Not Your Average Cooking Blog

Hello! Welcome to my cooking blog!

One reason I started this blog, is to inspire parents (and grandparents!) to pull their kiddos into the kitchen and teach them how to cook. There are so many amazing benefits to teaching your kids how to thrive in the kitchen.

I was the control-freak mom.

My kids used to beg me to let them experiment in the kitchen. To kids, it sounds so exciting to have the freedom to tie on an apron and go to town; measuring, mixing, rolling, and baking up exciting edible creations. But with so many other responsibilities as a mom, they had a difficult time trying to convince me to let them use up ingredients and make a terrible mess for me to clean up. So I’m ashamed to say…I rarely gave in.

But by-way-of a sudden and necessary transformation (as I explain below) I chose to re-train my mom-brain and give in to—what I thought was—my better judgment. And oh boy, was I wrong! By training my own kids to find their way around the kitchen, they have gained self-confidence, an appreciation for where their food comes from, and also a lot of independence. I think it’s safe to assume those are accomplishments that EVERY mom dreams for their children to achieve.

Cooking is almost a lost art!

Oh sure! There is a cornucopia of food blogs, cooking shows, and drool-worthy magazines to fill a lifetime of media consumption. But how many of us are actually preparing our food in a kitchen and sitting around the dinner table with our favorite people to consume it??

Let’s analyze the facts.

According to Forbes, Americans only spend about 30 minutes PER DAY on meal prep and clean-up!! (Think: microwave dinners) That’s less than most other countries, at an average of more than 2 hours per day. And that’s not even the most depressing part! Sadly, America is one of the most obese countries in the world, with a shocking ONE-THIRD of our population being clinically obese.

Now, maybe I’m jumping the gun, but I don’t think those numbers are just a coincidence.

Coincidence? I think not.

Much of this country thrives on modern conveniences and fast-tracks to success, which is why we have such a booming economy! We have mastered fast food, expedited shipping, and even accelerated, online-schooling. With readily-available access to the World Wide Web, you can remain behind closed doors for the rest of your life! The food you eat, clothes you wear, household items, endless entertainment: all accessible at the click of a button.

As parents in this day and age, we are stuck between a rock and a hard place. We love our kids and want all the joys and comforts of life for them, but we are in a rush to give it to them. Over time, and with each subsequent generation, kids have learned to expect just that.

Do these statements sound familiar?

“I want that!” ” I need this now!” “Are we there yet?” “Why can’t I?”

I feel pretty certain you’ve heard all of these FREQUENTLY and that it drives you nuts, right?!

How about this one?

“Mom, what’s for dinner?” [exhibit HUGE eye roll]

I’m gritting my teeth as I type this, because THAT, my friend, is the second motive I needed to write this blog. I had finally reached a tipping point and there was no turning back. I was sick and tired of that loathsome, age-old question and I was ready to make a drastic change.

WE ALL WANT TO KNOW WHAT’S FOR DINNER, OKAY?!

To be honest, I can’t put a finger on exactly what made this idea click, but in one fell swoop, I was a changed mom. I had a plan.

So I sat down and furiously wrote up this plan. A plan to engage the ENTIRE family in the process of meal planning; writing up a menu, making a shopping list, preparing meals, and participating in the clean-up afterward. A plan that would keep them from scurrying off to the far corners of the house after dinner to do who-knows-what.

My life’s course has been altered

We have been following this plan for over a year now, and I’m am excited and pleased to report that it has stuck! But even more excitingly, we have made progress in our relationships, our overall health, and not surprisingly, our cooking skills! Yes, even me.

I need to stress that although we HAVE been able to maintain this schedule, there was a lot of learning and modification to the process that occurred.

In fact, some days it felt like pulling teeth to get my kids to contribute to the planning portion. And that leads me to the third, and final, motivation for me to write this blog…

I needed accountability

You see, one of my greatest desires as a mother is to know that I’m doing my best work for my children. I want them to grow up strong individuals with the confidence to take on the world and become everything their hearts desire.

So how do I accomplish this?

By showing them the ropes, by loving them, by proving to them that their success and happiness are what matters most to me. And I feel that the best way for me to achieve this is to spend more time with them.

So I will teach them how to cook

…and this blog will hold me accountable.

Just you wait! I have some super amazing ideas in store, and you’re gonna want to follow along as I navigate these treacherous waters teaching toddlers to teens how to take the kitchen by the blender and whip up some handy life-skills.

So tell me! What are your goals as a mom?

What do you do to feel accomplished in your parenting? In what ways would teaching your children how to cook contribute to those goals and make your life easier (or harder)?