Monkeys can make Monkey Bread

Our children adore the $.46 box of mac and cheese I buy them.  On occasion instead of fat free milk I put heavy whipping cream in it.  J.R., 6 and Charlee, almost 3 eat the whole box themselves.  This post is not about mac n cheese, I will let Ryan tackle that one.  Instead I am going to talk about getting the children involved in the kitchen.

We are always trying new recipes and ideas out in what we like to call the BlaZe test kitchen.  Always talking about recipes, calories, points(weight watchers) and ingredients our children have really become quite comfortable in the kitchen, almost too much.  Many times I find Charlee sitting on the ceramic tile floor eating out of the strawberry container or helping herself to some cheese cubes and grapes...no really.  We have also found J.R. making some strange creations that would probably make some pregnant woman happy.  The most recent of these was the other day for lunch.  He had toasted an everything bagel thin and smeared it with cream cheese, slapped some salami on there, but didn't stop.  To top it off he squirted some mayo around and around and drizzled some chocolate sauce.  Kiddie Mole?  I think not.  Not only did he eat it all he wanted to make me one for breakfast the next morning.  Thank God Ryan filled me in on the creation or I may have let him do it.  I blamed it on my weight watchers, too many points Monkey, sorry.

This though has monkey written all over it! (Not to mention its reduced fat!)  This is my version of the famed monkey bread.

2 rolls of reduced fat biscuits
6 strips of turkey bacon (uncooked)
1/2 c of walnuts or pecans
1/2 c brown sugar
1T of Dark Agave
2 med to large bananas
2T butter

I'm a fan of making this at the table.  Preheat oven to 350.  Side note, if you convection bake this bread will get crispy on the exposed areas.  Set the kids down and give them each a plastic knife.  Open the biscuits for them and instruct them to cut them into chunks (1" ish).  As they cut the chunks put them in a mixing bowl. the measurement are just a guideline, don't get too upset if there is more. (less is another story!)  Kids aren't going to be spot on and that is what makes this fun.  The turkey bacon and bananas also get cut into 1 inch chunks and tossed into the bowl.  All this cutting and plastic knife work makes kids happy, just make sure they don't eat the turkey bacon, ew.  I tell the "monkeys" mommy needs to chop the nuts because I'm the only one crazy enough to.  Anyhow the rest as you guessed gets dumped in and drizzled with the butter.  Stir and dump into a greased bread or bunt pan.  Bake for approximately 20 to 25 minutes.

There are tons of other ways to safely invite your kids into the kitchen so be creative and open.  Their little hands add love and sometimes flavor.  Tell us you children's favorite foods.