IT'S a rainy day, it's cold, it's windy, and all your plans for an outdoor Sunday are suddenly a wash-out.

The children are bored, asking "What are we doing today?" You may think that a day cooking in the kitchen with the children is not the answer, but with a little bit of patience and organisation it could be just the recipe to salvage your Sunday.

I often begin with cooking something sweet, as this keeps our boys interested, so while the chocolate biscuit cake is setting in the fridge we can get on with the meatballs and the cheesy scones.

Getting children into the kitchen obviously gives them an understanding of food, but it is amazing how something as simple as making a sandwich under your child's guidance will generate anticipation and excitement, and a great sense of achievement.

Buns, or cupcakes are always good to make with little ones as they can be decorated in a number of different ways, depending on what you have in your cupboard. With bread or biscuits, get out all the different cookie cutters you own and let them do their thing - don't worry if they turn out a little tough from all the shaping and reshaping. You will still end up with a very proud little chef.

SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS WITH TOMATO FONDUE Serves 6-8 These meatballs are great to make with children, and are delicious served with the tomato fondue and spaghetti, but are also good shaped into little burgers.

Meatballs 900g freshly minced beef 150g onion, finely chopped One clove of garlic, crushed Two tbsp freshly chopped herbs, like marjoram, or less of rosemary Salt and freshly ground pepper Two tbsp olive oil One egg Tomato Fondue Three tbsp olive oil 110g onion, sliced One garlic clove, crushed Salt, sugar and freshly ground pepper Two x 410g tins of tomatoes 150g grated mozzarella Heat two tbsp of olive oil in a heavy stainless-steel saucepan over a gentle heat and add the onion and garlic. Cover and sweat for four minutes, until soft and a little golden. Allow to cool.

In a bowl, mix the minced beef with the cold sweated onion and garlic. Add the herbs, and the beaten egg.

Season the mixture with salt and pepper.

Fry off a tiny bit to check the seasoning and adjust if necessary. Divide the mixture into about 24 round balls. Cover the meatballs and refrigerate until required.

Meanwhile, make the tomato fondue. Heat the oil in a stainless-steel saucepan. Add the sliced onion and the crushed garlic, toss until coated, cover and sweat on a gentle heat until soft and even a tiny bit golden.

Add the tomatoes with all the juice to the onion mixture. Season the contents with salt, freshly ground pepper and sugar.

Cook the tomatoes uncovered for approximately 30 minutes or until the tomato softens.

(While this is cooking make the meatballs. ) Heat up a frying pan and cook the meatballs for about 10 minutes in about three tbsp olive oil. When they are cooked, put them 23into a dish with the tomato fondue, and add the grated mozzarella on top. Put under a grill to let the cheese melt. Serve with pasta, like spaghetti.

CHEESY SCONES Makes about 12 Scones are great to make with children as they are so quick and easy. You can add chocolate chips, or raisins into the mixture with the flour, instead of the grated cheese.

450g plain white flour One level tsp salt One level tsp bicarbonate of soda 400ml buttermilk or sour milk Approx 75g grated cheese Preheat the oven to 250A0C, gas 9. Sieve the dry ingredients. Make a well in the centre. Pour in all of the milk (keeping aside 25ml ) at once. Using one hand, with your fingers outstretched like a claw, stir in a full circular movement from the centre to the outside of the bowl. The dough should be softish, though not too wet and sticky.

When it all comes together, turn it out onto a well-floured surface. Pat the dough until it is about two cm thick. Cut into scones, round or square, then put on a floured baking tray.

Generously sprinkle each scone with the grated cheese, and put the tray in the preheated oven.

Cook for 10-20 minutes (depending on size) until the scones are golden and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Turn the oven down to 200A0C after 10 minutes if they are nice and golden.

SANDWICHES CUT INTO SHAPES I find that with my two boys, if something is cut into a funny shape, they will eat it much more enthusiastically. Use any biscuit cutters you like:

stars, fish, trains, boys, girls, pigs, whatever.

