Peace and Love in the Kitchen

For the novice, cooking can be intimidating.  Like most other things in life, you learn by doing.  Mistakes happen; don’t let them faze you.  You will catch on.
The more you do it, the better you become.

STRATEGIES:
Mise En Place – this is the French term for having everything ready to go
before you begin cooking
Keep It Simple – Make things easy for yourself on busy weeknights. Cook a protein and then steam some vegetables in the microwave.  Take advantage of no-cook or quick-cook grains (e.g.,  French bread, quinoa, couscous).
Clean Up As You Go -
·   Place a big bowl for discarding trash such as onion peels and empty cans at your work station for easy access.  When you are done, it is only one trip to the trash can.
·   Before you cook, fill a sink full of hot, soapy water and place dirty pots, pans, utensils, etc. directly into it after you use them.
·   Put things back in the pantry and perishables back into the refrigerator
immediately after using them.
·   Assign cleanup chores to family members.  When everyone does her part, the job gets done faster and everyone feels good about it.

CHILD CHEFS:
There are many ways to get children involved in making dinner.  They will be enthusiastic cooks, helpers, and eaters if you give them the opportunity.

Note:  Before you let a child help in the kitchen, be sure you establish safety rules.
For example:  never cook without an adult;
knife safety, washing hands before and after handling food.

1.      Collecting Ingredients – Ask children to collect 1 or 2 easy-to-find ingredients.  Ask readers to call out the ingredients as well as the directions
2.      Washing – Pull a stool up to the sink and teach children how to
wash fruits and vegetables
3.      Peeling – Show children how to peel the outer skin from onions and garlic.  Teach older children how to use a vegetable peeler.
4.      Measuring – Teach children about measuring spoons and cups.
This is great for math skills.
5.      Tossing – Most children will be delighted to toss the cooked noodles with sauce or olive oil or the salad with dressing.
6.      Sauteing– Children (10 and above) can learn how to stir/saute vegetables or meat but always supervise children when they are near a flame or hot stove.
7.      Chopping – Teach older children (10 and up) how to chop fruits and vegetables, but stand nearby to supervise