Gone are the days of slaving away behind a stove as you wipe beads of sweat from your forehead. Cooking with your grandchildren is anything — messy, chaotic, clumsy — but work. It's a match made for playful little hands and fingers eager to help you stir up something delicious in the mixing bowl. Take it from a few real-life grandma "chefs” who offer their tips on how to have fun in the kitchen — and stay sane — when your grandchildren are up to their elbows in cookie dough.

Go Ahead, Make a Mess

Eggshells in the batter, flour bag explosions, dishes burnt to a crisp — when cooking with grandkids, making a mess is as much a part of the process as making the meal. “I always say, ‘there are no mistakes,’ to my grandchildren," says Gail Brown, a grandmother of six in Dresher, Pa., "because things inevitably go wrong, but you still want them to be proud of what they’re doing.”

Still, most disasters can be averted. Gail’s recipe for preventing kitchen catastrophes? One part flexibility, two parts patience, and a dash of common sense. “Find the child a secure spot at the table or on the counter, and have him do something appropriate for his age and ability,” she says. While a 4-year-old can dollop drops of dough onto a cookie sheet or hand-mix batter, she shouldn’t be measuring liquid ingredients or whisking eggs. Let the older kids tackle those tasks. And, keep any breakables or sharp items far, far away from tiny hands. Play it extra safe by swapping your regular utensils for a childproof set, such as this Kids in the Kitchen one.

Teach Your (Grand)Children Well

Treat the kitchen like a classroom — but, skip the snooze-inducing lectures. Cooking gives you a chance to plant little seeds of knowledge in your grandchild’s brain. You can cover lessons on anything from nutrition (sample healthier recipes; incorporate fruits and veggies into your meals) to responsibility (remember to switch off that oven; always slip on those bulky oven mits).

Jean Calder, of Silver Spring, Md., says that not only is her 3-year-old granddaughter, Ella, fine-tuning her motor skills by pouring liquids into batter, she’s also learning how to follow directions and routine. “Cooking emphasizes important basic steps, like washing your hands beforehand and cleaning up afterwards,” says Jean. “Ella’s going to be able to apply those lessons to her life outside the kitchen, too.”

Pass it Along

Have a blue-ribbon recipe that’s been in your clan for centuries? Keep it going strong by sharing it with your grandchild. Gail’s been making the same apple pancakes for her brood since the 60s. Just recently, her 12-year-old granddaughter, Ashley, latched onto the tradition. “Sundays and holidays means pancakes in our house, and now Ashley helps me make them,” says Gail. “I know that she’ll be making them for her grandchildren one day, too.”

For a lasting memento of your time together and the recipes you’ve shared, Gail suggests putting a scrapbook together with your grandchild. She and Ashley crafted a book that includes photos and their favorite recipes, neatly printed on pages they decorated. Not into DIY? Pick up Thomas Kinkade's Memories From My Grandmother’s Kitchen (Thomas Nelson, 2004), a cookbook/journal. It's full of room for you and your grandchild to write down your favorite recipes — and memories.

Ready to get cooking? Next time you have the grandchildren over for breakfast, start the day with this treat that's as simple as it is tasty.

MONKEY BREAD

Ingredients:

3 cans of Pillsbury biscuits
Cinnamon
Sugar
1 stick butter
1 cup brown sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make a cinnamon and sugar mixture to taste.

Open and cut each biscuit into quarters.

Roll biscuit pieces in cinnamon and sugar mixture until evenly coated.

Place evenly around greased bundt pan.

In a sauce pan, melt butter, brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon until
smooth and creamy.

Pour over biscuits.

Place in oven for approximately 30 minutes, or until cake is slightly
crunchy on top.

Remove from oven. Place a plate on top of bundt pan (upside down) and
flip so that cake falls out onto plate.