Guest Post on Teaching Young Chefs by Christina Dymock

Teaching Young Chefs by Christina Dymock

Are you one of those moms who prefer to do it herself? Ah, I know you’re out there. You take it all on so you don’t have to redo or clean up someone else’s mess, right? I'm guessing you are also stressed out.

Here’s the thing, you can relieve your work load and have fun with your kids in the kitchen. “How?” you ask with a bemused look.

Take a little time to teach them simple skills.

Think of it this way: Give a kid a meal and you feed him for a day. Teach the kid to cook and you never have to feed them again.

(Okay, that might be a slight exaggeration.)

But think of it, if you taught him/her how to make one dinner you could have one night off a week. Teach each kid in your house how to make one meal and you could have several nights off a week. Hmmm, I hear the wheels turnin’.

It doesn’t have to be a 5-star meal. Simple chicken dishes can be a lifesaver and with all the easy-to-sprinkle flavor packets it’s easy-peasy to throw something together.

 If your kids are too young to handle raw meat on their own or use the stove, have them make side dishes. They can stir things together, rip lettuce for a salad, and even mash potatoes. Just be sure to get them on the right level. Having to reach up and over the counter will make things too difficult for young ones and invite spills.

 One thing I love about cooking with my kids is that they tend to open up while their hands are busy. Because I’m not staring into their beautiful eyes and wishing I had eyelashes as thick as theirs, they relax and share things about their day. (It’s when I learn their secrets.) It’s also when I give them little pointers about holding a cutting knife or the speed of the hand mixer. It’s laid back because they are actually helping. It’s a great time to be together.

*If you'd like more info about Christina and her new cookbook, read on!
http://teachingyoungchefs.blogspot.com/

Here's a little info about Christina's new cookbook Young Chefs: Cooking Skills and Recipes for Kids Young Chefs by Christina Dymock- Hey kids! It’s time to take charge in the kitchen. Become a young chef as you make your favorite foods and explore new recipes with everything from Game Day Hot Dogs to Lemon Shark Bars. Each recipe tells your parents when help is needed and also includes stories, jokes, and history about the recipes. You’ll be whipping up masterpieces in no time. Let’s get cookin’!