Who doesn’t like to eat? I know I do and my family has always used meals to bring everyone together as a bonding/social time. We bonded over the preparation of a meal as well as the eating of a meal. Oh the memories!
In an age where vast amounts of food products are readily available in frozen format and already prepared containers, a person could eat day after d
ay and never have to truly make a meal from scratch (you know … from fresh, whole ingredients like raw vegetables and meat). Remember how our grandmothers made a meal? The recipe was written on an index card or memorized and carried in their head. There would be flour on the counter, white butcher block paper in the trash, and the cutting board filled with diced carrots, onions, and celery. The seasoning cupboard would stay open and she would measure by using a careful eye instead of a tablespoon.
Now don’t get me wrong. I do go to the local grocery store and saunter up to the deli counter on occasion and ask for a container of macaroni and cheese, a rack of ribs, and some coleslaw. Bomb! Dinner is done. But I also have a shelf of cookbooks and family recipes, use the internet, and create from my own mind often. CAN YOUR TWEEN OR TEEN SAY THE SAME THING?
As you know, already prepared food is not as healthy or cost effective as fresh food. Teaching a young person to prepare their own food should be taught when they are still in the single digit age group and build till they can assemble an entire meal. Someday you may want to have Thanksgiving dinner at their house and you will want know the turkey isn’t still frozen in the middle at 5:00 pm.
My challenge this week is to have all teens and tweens follow a recipe (or two) and create some yummy dishes preferably with you. Don’t worry about the mess and start slow with one dish at a time (not the whole meal at once). Allow the time needed to share favorite recipes, review measurements, and show where ingredients are stored in the kitchen. Most of all, have some fun and develop another life skill.
Make the most of your day!