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Making Stone Soup . . . In Italy!

The email below landed in my inbox today and totally made my day! Nothing makes me happier than hearing from viewers who have found some inspiration in my videos to try something new with their children. It is the most gratifying part of my work.

Dear Sarah,

Here are my children, Alfredo (age 5) and Marialena (age 3), singing their chopping song as we made Stone Soup this morning in our home in Milan, Italy.

Our family watched your blog video about Stone Soup last week, and they have been excited to try it ever since. I made Stone Soup in nursery school over thirty years ago, and remembered it fondly as we watched you and your helpers do the same.

This morning, the children and I chose vegetables at our neighborhood grocery shop, and bought “pane integrale” (whole-grain bread) to accompany it fresh from our corner baker. The soup smells delicious, and we can’t wait to let Daddy taste it at supper tonight!

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Cooking, Homemaking, Nutrition

Cooking with Children: How to Make “Stone Soup”

Cooking with Children: How to Make “Stone Soup”

Children as young as 2- or 3-years old are capable of helping with cooking. Involving children with meal preparation teaches them real-life skills and helps them feel capable and confident.

This week on Sunday with Sarah I demonstrate how I made Stone Soup (vegetable soup) with the children in my kindergarten class.

Though I never use a recipe, here are the general instructions:

  1. Chop an apple and an onion. Peel and crush 2-4 cloves of garlic. Sauté the apples, onions and garlic in olive oil and about a tablespoon of butter.
  2. Add 2-3 bouillon cubes, or 2-3 T. of bouillon paste (I like Better Than Bouillon) to the sauteed mixture.
  3. Add 2-3 quarts of water and put a clean, washed stone in the pot, and let simmer.
  4. Have children help you chop whatever vegetables you have on hand. Veggies can include potatoes, carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, peppers, broccoli, celery, zucchini, kale, spinach, or virtually any other type of fresh vegetable.
  5. Have children help add chopped vegetables to pot.
  6. Add a cup of barley or rice that has been rinsed and soaked overnight, or pasta in fun shapes.
  7. Let simmer for an hour.
  8. Enjoy! (Makes a full pot that will feed a family, with enough for leftovers.)

Items demonstrated in this video:

Find them all under our Cooking category at Bella Luna Toys.

Click here to read the Stone Soup story.

Bon appétit!

Sarah

 

If you decide to make Stone Soup with your children, let me know how it turns out! In what other ways to you involve your child/ren in the kitchen? What cooking tasks have they helped you with? Share your thoughts, comments and questions here!

 

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