I know what's for dinner

My son and I are laying on the floor of the living room, looking through cookbooks. I am looking through a cookbook that my mother gave me ages ago and I haven't fully explored yet; he is looking through one with Cookie Monster on the cover (because Cookie Monster is cool).

We are looking for new recipes to make - I'm doing this for my 100 challenge; he is doing it for the love of cooking. That's right: My son is my little sous chef.

Whenever I am making a meal, my son is often on a stool next to me - mixing, measuring and helping me organize ingredients. We talk about adding together ingredients (science!) and figure out amounts (science again!) and generally have a good time together.

I cook with my son for lots of reasons:

1. It is an important skill to learn. Seriously. Learn to cook. It changes your life.
2. It teaches basic science skills. We measure and add things together and magic (science) happens.
3. If he cooks it; he might eat it. If he is responsible for the food, then he is more likely to eat it.

But it turns out there is another benefit to cooking together: It may help fight obesity. Researchers have found that a mix of exercise programs and cooking lessons help foster conversations around nutrition and health, and subsequently help fight obesity.

So, let's cook together. Let's cook the classic meals that have been in our family for years and let's try some new dishes. Let's come together in the kitchen and make something wonderful. Or, at the very least, let's dirty all the pans in the kitchen.

Who wants to help me clean up?

What dishes do you love to cook for your family? Tell me in the comments.