Photo: Stef Noble

 

Here’s a parenting tip: Going grocery shopping with your kid can be fun! I swear, it’s true. I love going grocery shopping with Atticus. Now. When he was younger, it was almost unbearable. I was the parent who smiled unconvincingly while my screaming child wriggled out of that flimsy bit of woven nylon that grocery cart makers call a “seat belt.”

 

But all that has changed because we finally figured out how to make a game of grocery shopping. Lots of games, actually. Like how many red flame raisins can you eat before we get to checkout. Or which cheese smells the stinkiest. Or spot the free samples (one of my personal favorites). But the best games are the ones that actually teach Atticus something about food. Like this one that you can play in any grocery store, specialty store, big box store, or corner bodega. We call it “What’s that?” and it goes like this:

 

As you push your little shopper down the aisle, point to a food item and ask, “What’s that?” Now wait for the little shopper to answer. For example, I point to a mango and ask, “What’s that?” Then Atticus shouts, “Mango!” (And claps.) Another example? I point to a can of chickpeas and ask, “What’s that?” Then Atticus shouts, “Chickpeas!” (And claps some more.)

 

Sometimes, of course, Atticus has no idea what the food is or can’t remember the name. At which point, he says, “Dunno.” And I take the opportunity to do a little teaching. For example, “That’s a butternut squash, Atticus. It grows on a vine above ground. And we harvest it in the fall.” (For some reason, he doesn’t usually clap for me at this point…but maybe I need to work on my delivery.) Anyway, got it so far? Great.

 

Next, switch roles going down another aisle. The little shopper points and asks. And you answer. For goofs, I sometimes offer up the wrong answer. For example, Atticus points to a lemon but I answer lime. At which point he rolls he eyes and groans (he gets that from his papa), “No, mama, that’s a lemon!” 

 

Another game that always works for us is “Spot the ingredients.” It fosters a sense of independence and foodie creativity. Before we go to the store, I ask Atticus what he wants to (help me) make. Then, we make a list of the things we need just for that dish. Then Atticus holds onto that list while we’re going through the store—keeping a special lookout for “his” ingredients. You can see the sense of accomplishment when he finds them. 

 

Last time we went shopping, Atticus decided he wanted to make cookies. So I suggested shortbead by telling him that he could use the truck, train, and plane cookie cutters his Muti got him for Christmas. It only uses a few ingredients, so Atticus didn’t get overwhelmed by a long shopping list. And I decided to add the fennel seeds at the last minute to keep Atticus’s taste buds on point.

 

Fennel Lemon Shortbread Cookies

(can be served to kids 10+ mos)

 

1 cup (2 sticks) organic unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups organic all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp sea salt or kosher salt

1/2 cup organic confectioners’ sugar or cane sugar

1 1/2 tsp organic fennel seeds, lightly toasted

3 unwaxed lemons, grate the zest

 

1. In a large bowl, use an electic mixer to cream butter until fluffy–3 to 5 minutes.

 

2. Add sugar, and continue to beat until very light in color and fluffy. Scrape down sides of bowl and beat about 1-2 minutes more. 

 

3. Combine flour and salt in a bowl.

 

4. Add flour mixture to butter and sugar mixture and beat on low, scraping bowl if necessary, until flour is just incorporated and dough sticks together when squeezed.

 

5. Using your hands, knead in fennel seeds and lemon zest. 

 

6. Lightly flour a work service and pat dough into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap. And refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

 

7. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or lightly butter.

 

8. Lightly flour work surface and roll out dough to 1/4 inch thick. 

 

9. Using cookie cutters, cut out shapes and place on prepared baking sheet. Be sure to recombine the scraps and roll back out so that you don’t waste any of the buttery goodness.

 

10. Place baking sheet in refrigerator for about 15 minutes.

 

11. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

 

12. Bake about 10 minutes until lightly golden. Keep an eye on your oven since some of the smaller shapes we made only took 8 minutes but some of the bigger shapes we made took up to 14 minutes.

 

Tips: Try to eat just one!