“Auntie Tee, remember what we made with Mrs. Froglegs?” my 3-year-old nephew asked me the day after we took an evening cooking class at FrogLegs Culinary Academy at Uvillage. “Yes, homemade Tortillas. And salsa. Did you have a fun time?” And yes, he did. We all did when we made and ate some yummy food at Frog Legs Culinary Academy when my kids and I were invited to try out a cooking class with some friends. My sister and I even decided to bring my little niece and nephew along too and they both had a blast. Uvillage is one of my favorite places to shop in Seattle and having this fun cooking space for all ages is such a great bonus-especially if you love cooking and eating and hanging out in a beautiful space before and after you shop.
Edible Cookie Dough in Seattle
Even if you’re not there for cooking you can stop into FrogLegs for a treat. Right now they are one of the only places in Seattle where I’ve seen edible cookie dough and they have a variety of flavors. My kids and I tried one with Oreo cookies and one with chocolate chips. There is no raw egg in this dough so it is totally edible and the day we visited to buy some, I lingered a while in the store looking at all the fun party supplies too. I love how this store and cooking school is kid-friendly but not an overtly kid-centered space.
I wish my fridge matched my microwave in a color of my dreams!
I so wish I had a beautiful blue fridge and microwave in my own kitchen and maybe someone who could also teach me how to use them to make really tasty things. As the kids started the cooking class with Laura Vida, (aka. Mrs. Frogslegs) I couldn’t help but admire the gorgeous space. It felt open and airy and it’s well laid out for both kids and grownups to cook and eat together. I think the kids understood the vibe because they knew not to run around in this space and they all listened intently to Mrs. Frogslegs when she spoke. They learned a lot of neat cooking tips-they even learned how to pick a good pineapple. (Check to see if the green leaves pull out easily when you see them at the grocery store!) The pineapple Mrs. Frogslegs was absolutely perfect! Being in such a nice kitchen reminded me that making my space at home more user friendly might inspire me to cook a lot more. Watching Mrs. Frogslegs interact with the kids also reminded me how much kids benefit from helping to make what they eat-the kids in our class were trying cilantro and onions and garlic and enjoying tasting and cooking with friends.
Cooking classes for kids WHILE you shop or eat.
So here is something that we need more of in Seattle-places where kids can go for an hour or two while parents can get a few things done. My guys are almost old enough to be on their own but not for very long and they believe they are a little too mature to hang out with a babysitter and they don’t always love shopping with me. I noticed there are classes like a Harry Potter inspired butter beer and sorting hat cupcake class and some dinner and dessert classes that happen around happy hour/dinner time which makes for a great shopping/eating/mini date night evening for the hubby and I or even if I wanted to catch up with another mom friend and shop. The adult and child classes might also be a fun excuse to spend some one on one time together when things get busy with back to school and I know one of my sons would really like to do this with me. There are also options for booking private parties and cooking classes and this might be something very fun to put together for a birthday or for an evening out with friends and their kids at Uvillage (or even a fun way to shop at Uvillage while the kids are entertained too!)
I hope if you’re in the Seattle area, you stop in and check out the space! Have your kids taken cooking classes? What do they like to make? How do you get your kids to cook with you at home?
(PS. I was invited to a cooking class with friends at Frogslegs to see what it is all about and as always the opinions and writing in this blog are my own.)
(PPS. If you’re visiting Seattle with kids and looking for things to do, I have some ideas on my Seattle with kids planning page to help you out!)
Terumi Pong is a Seattle-based family travel writer and mom of twin teenage boys. She loves coffee and pastries, shopping local and looking for greener ways to live. She is also known as Scout’s mom (Scout is a 5ish pound little black yorkie-poo)
This looks super fun! I wish we were a bit closer to U Village, but I heard they have a Kirkland location!
It’s too bad we’re not in Seattle anymore. I would have loved to do this with my kids.