About

Hello and welcome to Plate in 28! We are two sisters and moms of young kids. Several years back we were desperately seeking a resource for quick recipes and ways to keep the kids distracted somehow so we could actually cook! We never found that resource...so, we created it! And our mom, Melodee (a.k.a. Mimi) has supported us with her cooking expertise along the way!

Between us two sisters, we have four kids ranging from six to nine. We live on opposite coasts, and have very different lifestyles, family structures and home situations. We feel this helps us capture different parent realities, which is important to us because there is no standard family. We test out everything on our site to hone in on what's practical and what works across-the-board for different families' lives. We hope you enjoy our site!

—Marcie & Julie

julie marcie and melodee standing outside

What You'll Find Here:

: Recipes

: Cooking with Kids

: Crafts

: Screen Time

Plate in 28 helps grown-ups get food on the table with simple, 28 minute recipes & activities to occupy the kids so the grown-ups can actually cook. As parents, we've found that mealtime prep is way easier when you can have your kids either help you in the kitchen, do a craft, or have some screen time. One size doesn't fit all when it comes to kids and not all households are the same, so we pair each of our recipes with these different kid activities.

Recipes that are quick, simple and highly customizable

All our recipes can be made in 28 minutes or less and use simple ingredients with minimal steps and (mostly!) minimal mess. Alongside each recipe, you will also find some basic tips to "kidify" each meal to satisfy even the pickiest of eaters. Additionally, we offer cooking tips and shortcuts and advice for modifying each recipe for various dietary needs and/or preferences.

Tips on how your kids can be your Lil' Sous Chefs

Maybe your kid doesn't want to leave your side or just loves to help out in the kitchen. We suggest ways your child can assist you while cooking our recipes. According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, cooking with your kids has some real educational benefits, like boosting self-esteem and fostering healthy eating habits.

Look for this lil' sous chef icon on recipe posts for tips on cooking with kids!

Tell Me More About The Benefits Of Cooking With Kids...

Benefits of Cooking with Kids:

Promotes healthy eating habits. Kids get to see what actually goes into their meals and understand the value of whole foods. Grown-ups get the chance to teach kids about what the ingredients are, where they come from, and why they are good for us.
Increases the odds that kids will eat the meal. If kids understand that the ingredients that went into their meal aren’t so scary or gross, they will more likely eat the meal.
Gives kids a sense of accomplishment. Kids see the beginning, middle and end of a task. They learn that they can make things happen, with a sense of self-satisfaction.
Allows kids to learn and practice important life skills, like following directions, collaborating with others, and basic math (e.g., counting, measuring, making patterns).
Encourages creativity and exploration. Kids can express themselves while cooking and explore how foods combine and change forms when put together. Cooking also gives kids a chance to uses their senses (smell, taste, sight, touch) in meaningful ways.
Makes kids appreciate us grown-ups! Ha! Maybe, just maybe, being a lil' sous chef helps kids appreciate all the hard work we put in to feed the family. This might be a long shot, but one can hope 😉 At the very least, this is a great opportunity to bond with your child.

Crafts for kids to do while grown-ups cook

For more independent kids or kids who like to focus on a project, we suggest creative, hands-on activities for them to do while you cook. Each craft ties into a recipe's main ingredient. The goal is not for the grown-ups to buy a bunch of supplies and hover over their kids. We want to keep it simple and for kids to be independently engaged, with the exception of really little ones who might need some assistance

Tell Me About The Benefits of Mealtime Crafts...

Benefits of Mealtime Crafts:

Foster kids' interest in the food they eat. One goal of the craft is to help kids make a connection between what they're doing and what they're eating, in a creative and tangible way. For a lot of our recipes, we offer a craft that calls for kids to handle the actual food, i.e. painting with egg yolks OR using avocado peels to make mini boats.
Encourage creativity and independence! Our crafts allow kids to get creative with minimal help from adults.
Support developmental skills. Many of our crafts enable kids to practice their developing skills, like fine motor skills (e.g., cutting, gluing) and math (e.g., counting, measuring).
Give kids a chance to spend time with other family members. We've also found that this is a great opportunity to have older siblings help out OR give your kids a chance to connect with other adults in the household (i.e. the other parent, a housemate, close friend, aunt/uncle/grandparent).

Note: Even the simplest crafts require some setup; so, we recommend offering these crafts on nights when you're not as strapped for time.

Screen Time for kids during meal prep

We personally believe that high-quality programming can have educational benefits when used responsibly. And there is research in support of these benefits. The key is to carefully choose the programs your kids watch, monitor what they are watching, and engage with them on the topics they’ve learned. We all need downtime. So, why not let your kids have it while you cook dinner?!

Tell Me More About The Benefits Of Educational Screen Time...

Benefits of Educational Screen Time:

May support and reinforce early learning and literacy skills. For example, studies of the program Sesame Street have found higher cognitive outcomes for preschoolers who have watched the program compared to those who have not.
Can introduce kids to new concepts. Educational programs have a unique opportunity to show young viewers far away places, cultures or creatures that they may not be exposed to at school or at home.
Promotes positive behaviors. The characters in many high quality programs model important behaviors, like sharing, eating healthy, and showing empathy towards others.
Provides new topics for mealtime conversation. Talking with your kids about what they've learned from a show is a great way to reinforce learning. It also encourages communication and sharing between children and adults. Maybe that will pay-off in the teenage years?

A note about screen time: Keep in mind that we should limit how much our kids watch. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children younger than 18 months avoid TV altogether, and that children ages 2-5 limit their screen use to 1 hour (or less) per day. In our opinion, meal-prep can the perfect time to utilize your kids' screen time!

Note: You'll find that we gear our activities and tips mostly towards toddler or young, school-aged children

Ready to Dive In?

Check out our delicious 28-minute recipes and fun, food-themed crafts or screen-time options for your kids!
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Hear some of our fun tips and tricks in our personal blog section.

Final thoughts...

We come at this honestly, as two moms who have struggled with getting meals on the table every night (and still do!). The goal isn’t to churn us parents into five-star chefs, but to provide practical, healthy recipes that make cooking for the family less daunting. Easy recipes and minimal kid interference. Enjoy! --Julie & Marcie