Friday, June 18, 2010

I Have Nothing Against Chickens

I'm thinking about doing a "Cooking Camp" with my kids this summer. Spending the whole week working with them in the kitchen, teaching. I want Todd to be in on this as well, since he's the one who taught me how to cook.

I was wondering if any of you had any helpful hints, tips, recipes to share. I am open to any suggestions, including comments like, "Are you crazy?" (just kidding!)

I have to get over my fear of eggs. My kids have never cracked an egg, except for the one time Chad attempted to make French toast. He was about 8 or so. I had the crazy idea that making French toast would be an easy thing to start with. I let him crack the first egg. Somehow it exploded and egg was on the counter, Chad and the floor. Since I was also the mother of a 5 year old and toddler, I did not exactly have the patience to deal with the mess so I ended up making him feel badly about it (I didn't mean to). Since then, he has avoided cracking eggs. And I have not asked anyone else to do so. I didn't really mean to follow down this path, it has just seemed easier. But I feel I'm doing my kids a disservice by not letting them learn this simple task. And the careful handwashing required afterward! (Remember, I'm queen of handwashing!) So, at the risk of sounding more paranoid, let's just say I am considering egg-cracking to be a required lesson during our Cooking Camp. Again, if you have any advice, I'd appreciate it.

But did you know, there are lots of recipes that don't require any eggs? Believe me, I'm nearly an expert on this topic, so if you want a terrific applesauce cake recipe (sans eggs), just ask. (Pathetic, pathetic!)

2 comments:

jugglingpaynes said...

A good sense of humor is best for teaching cooking. And a Fannie Farmer Junior cookbook. ;o)

Cracking eggs takes practice. Tap them on the counter instead of against the edge of a pan. Teach them to hold it gently and only tap it until a crack appears. Then carefully pry it apart over your bowl or pan. Keep some salt on hand for accidents. Sprinkling it over the raw egg helps firm up the whites to make cleaning up easier.

And I know (believe me I know) how hard it is to be patient when you are dealing with potential mess, but if you go in assuming there will be clean-up and assign each a clean up task, you will all be fine. ;o)

Most important: Have fun!

Peace and Laughter,
Cristina

Mama Self said...

Let each one picktheir absolute favorite dish to learn to cook. They'll pay extra attention and enjoy the pay-off. You'll just have to make sure you use an egg recipe that requires at least three eggs as well - one for each. Working with eggs is a must, but having fun while doing it will put everyone at ease. It sounds like a GREAT week.