so GET YOUR KIDS in the KITCHEN
Don't misunderstand my type - I ain't no SuperMa. I don't have my kids helping out with every family meal. More like one or two a week, a good week. And their tasks vary in responsibility depending on how much patience I have at the time.
I am following in my mother's footsteps, of course, as tends to happen. My earliest kitchen task was dealing with garlic. Peeling & chopping. I grew up believing that ALL garlic needed to be chopped really fine. That's just what you did with garlic, you chopped it really fine, and it took 10 minutes. At least. Then I had some kids, and they started to ask if they could "help" in the kitchen. So I said, "Sure! Take the garlic out, peel it then I'll show you how to chop it" and I'd show 'em. When they asked, "Is this chopped enough?" I'd say, "Not quite, a few more minutes". And so it would continue until I had completed whatever cooking thing I'd needed to complete, and then I'd tell them the garlic was chopped enough.
Garlic is a clever tool. The kids feel involved. I feel generous in finding them a task when I'm smack in the middle of a busy dinner prep. And I can keep the chopping going for longer than you'd think.
(Imagine my surprise when I learned that garlic could be so versatile. What!? Put the WHOLE clove in? Just like that? Whole!?)
I am following in my mother's footsteps, of course, as tends to happen. My earliest kitchen task was dealing with garlic. Peeling & chopping. I grew up believing that ALL garlic needed to be chopped really fine. That's just what you did with garlic, you chopped it really fine, and it took 10 minutes. At least. Then I had some kids, and they started to ask if they could "help" in the kitchen. So I said, "Sure! Take the garlic out, peel it then I'll show you how to chop it" and I'd show 'em. When they asked, "Is this chopped enough?" I'd say, "Not quite, a few more minutes". And so it would continue until I had completed whatever cooking thing I'd needed to complete, and then I'd tell them the garlic was chopped enough.
Garlic is a clever tool. The kids feel involved. I feel generous in finding them a task when I'm smack in the middle of a busy dinner prep. And I can keep the chopping going for longer than you'd think.
(Imagine my surprise when I learned that garlic could be so versatile. What!? Put the WHOLE clove in? Just like that? Whole!?)
You can start with something simple: peeling vegetables (if they're too little for knives), washing lettuce or herbs, whisking!!, and if all that don't work out, even getting the kids to get the cutlery out & set it nicely on the table is wonderful.
How do your kids help out in the kitchen? Can you get them more involved?
How do your kids help out in the kitchen? Can you get them more involved?
Today my gorgeous boy child (7yrs) helped me make a dish called Shakshuka for lunch. I used a recipe I found on a great site, Green Prophet which keeps me up to date with all things environmental in the Middle East (which is were life is at the mo). As soon as my camera is back in my hot little hands, I will show you pictures of our delicious lunch..
Shakshuka is quite a typical breakfast/lunch dish here in Israel. I've been told it's from Tunisia, but don't hold me to that! It is a hearty yet light enough dish made from a home-made tomato based sauce with eggs broken in at the end where they are left to poach in the sauce for 5 or 10 minutes. Sounds odd? Tastes fantastic. Eaten with some fresh challah bread (more on that another day), some yummy white cheese & a bowl of olives - not bad, baby.
Shakshuka is quite a typical breakfast/lunch dish here in Israel. I've been told it's from Tunisia, but don't hold me to that! It is a hearty yet light enough dish made from a home-made tomato based sauce with eggs broken in at the end where they are left to poach in the sauce for 5 or 10 minutes. Sounds odd? Tastes fantastic. Eaten with some fresh challah bread (more on that another day), some yummy white cheese & a bowl of olives - not bad, baby.
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