DawnM Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 I said, "Hope you want to learn how to cook too!" He said YES! How far do I take this? HMMMMMMM..............(maniacal laugh) We do eat a lot of homemade foods, but ya know, there are some things I just don't feel like fussing with sometimes. Dawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dahliarw Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 You take it as far as he will go. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orthodox6 Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 This is a wonderful opportunity for you both! Teach him how to cook. The next time that you are sick, he can fix meals for the family. Plus it is a necessary life skill for any male. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted October 16, 2013 Author Share Posted October 16, 2013 He is making rice and salmon right now! While I was on my vacation to the West Coast sans kids, DH made the kids take turns preparing meals. Really, it IS a good thing for them! Dawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PinkyandtheBrains. Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 Teach him to cook. Don't miss the opportunity! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmyontheFarm Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 Last month my son "Mastered" making a beef roast. Now, he wants to learn how to make homemade mac'n cheese in the oven, like grandma makes. He also wants to learn to make chicken Parmesan. Can you guess what his three favorite meals are? LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 We've been watching Master Chef Junior and have clearly underestimated our kids ability to cook. You take it as far as he will go. :) :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwickimom Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 Thats awesome!! I am taking part in an October Unprocessed food challenge and am involving my kids in some of it and they are loving to cook too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forget-Me-Not Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 Where is Master Chef Junior airing? My son would love that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillfarm Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 Although I wholeheartedly agree with having him learn to cook, I also suggest that your second step would be giving him a budget and teaching him how to make wholesome, nourishing meals within a particular price per serving or price per meal restriction. Because unfortunately, sometimes we have to learn how to edit ourselves. Even if we "can" cook like master chefs, our budget may not cover all those truffles, all that caviar, etc. Teach him how to identify what is in season and where the best deals are. All of those things are part and parcel of learning to be a great cook. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theYoungerMrsWarde Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 Where is Master Chef Junior airing? My son would love that! We're watching it on hulu. My almost 7 year old is obsessed with both the adult and the kid show and we're having a Masterchef themed birthday party in November. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Um_2_4 Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 Totally agree with hillfarm... make it a challenge...I used to challenge DS9 (when he was 7) to use grocery ads to plan a days meals for all of us for $20. (or sometimes $25,$30). Now at that age he did pick some processed foods (because that was what was in the ad LOL) but he got that he had to choose having juice at breakfast or ice cream for desert, iykwim. Being flexible is part of the skill of being a good cook, cooking with what you have on hand. A prime example is when I was on bedrest. DH used to "feel" like shrimp or fish or _______ so he would make almost daily runs on the way home even though there was ground beef or chicken breasts in the freezer. Our budget suffered :glare: :lol: . Allrecipes.com let's you search by ingredients to help plan meals, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aprilleigh Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 I was either 6 or almost 6 when my mom started teaching me. My first meal was a roast chicken. DS is a little older than I was, but he loves to help me in the kitchen. One of my favorite pictures is of him helping me roll meatballs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 Where is Master Chef Junior airing? My son would love that! You can watch it on Hulu. Those kids have made more things I would actually want to eat and make than the adults sometimes do. It's funny when you see one of those people who are known for being kind of a crazy jerk around kids. It is like watching a completely different person. You can really tell that Gordon Ramsay has kids. I like Alton Brown's show, Good Eats for learning kitchen basics. He not only explains how one does things but why and also different ways of using ingredients. You can often find them at your local library. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 Although I wholeheartedly agree with having him learn to cook, I also suggest that your second step would be giving him a budget and teaching him how to make wholesome, nourishing meals within a particular price per serving or price per meal restriction. Because unfortunately, sometimes we have to learn how to edit ourselves. Even if we "can" cook like master chefs, our budget may not cover all those truffles, all that caviar, etc. Teach him how to identify what is in season and where the best deals are. All of those things are part and parcel of learning to be a great cook. Oh how I wish I had heard this several years ago! My girls are all good cooks and two are out on their own so I figured I was doing it right. Then dd #3 went off to college this fall and lives off campus in a house with 12 other girls. She has a partial meal plan and we expect her to cook the rest of her meals. She shopped with us as we stocked her kitchen and we left her at school. She was coming home one week and said she was running out of food and needed to buy some things to get her through 7 days at school. She needed breakfast for all days and dinner for 3 days. She said she thought she could buy what she needed for $100. She eats a container of Greek yogurt for breakfast every single day. And has a piece of fruit for a morning snack. And yet she seriously thought she needed/I would deposit $100 for her to spend on food!!! I deposited $25 and she came in under budget. But seriously- I should have done this back when they were learning to cook!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JadeOrchidSong Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 Although I wholeheartedly agree with having him learn to cook, I also suggest that your second step would be giving him a budget and teaching him how to make wholesome, nourishing meals within a particular price per serving or price per meal restriction. Because unfortunately, sometimes we have to learn how to edit ourselves. Even if we "can" cook like master chefs, our budget may not cover all those truffles, all that caviar, etc. Teach him how to identify what is in season and where the best deals are. All of those things are part and parcel of learning to be a great cook. I need to learn this first before I can teach dc. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisbeth Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 Run with it! Seriously! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 Get some of Sam Stern's cookbooks for teens from the library & let him have at it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThatHomeschoolDad Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 YouTube is a great source for learning little skills, like using a chef's knife. I was tickled the first time I julienned a carrot, but I'm easily amused. