Bring the Kids

I love this chapter!

The idea is that you want your friends to come over and you don’t want them to worry about babysitting so you say, ‘Hey, come for dinner, bring the kids!’ And then they come over, with the kids, and you serve them these dishes that suit everyone but with a kid-friendly flourish there and a maybe-just-for-grown-ups there. I hope you love it.

Music for everyone

This was a tricky and fun playlist to put together and involved a few heated discussions with my kids who are inclined to think that they know everything about music and that anything that came out last year is ‘so old, mum’ [insert devastating eye roll]. I hope you all enjoy – there are hits and memories from the dark ages, a handful of novelty songs and Iggy Pop’s I’m Bored because I usually hear that from my kids whenever I take them somewhere.

Hosting tips

Keep it simple! I’ve got some cheery bamboo plates that I use when there are young kids around – find similar here.

There’s a book I love called Parlour Games for Modern Families, which has lots of screen-free fun for everyone. Just try to play Blind Potatoes without having fun.

More recipes

Want more Thermomixing ideas for your kid-friendly occasion? I’ve got heaps right here at Dani Valent Cooking, available to all my gorgeous subscribers!

There’s a sweet red curry, Kha Nhom Jeen Nam Prik, that Thai chef Pla Liamthong describes as a kind of ‘training wheels’ curry for Thai children and Emergency Lentil Soup, invented in a ‘oops, I forgot to make dinner’ moment. Everyone loves Lamb Shank and Barley Casserole and it seriously feeds a crowd. I also highly recommend making Fortune Cookies with kids – check out the recipe and my kids’ printable fortunes here.

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