By Julia Westhoff (with some help from Olivia)

What do you do when your kids want to help in the kitchen? Olivia is at the age where she really, really, wants to help. It’s also the age where she can really, really do some serious damage to herself and/or our meal.

I want to encourage her fascination with the kitchen – I know it will make her a better eater and a better cook in the long run. But I’ve been scratching my head trying to come up with kid-friendly recipes – many of which seem not only unhealthy, but mildly repulsive (such as this vintage “Polka Dots” dish from Betty Crocker).

As such, what you see in the picture is pretty much the extent of my kid-friendly recipes – ants on a log. But while she looks darn cute in the apron (thanks to our friends Chris and Melissa!), we may need to expand our repertoire a bit.

Help! What dishes have worked well in your family?