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 My brother used to bake fresh bread and in its all his friends over to eat it when he was in college. It made him a pretty popular guy (who can resist fresh baked bread?) That's awesome your son wants to cook! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mathmarm Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 I say let the boy cook, there isn't anything mystical about being <17 years old that prevents you from learning a skill. If he's excited, then get excited. If he's really into it, maybe you can teach him to meal plan, grocery shop and work within a budget too! :thumbup1: Kids should know how to feed themselves (and their family) well before they go off to their own lives or are left to their own devices. Go for it!!! Maybe he can get some elective credit during Jr. High and/or Highschool for Home Ec. *Eagerly eying Jr. and waiting for him to be old enough to cook and clean as well.* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancingmama Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 My hubby was a stay at home dad when my kids were little and he loves to cook. I was a work out of home mom and survived on pizza and take out while single. He literally taught the 3 and 5 year olds to cook before we switched roles because he wanted real food for dinner. LOL To this day, the kids and dad do all the cooking. I'll reheat, stick pizza in the oven, or whatnot but yeah, I'm a menace in the kitchen. Cooking is a great skill to have. Who knows? Perhaps he'll surprise you and love cooking so much, he'll be a chef! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted October 17, 2013 Author Share Posted October 17, 2013 WHOA folks, hold your horses. This is my Aspie child. If I start throwing budgeting and all that other stuff in there and make it a "challenge" he will quit. Seriously. He gets overwhelmed very quickly unless it is HIS idea. I have to just go with what he is willing to do at this point or it becomes just another chore and he won't want to do it anymore. He made salmon and rice and a salad last night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leav97 Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 Start with his favorite meals. Add in making the most common side dishes in your family. Skip the budget for now. Watch a few TV shows. Flip through a cookbook. Pick something new to try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 WHOA folks, hold your horses. This is my Aspie child. If I start throwing budgeting and all that other stuff in there and make it a "challenge" he will quit. Seriously. He gets overwhelmed very quickly unless it is HIS idea. I have to just go with what he is willing to do at this point or it becomes just another chore and he won't want to do it anymore. I think this is true of most children. I don't think we need to make everything a lesson, KWIM? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted October 17, 2013 Author Share Posted October 17, 2013 And I often think that when they start the questioning process and WANT to learn it, it sticks better! We can't do this with everything, but it sure is great when we can. I think this is true of most children. I don't think we need to make everything a lesson, KWIM? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted October 17, 2013 Author Share Posted October 17, 2013 We are starting with the dishes we make on a regular basis. This is more helpful to me than him learning new recipes at this time because they are the things we make the most. Tonight he is making Indian Butter Chicken, Garlic Naan, Rice, and a salad. Now, it isn't all from scratch, we have the butter sauce already made and the Naan is from Costco, although he will need to butter it and put on garlic salt before sticking it in the oven. http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Easy-Indian-Butter-Chicken/Detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Thumb&e11=indian%20butter%20chicken&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truscifi Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 It is fine to start slow, but definitely be realistic. For example, ds9 loves to cook and plan meals. He also loves seafood. He has been wanting to try swordfish for months. Last week we stopped at the seafood counter at the grocery and priced it, using the calculator to figure out price per pound because they had it priced per piece (the guy at the counter actually weighed a couple of pieces for us - he thought it was a great idea to help ds learn) and then compared to the other seafood options. The swordfish was $28/lb. There were several other options in the $7-10/lb range. And a sale on the frozen fish brought grouper in at $5/lb. So he got the grouper, and splurged on a dessert to with dinner. BTW, ds9 started helping in the kitchen when he was 4. Now he is fairly independent and has even started his own cookbook with recipes he created. In the interest of full disclosure, I should probably add that dh is a chef and enjoys cooking with ds, so it is kind of their thing. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 You get that boy to soak the rice the night before you want to cook it, strain the Kefir, marinade the meat or fish and bake bread while you sit on the couch with your feet up, reading or napping. Congratulations on successful child rearing!! When my son moved out, he wrote down the steps how I bake bread... :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted October 17, 2013 Author Share Posted October 17, 2013 To be fair, this child has cooked before on several occasions, just not much "from scratch." He has to cook on scout campouts over an open fire, has made us pancake and egg breakfasts, can make a cake, hamburgers, easy stuff. He is trying to learn to cook more from scratch at this point. Yesterday he asked if he can have full access to the spices. :p YUP! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truscifi Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 One thing we do with ds9 to give him more freedom to practice cooking is let him have one night a week (when we have time - he is in rehearsals for another play right now, so we just don't have a free night) to play around and make what he wants. He has to decide in advice when we make the meal plan for the week so I can make sure we have the food on hand, and it has to be a balance meal. It also gives me a chance to talk about budgeting. He can make anything he likes though as long as it fits within those guidelines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashfern Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 I taught my 13 yo & 11 yo how to cook most of the dinners that I make. It's nice to have them in charge of dinner. I make sure that they have all the ingredients that are needed and let them know what time to start. They both enjoy it and they're learning a great skill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 *Eagerly eying Jr. and waiting for him to be old enough to cook and clean as well.* I have been eyeing my ds and waiting for him to cook and clean, too. It has been 13 years so far. Still waiting......... ;) (In fairness, he does sometimes like to cook, but clean? :ack2:). :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted October 17, 2013 Author Share Posted October 17, 2013 My 9 year old likes cleaning! The other two don't. I am not PAYING my 9 year old (fairly minimal but a big deal to him!) to clean. I am waiting for the other two to want to earn some money.....so far, it isn't working. I have been eyeing my ds and waiting for him to cook and clean, too.It has been 13 years so far.Still waiting......... ;)(In fairness, he does sometimes like to cook, but clean? :ack2:). :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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