Welcome to my world behind the scenes as I attempt to run a business with no idea what I am doing. I Love comments/ advice/opinions or just a quick G'day so please talk to me. I adore hearing/learning/chatting with you all so every comment is most welcome.!

Friday, June 13, 2008

Kids in the Kitchen

My family history of cooking.

Baby Boomers recipes

This well worn book was given to me by my step mum,
Pickle it, preserve it, or put it in a pie

X Generation recipes
This book was given to me by mum at age 7
Butter butter and more butter.

Y Generation recipes
Mum(Nanni bought this for Jazz )
Fresh fruit, veggies with a tiny bit of not harmful but could be good for you oil with a smidgen of cheese but not too much because you might die.(until dietitians change their minds yet again) Basically It has everything the 2 above books have, without the copious amounts of fat and salt.

3 generations of styles in cooking. Once the basics are taught, my mum and I have hundreds, yes really, hundreds, of cook books for the kids to peruse to enhance their cooking experience. My brothers were both expected to learn to cook and one of them makes a wicked pasta marinara with all fresh ingredients. My dads favourite recipe was toad in a hole. He couldn't grasp proportions though and made too much and being a baby boomer, wouldn't let us leave the table till we ate it...
So anyhow whats the big deal about our kids learning to cook?

Parents reap the rewards.

Jasna's Go nuts for donuts cake
Before I go on let me just state, I teach my kids to cook very early and expect them all to be self sufficient in the kitchen by around 11ish. Its not because I have a brilliant maternal streak in me that wants to share in the process of creating a meal whilst bonding with my offspring.
Its more like, learn to cook as soon as possible so that I don't have to. Plus, I am their mum, its my job to teach them anything that was taught to me and the 3 boys are expected to know their way around a kitchen too. And laundry, and the washing line.......
These days there are barely any gender roles expected of either sexes so my future 3 daughter in laws will thank me for training the lads to be less needy than their grand dads(no offence grand dads, but hey, its a well know fact us chicks and the dames of your era worked hard too so clean yer own dunny).
Gosh I sound common when I revert to talking in brackets don't I ? Sorry mum.
Whilst the 17yr old can whip us up our Friday night fried feast in a flash, the 11 yr old can manage ramen noodles, brevilles, lots of cups of coffee for mum and he makes a mean pancake.
The 7 year old now is in charge of his own nuked noodles and on occasions whips up some toast for mum, cut specially into squares. They can all manage cakes and cookies and home made pizza, meh, too easy.
My biggest success so far is exploiting my daughters talent for baking. She is a natural and she likes it. She was never forced to like it or to do anymore than learn basics yet she has evolved into quite a baker. So I'm the tinker, my mums the tailor, all we need now is the candle stick maker...
Not only is it essential to teach kids basic skills around the home, its a blessing for all mums and dads. We can barely afford to take the 6 of us out to a nice restaurant and I don't consider maccas, kfc or red rooster a restaurant . But when your kids cook you dinner after you have worked all day and dish it up to you, any memories of recent teenage drama dissolve. What better investment can a savvy working parent make than to teach their kids to cook. And do washing, vacuum, hang out the washing.......... And that coffee brought to you as you plonk yourself in your favorite chair,,,, bliss.
Jazz made us chicken snitzel rolls for tea and while she was in the mood she got creative with a chocky rock recipe.

Tonights culinary creation from the angsty teen with tude
MASSIVE M&M COOKIE



33cm in diameter and she isn't sharing.....
clever girl!!
I have put on 2 pounds just looking at that.

1 comments:

Jenaveve June 17, 2008 at 1:27 PM  

Great post!

I like your theory for teaching the kids how to cook, clean, etc - regardless of their gender: you've hit the nail on the head with that one!

And it's great having kids appreciate cooking and where their meals actually come from at such a young age. I'm learning a little later in life and wonder how much better it would be having experienced it early on.

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