Great Kids Farm Ranch Dip
“Kids are much more enthusiastic about eating healthy  snacks when they get to help make them,” says Chela  Cooper, the farm’s chef. Visiting students often get to help  make this dressing to use as a dip when tasting farm-grown  cucumbers or carrots, but it’s also good on salad or as a  topping for baked potatoes.

1 cup (8 oz) sour cream or plain greek-style yogurt
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp. chopped fresh dill
1 tbsp. chopped fresh chives
1/2 tsp. salt
a sprinkle of fresh cracked pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, stirring well with a  whisk or large spoon. 

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Helping in the kitchen not only makes kids more likely to taste the results, it also gives lots of opportunities for reinforcing math and reading skills. Try these things when you’re making Great Kids Farm ranch dip or other simple recipes.

• Read aloud the ingredient list, and ask your child to find each item in the fridge or cupboard. Which carton says milk, which says cream and which one is buttermilk? Which jar says garlic powder and which says onion?

• Ask your child questions about the directions: What’s another word for combine? What do you think the word ingredients means?

• Talk about fractions while measuring ingredients
together. If 1 cup has 8 ounces, how many ounces are
there in a 1/2 cup? How much more garlic powder than salt is included?

• Ask your child to think about more, less and the same. Does the recipe have more yogurt or more buttermilk? Is there less onion powder or salt? Name three ingredients that all have the same amount. And what’s another word for “the same”? 

Depending on your child’s age, ask him or her to help measure the ingredients, and talk about being precise. It’s good practice for science experiments later on, and your ranch dip will ask him or her to help  measure the ingredients, and talk about being precise. It’s  good practice for science experiments later on, and your  ranch dip will taste better if it has 1 tsp. of garlic powder — and not 3!