Basically, when you have made your sandwich, press it down with your hands or a rolling pin, to squash it a little bit, then cut a couple of shapes out.

CHOCOLATE BISCUIT CAKE Makes about 16 squares This recipe was given to me by a friend, Ruth Douglas. It is very similar to the chocolate biscuit cake that my sister and I used to make when we were little, and now I make this recipe with my children. If you are making this for adults you could, if you like, add in some brandy soaked raisins too.

150g good plain chocolate 150g butter Two large tbsp Golden Syrup 225g semi sweet biscuits, like digestives, crushed (in a plastic bag with a rolling pin) 25g hazelnuts or almonds, toasted and chopped - optional OR 75g of extra crushed biscuits In a low oven or in a bowl sitting over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the chocolate with butter and golden syrup, stir in crushed biscuits and nuts till well blended. Spoon into 23cm cake tin (spring form is good here) or a 20cm square brownie tin, lined with parchment paper.

Freeze or refrigerate for two-four hours until well set. Cuts into 16 pieces.

Store in the fridge for up to two weeks, though it never lasts that long.

BALLYMALOE BALLOONS Makes about 12 Balloons are like doughnuts, but very simple and quick to make. This is a recipe of Myrtle Allen, who used to make these with her mother when she was a child.

140g plain flour Two-four tsp caster sugar Pinch of salt One level tsp baking powder 200ml milk Extra caster sugar for tossing with the balloons when they are cooked - about 25g Heat a deep fryer to 190A0C.

Put the dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk to mix. Add the milk gradually, whisking all the time until you have a thick batter. When the oil is hot, take a dessertspoonful of the mixture and push it gently off with another spoon, so that it drops in a round ball into the oil.

Repeat with the remaining batter to make about 12 balloons. Fry until deep golden, for about four minutes, turning over halfway through cooking.

Remove and toss in caster sugar (I sometimes add some ground cinnamon to the sugar), and serve warm.

MINI BUNS WITH COLOURED ICING Makes 24 mini buns, or 12 normal size buns 110g butter 110g sugar Two eggs, whisked 1/2 tsp vanilla essence 140g plain flour mixed with 1/4 tsp baking powder Preheat the oven to 190A0C, gas 5. Cream the butter, add the sugar and beat until light. Add the beaten eggs gradually, then the vanilla and lastly fold in the flour and baking powder.

Put into mini bun cases sitting in mini bun trays, and cook for seven-10 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack, before you ice them. If you want you can add raisins or chocolate chips to the flour.

Decorations A>> Smarties A>> Jelly tots A>> Hundreds and thousands A>> Chocolate buttons A>> Food colouring -optional A>> Icing sugar Icing Sieve 100g icing sugar into a bowl and add about two tsp of boiling water, and a drop of your chosen food colouring. Beat with a wooden spoon and add another drop of water if it is too stiff to spread over the top of a bun. If you have made it too wet, just add more icing sugar. This will make enough to ice about 20-30 mini buns. I like to make a few different colours.

When the icing is made, take a small palette knife, or a table knife and dip it into a cup of boiling water. This will make it easier to spread the icing and it will give it a nice glossy shine. Then put a smartie, or chocolate button on now, before the icing sets.

Coloured sugar You can dip iced buns in this for a different effect - it is so pretty, it reminds me of something out of a fairy tale.

Put 100g of icing sugar and one or two drops of your chosen colouring into a sieve, and sieve into a bowl;

then sieve it all again , and keep doing so (maybe another two times) until the food colouring has tinted the sugar.

Then spread a very thin layer of icing and dip the top of the bun into the coloured sugar.

BOOK OF THE WEEK Food Adventures, by Elisabeth Luard and Frances Boswell, published by Kyle Cathie, is a lovely book for mums of young children, and would make a great baby present for new parents. It is just the book to get if you want to introduce your child to flavours from around the world, from chickpea fritters with sesame sauce to Mexican paradise cookies