It's about time we had some babies on here, and my friend Lara's triplets make the perfect models! Gwennie, Mae and Leo are just over a year and are very busy little bees, investigating everything in their path. Its the ideal time to get babies exploring ingredients and it can help keep them busy whilst you are doing the cooking.

The more familiar children get with food and start to recognise what it is, the happier are to try it.

Choose strange shapes or funny textures, or fruits and vegetables that have a strong smell.

I don't need to tell you not to give them anything they could choke on - they will probably have a go at putting the food in their mouths, so give it a quick wash before you let them loose.

Superjam!

I was over the moon last week to learn about the publication of 'Superjam'. The author, Fraser Doherty, started selling jams as a teenager in Scotland, and now sells a range of delicious Superjams made with fruit juice instead of sugar and using nutritious ingredients such as blueberries and cranberries.

I've been wanting to make jam with the girls but was put off by the huge amount of sugar necessary. So, copy in hand, and in anticipation of a wet afternoon with my children and 2 of their friends to entertain, I decided to launch our jam making careers with the Stawberry and Pomegranate jam.

The children had fun preparing the ingredients and I boiled up the jam whilst they were having a bounce on the trampoline (luckily the rain stayed away). We did the test recommended by Fraser of running jam onto a cold plate to see if it set, and then I poured it into jars with labels decorated by the chidlren.

I couldn't believe how easy it was, even with 4 children. The book explains all the stages, in simple terms. The hardest bit was finding grape juice, but we tracked some down to Tescos who keep it in stock.

5 first-time jam makers were very pleased with their achievement and the jam tastes delicious. I can't wait to make the lemon curd, the orange and passion fruit marmalade and the plum and elderberry jam using the berries from our garden. Watch this space!

ROCKETS (Sweetcorn)

Sweetcorn cobs make a great 'toy' for young children, especially on a wet day like today. You could explain that as it's been a lovely hot summer the corn has grown nice and juicy and fat and ready to eat, and that this is the best time to eat sweetcorn as it is in season. Hopefully the video gives you an idea of how much fun can be had with 2 children and a couple of cobs.....

If it's still raining after lunch, you could teach your children about the other ways sweetcorn is eaten. A tin from the cupboard, frozen corn (mine love eating it like little yellow lolly pops) and the old favourite, popcorn.


Rainy day popcorn

Popcorn is so simple to make at home, you don't need a fancy popcorn maker, just a saucepan with a lid.

You will need:

100g popping corn
2 tablespoons of sunflower oil
50g butter
50g honey

1. Heat the oil on a medium temperature, and drop in one kernel as a tester. When it pops, the oil is ready.

2. You will want to keep your child well back for the popping, but explain what you are doing. Tell them to listen out for when the popping stops. Pour all the corn into the saucepan, put on the lid, and shake occasionally to keep the corn popping.

3. When the popping has finished, get your child to help you weigh out the honey and butter, and then put it in a saucepan and melt together.

4. Pour the honey and butter over the popcorn and divide into 4 bowls. You'll have at least 10 minutes peace whilst happy children munch.

For a delicious savoury version, melt 50g of butter with 10g of marmite (use more marmite if your children like a strong marmite taste.) Stir through popped corn.

p...p...p...Pesto

I recently heard Pesto described as the new ketchup. This is due to it's ability to encourage even the most reluctant child to eat-up as long as it is smoothered in the green stuff. It couldn't be simpler to make your own with your child, and it will mean that you are avoiding the extra salt and additives that the branded jars contain.

You will need

25g of basil (washed)

1 clove of garlic

50g of pinenuts

50g parmesan

100ml of olive oil

1. Let your child pick the basil leaves and put them into a bowl.

2. Now show your child how to peel off the garlic skin and let them have a go. Add to the bowl.

3. Weigh out the parmesan together and then let your child grate it into the bowl.

4. Weigh out the pinenuts together and add to the mixture.

5. Measure out the oil together and add to the other ingredients.

 

6. It's as simple as that. Now, using a stick blender or mixer, whizz everything together. Explain to your child that mixers are dangerous but you could let them turn the button on themselves.

Store in the fridge, it will keep well for about 10 days.

We eat pesto with everything, smeared on a chicken breast, stirred into basmati rice or baked on top of a salmon fillet. When you make your own it will be bursting with vitamins, store some good protein in the pinenuts and there are antioxidants in the garlic . So, stirred into pasta with a couple of peas thrown in for good measure, it's a meal in itself. Round of applause for the green stuff!