Cooking up a Mother’s Day treat with kids in the kitchen

What better way for kids to wish mom a Happy Mother's Day than by whipping up a batch of muffins or waffles and serving her breakfast in bed?

And then wiping their sticky hands on the bedspread?

OK, scratch the sticky-hands portion of the proceedings.

It can be a rewarding experience for not only mom but the kids, too.

"Absolutely," said Jill Garloff, who has worked as an executive chef and food-service director and is teaching a cooking camp for children in July at The Compleat Gourmet in Carytown (http://www.thecompleatgourmet.com).

"They're learning about measurements and ingredients, but it's really about doing something for mom."

However, one thing to remember before turning children loose in the kitchen is to keep the recipes and tasks age-appropriate.

Children younger than 12 should be supervised when using knives or cooking on the stove or baking in the oven, Garloff said. But there are many food-prep jobs even the youngest children can do, such as helping make the Fruit, Yogurt and Granola Parfait suggested by Garloff, or stirring and spooning the batter for Muffins for Mom, another kid-friendly recipe she offered. (Find that recipe at http://www.timesdispatch.com, keyword: food.)

The muffins are particularly good as a last-minute choice: "Just look in your fridge and see what you've got," said Garloff, who operates Your Good Taste Personal Chef Services (http://www.yourgoodtaste.biz). "You can adjust to whatever you have. Think bananas, applesauce or blueberries."

A baked omelet, which allows kids to be creative without having to flip a stove-top omelet, is another option.

Carol Smith, co-owner of Young Chefs Academy of Richmond (http://www.youngchefsacademy.com/richmond) suggested Baked French Toast Wedges -- made from English muffins -- and Ultimate Fruit Dip as simple, tasty recipes that children can make for mom.

"Children are so proud when they are serving something to their parents that they have made," Smith said. "They take ownership of their creation, and they can't wait to share it with their families."

Other tips? Keep paper towels handy to use instead of the bedspread.

Contact Bill Lohmann at (804) 649-6639 or .

Makes 12 muffins.

Preheat oven to 400°.

In a large bowl, stir together dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and any optional ingredients and stir just until moistened. (Adjust amount of milk depending on how moist your add-ins are -- add less for moist things like banana, crushed pineapple or applesauce and add a bit more if needed for dried fruits.) Scoop into greased muffins tins (an ice cream scoop works well for this).

Sprinkle the tops with sugar if desired, and bake at 400° for 25-30 minutes or until done.

Notes: You can mix up a large batch of the basic dry mix (flour, sugar, baking powder and salt) and store in a sealed container in your pantry.

To have fresh muffins in the morning, stir the mix and measure out 3 cups of mix for one dozen muffins, 6 cups for two dozen muffins. Add the wet ingredients and the optional ingredients and bake.

Or, for a large group, make a large batch of the basic mix and make one dozen each of a variety of flavors with a lot less work.

Variations :

Banana Nut -- add 1 cup mashed bananas and ½ cup chopped pecans (optional).

Blueberry -- add 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries.

Pina Colada -- add 1 small can drained crushed pineapple and ½ cup coconut.

Apple Spice -- add 1 peeled chopped apple or applesauce, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon and a dash nutmeg.

Mocha -- add 1 teaspoon instant coffee and ¾ cup chocolate chips.

Date Nut -- add 1 cup chopped dates and ½ cup walnuts.

Cranberry -- add 1 cup chopped fresh cranberries, ½ cup nuts and 1 teaspoon orange zest.

Anything else you can think up. Adjust amount of milk in batter depending on the moistness of the added ingredients. What does Mom like? -- Jill Garloff, Your Good Taste

Baked French Toast Wedges

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray 10-inch quiche dish or deep-dish pie plate with nonstick cooking spray.

Arrange English muffin cubes in a single layer in dish. In medium bowl, beat together eggs, sugar and cinnamon. Stir in vanilla and salt; mix well. Add half-and-half and melted butter; mix well. Pour evenly over muffins; press down on muffins to moisten with liquid. Sprinkle evenly with nutmeg.

Cover and refrigerate overnight, if desired, or bake immediately.

Bake 40-45 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Transfer to cooling rack; cool slightly and serve warm with either fruit topping or maple syrup. -- Young Chefs Academy of Richmond

Ultimate Fruit Dip

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and beat with mixer at low speed until well-blended.

-- Young Chefs Academy of Richmond

Kids' recipe: Parfait

Layer bottom of a clear 8- to 10-ounce glass with fruit. Add layer of yogurt. Add another layer of fruit. Add last layer of yogurt. Sprinkle granola on top. -- Jill Garloff, Your Good Taste

Kids' recipe: Omelet

Preheat oven to 350°. Sauté onion in approximately 1 tablespoon olive oil until softened and let cool. Grease a 9-inch pie pan and sprinkle the onion and ham in the pie pan.

Beat eggs with milk and salt and add to pie pan. Sprinkle top with cheese and bake 35-40 minutes or until omelet is light golden and puffed and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Slice into wedges and serve. -- Jill Garloff, Your Good Taste