It started as soon as my sons could toddle. If I went into the kitchen, they followed. Navigating the triangle became increasingly difficult as they got older and would get under my feet more often.
Cries of “I help!” led to one or both boys sitting on my counter top and dumping ingredients into a mixing bowl. Chocolate chips, flour, sugar, oil, oats, whatever I could trust to not go flying across the room. Or at least would clean up easily enough if it did.
The obvious progression – the boys soon began asking for particular meals they loved. Sometimes in advance, but often not.
And now here we are. The dreaded teenage years. AKA: The Hungry Years. Sure enough, my two boys got the memo informing that they need to eat 24 hours a day and grow more than one inch a month. What’s a mom to do?
Turn cooking over to them, of course.
Sure, I could spend my entire life chained in the kitchen making hot pockets, pizza rolls, cakes, fruit platters, cereal bars, waffles, pizzas, grilled cheese, tuna melts, egg salad, pot roasts, meatloaf, chicken wings, and anything else that might strike their fancy.
But, why?
They need to know how to eat for when they leave my nest. And by eat I don’t mean warming up Campbell’s in that warped plastic bowl. You know the one.
Imagine my surprise when my youngest took my idea and ran with it! He’s become quite the chef. He knows more about cooking than I ever knew. He lives for Rachel Ray. He’s taught me the glory that is EVOO. Apparently cooking spray is sub par – who knew?
Recently, he talked me into purchasing a garlic press. The meal we made two nights ago needed garlic and I hear of whoop of joy as I’m reading out the list of ingredients.
“Garlic? We can use our new garlic press!”
He’s sort of taken over my kitchen. If by “sort of” you read “shoves me out-of-the-way and does it all himself while muttering how he can’t understand why his mother doesn’t know the difference between dicing and mincing.” (Really, it’s just cutting, right?)
His latest request? A manual food processor. Next thing I know he’s going to be asking for a Kitchenaid mixer! (Because I don’t want it. Not at all!)
Here’s my pampered chef – Chef Joram. I’m crazy proud of him.
He's a pampered chef already - even wears his microfiber towel like Emeril!
–Lady O
Lady Ozma's Journey 
That is so awesome! I can only hope one day that my boys will eat with abandon and enjoy being in the kitchen! I hear the sound of a KitchenAid being purchased. =)
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I love him. He’s 12 and he’s been really into cooking for a couple of years. The bad thing is most of the classes are so below his level because I’ve given him full run. He’s made everything from fondu to al forzo. He is a whiz! And yeah, we might end up with a KitchenAid some day. If not for us, at least one for him!
On the bright note, I figure that at college and on his mission he won’t have to do the yucky bathroom. Once his roomies find out he’s a chef, they’ll be like “WOOT!”
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Back in the late 90’s when all our big kids still lived at home, I designated Saturday night as THEIR cooking night. Each one had one weekend per month where they cooked and cleaned up for the family. I think it’s WONDERFUL for mom and also GREAT practice for them. Because you’re right: the day is fast approaching when they will need this skill!! Good for you, mom, and good for you, Joram!!! Woot, woot!!
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See you are a good mom. I left for college knowing how to make spaghettios, campbells, Kraft mac & Cheese, and raman noodles. You know, outside of sandwiches. 🙂 Marrying a crazy picky eater, hasn’t helped me learn a lot, either.
And like I told MiMi – I figure it’ll save him at college/mission. He’ll be voted cook and they’ll do the toilets! I’d much rather be in the kitchen than cleaning a toilet! Especially in a boy bathroom! *SHUDDER*
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My older kids get more into cooking all the time. They make dinner at least once a week (each) and cookies and brownies all the time. Almost as though their mother is a bit incompetent in the kitchen.
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That’s exactly how Joram is. Of course, compared to him, I am! I’ve always been far more into baking than cooking. Might be from the fact that baking means I almost always win and cooking means I almost always lose due to the picky eater factor. 🙂
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