Kidzworld Kitchen: Babysitter Extraordinaire

I’m sure that earning some extra cash this summer would really come in handy for vacation spending, trips to the mall with your friends and splurging on those killer jeans for back to school.  Babysitting is always a good way to make extra money and can also be really fun.

The trick to great babysitting is to keep the kids occupied and have some projects planned to keep their minds off of mischief. Homemade playdough is a fun project that requires everyday ingredients everyone has in their kitchen. Whip up a batch and let the kids help with measuring and choosing colours, then they’ll play away for hours! Another idea to get you all outdoors in the sunshine is a good old lemonade stand. This recipe is so tasty and authentic it’ll have the adults in the neighborhood lining up too. Finally, having fun in the sun can get pretty tiring so why not perk up with some healthy, refreshing frozen yogurt fruit pops. These great ideas will have parents and kids both begging for you to babysit again soon.

Playdough  

Ingredients:

• 1 cup flour
• ¼ cup salt
• 2 tbsp cream of tartar
• 2 tsp food colouring
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 cup water

Instructions:

1. Pour all ingredients into a large pot and mix
2. Stir constantly over medium heat until a dough ball forms by pulling away from the sides (Hint! Make sure you watch and stir constantly as it can burn easily)
3. Empty the contents of the pot onto a floured surface and let cool for a few minutes
4. Knead the cooled dough until the texture is right
5. Store covered in an airtight plastic container
6. Should last for at least 3 months

Lemonade

Ingredients:

• 1 cup + 3/4 cup white sugar
• 8 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups lemon juice

Instructions:

1. In a small saucepan, combine sugar and 1 cup water. Bring to boil and stir until sugar is dissolved
2. Allow sugar syrup to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until chilled.
3. In pitcher, stir together chilled syrup, lemon juice and remaining 7 cups water

Frozen Yogurt Fruit Pops

Ingredients:

• 12oz fat-free french vanilla yogurt
• 2 cups cut-up fresh fruit, such as blueberries, raspberries, papaya, bananas, mango or strawberries
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 5 oz paper cups
• Wooden popsicle sticks

Instructions:

1. In a blender, place all ingredients and blend until smooth
2. Divide mixture among 6 paper cups
3. Cover cups with foil and insert popsicle sticks into center of each pop
4. Freeze about 6 hours or until frozen

Remember, be creative, have fun and above all, safety first! Always talk to the adult in charge before you get your chef on! Happy cooking babysitting extraordinaires!