tulsa chapter of the Early Ford V8 Club, because she's cool like that; Anita, my stepmom. I love you, my many mommies - happy Mothers Day!