Kinley is in the 4th grade at Crossings Christian School, and she’s been flexing her chef skills for the past several years. Inspired by her Nana, who Kinley says makes the best ever Sloppy Joe’s, scones and strawberry shortcake, Kinley wants to open her own restaurant someday called K & P Toast to serve up her favorite meal of the day: brunch. The P stands for twin sister Paisley, who Kinley says is her number one taste tester.

Kinley is a competitive cheerleader, and she’s learned the value of cooking with and eating healthy foods to support both her muscles and her brain.

“I didn’t know this but candy actually makes you more tired!” shared Kinley. “It’s important for kids to eat veggies and healthy food so they can be strong, smart and have energy.”

Kinley loves to make banana pancakes with her dad on Saturday mornings, as well as tacos, guacamole and her mom’s banana bread. She doesn’t forget the family dog Molly, recently making doggie donuts for her pup’s birthday. Learning to cook has helped Kinley practice math, science and reading skills, and the kitchen is also a place she’s learned it’s OK to make mistakes.

“Cooking is mostly like science because you can try whatever you want and see if it’s good or not,” said Kinley. “If it’s good, you know how to make it again. And if it’s not, you can learn from it. My parents always tell me it’s OK to make mistakes because that’s how you learn.”

The recipe Kinley created and entered in the Healthy Kids Cooking Contest is a testament to her creativity and problem-solving skills learned as a chef. Contest entrants had to create and submit a recipe using fruit, vegetables or whole grain.

After getting a bit bored of eating the same kinds of things for breakfast each morning, Kinley decided to use the contest as a way
to create a new and delicious morning meal. The family loves to
make smoothie bowls together, but Kinley took the contest a step further to figure out how to incorporate a hidden vegetable into her breakfast recipe. Sister Paisley and their mom and dad helped taste and give feedback.

“I put frozen cauliflower rice in it because it makes it fluffier,” said Kinley. “It’s almost like ice cream! You can drink it in a cup, eat it out of a bowl with a spoon or put strawberries, bananas or granola
on top.”

Check out Kinley’s winning recipe on the opposite page and follow her family @mathandmusicmommy to see our top chef sharing and testing recipes once a week. 

Fruit Smoothie Surprise

by Kinley Hines

Ingredients

10 oz almond milk

½ cup frozen cauliflower rice

½ cup frozen berries

1 scoop organic vanilla protein powder (optional)

Directions

1. Place all ingredients in a blender.

2. Blend.

3. Pour into a cup or bowl and enjoy! You can even top with bananas, strawberries or granola.