How I started

A few years ago, when my son was about 6 or so I decided that I should teach him to cook. He was diagnosed with ADHD when he was 4 and the medicines he took suppressed his appetite until 8pm at night. He was very underweight for his age and he really needed to get as many calories as possible. Making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches became a regular habit. My husband took a job which required more travel, so I was often home alone with 2 kids. Trying to make sandwiches for my son conflicted with putting my daughter to sleep. If he needed a second sandwich, I was often too busy to make it. So I decided it was time he learned how to make a simple PB&J. My son was thrilled to have new cooking skills. He liked the independence it gave him, and I liked seeing him taking up the responsibility of making his own snack. This led me to think up a strategy to teach him to start making meals and snacks for himself. I started thinking up meals and snacks which my son could make for himself. The first "cooking" I started my son doing was to learn how to use the toaster. This meant buying things I normally saved for rare occasions such as pop-tarts and frozen waffles. Kit took his new skills and started thinking up new things to make, and soon was having toast for a bedtime snack. After about six months or so, we moved on to the microwave. I had to wait for him to get taller because our microwave was under a cabinet. I was also afraid that he might burn himself. Kit has a lot of anxiety, so as far as safety he goes, he's always overly cautious. He learned how to make popcorn, and that became a favorite snack for both my kids. Kit has taken his role as big brother very serious, and he loved being able to provide snacks for himself and his sister. He soon grew to love cooking. Kit is now 11, nearly 12, and his cooking skills have grown quite a bit. We moved to brownies in the oven, cakes, and using the stovetop. I've also taught him to use knives, food processors, mixers, and all the various tools I have in the kitchen. Each step was taken deliberately and carefully. He is a great helper in the kitchen and he loves making food and treats. This blog is going to be about the trials and successes and recipes that we experience in the kitchen.