I am so pleased with how everything turned out.  It was tasty and we had a great time doing it.  It was easier to be patient with her helping because this was a planned thing, it was her dinner!  A noted side effect was a great sense of accomplishment.  She behaved in a much more mature fashion for most of the evening (most).

A friend of mine chooses one meal for each child to learn.  She works with them for a while and gradually lets them do more and more of it alone, until they can prepare the whole dinner without help.  She writes up very detailed instructions so the child knows exactly what to do.  AS far a I know, her 9 year old can make a spaghetti dinner all the way from defrosting the meat to setting the table.  I think this is such a great idea and one I want to implement.

The meal mentioned here is very easy and one a young person can prepare. 

If you want to make it, here is what you will need:

2 lbs Italian sausage
Mozzarella cheese
28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
½ cup pesto sauce

Cut mozzarella into bite size pieces
Wrap sausage around cheese to make a meatball. Place on cookie sheet.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes (check for doneness)

For sauce: Place tomatoes and pesto in saucepan and heat over medium/low until warm.

To serve: Place meatballs on plate and spoon sauce over top.

This recipe is adapted for Rachael Ray’s Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Sausage Balls

For more Show and Tell visit Canadagirl