Inside the Kitchen
I love to cook, love to bake - basically, anything that happens in the kitchen that ends with yummy foods is all fun to me (Dishes, no, not so much...) Cooking and baking are my down time, my "me time", the time that I use to decompress and get my head on straight. I've been somewhat reluctant to invite my kids in with me. My desire to be alone plus my overactive type A personality that just knows the right way to do these things means that I tend to get a trifle territorial. It's a struggle for me to share the kitchen, that's for certain.
But I remember my own mom letting each of us girls have free reign in the kitchen . Each Friday we took turns to prepare dinner from start to finish. It was a great lesson for us that food takes work, good food takes time and to always be appreciative when others cook for you. My mom let us plan our menus, and I'm certain she regretted allowing me to purchase "A Child's International Feast" when it meant that I served "Scandinavian Beans " - basically doctored kidney beans - for six weeks in a row.
My older children are less adept in the kitchen than I might like and I worry for them when they move out on their own. I foresee a lot of eating out and ramen in their future - but none of the older three are really interested in cooking or baking. My younger three, though, think it's fun to cook, and when my 12 year old son came to me with a recipe that he wanted to try, I took a deep breath and said "yes".
And so that's how we ended up dipping chicken legs into buttermilk and rolling them in crushed cornflakes and laying them on aluminum foil that had been sprayed with cooking spray. We put those coated chicken legs into a 450 degree oven and later enjoyed a wonderful easy and pretty darn tasty dinner.
Did you cook or bake as a child? What have you created in the kitchen with your children?
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Replies
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I have my DD help me with making pancake mix. -
I started cooking (supervised) when I was young, around 7 years old. By the time I was a teen, it was no big deal for me to make a full meal for the family.
I've had my kids in the kitchen with me since they were toddlers. They're older now, and they're all capable of cooking, some more than others. My 12 yr old DD, 15 yr old DS, and 23 yr old DS are very capable of cooking a complete meal from scratch, yeast bread/rolls included.
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I did bake as a child. Cooking is a big part of my childhood. My son loves to cook. He has taken a mini cooking camp. His favorite is french toast, grilled cheese, and steamed veggies.
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I love getting my kids to help in the kitchen!
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I used to help bake and cook as a kid. Especailly with my grandma. My girls love to help me bake, my son sometimes too. Just yesterday my almost 3 year old helped me make cookies
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When the kids get bigger I will be teaching them to follow a recipie and do more in the kitchen
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I never learned to cook or bake. My husband does most of the cooking in our house but we do alot of snacks and cakes that our kids help with.
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I let DS help with baking...he helps me stir and occassionally add things to the bowl....he loves licking the spoon. Not too shabby for an almost 3 year old.
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Quoting charlene_kyle:
I never learned to cook or bake. My husband does most of the cooking in our house but we do alot of snacks and cakes that our kids help with.
I only learned by necessity. Both parents ended up getting 2 jobs each and as the oldest (age 14) I had to cook for my two younger siblings each night. I started out following directions on the boxes...then by 16 I was adding things and creating my own meals.
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Yes I cooked as a child and my kids cook with me now. My 13 year old cooks all the time on her own.