I finally decided we were close enough to trash day yesterday .. to go ahead and dump out some old food.  Which, I hate ever doing.  Wasting food.  And throwing food out.

But when you’re living alone part of the time and still have to shop for others to be with you the other part of the time, it somehow seems inevitable.  Which is why, over the years, I’ve taken to eating out more than I should.

In trying to get back to spending less, eating healthier and being home more .. something I want for myself and that the Cowboy is encouraging me to do as well… I’m trying to get back into this cooking thing.

……

I’ve always loved to cook.  Love looking at recipes.  Love having family and friends over for meals.  I have an extensive collection of favorite cookbooks.  But at the moment, in our last move and in severely trying to downsize, I’ve pulled out only a few from the boxes.

The rest, for now .. sit in storage.

I’m not sure when exactly .. I got so far away from that.  But fairly certain it was as I adjusted to a new life, during my divorce.

Six years later …

My daughter is wanting desperately to learn to cook.   So I’m trying to find the time between getting home late each evening during the week when I have her, homework, taking the dogs out, picking up and getting her to bed.  Which doesn’t leave us much time.  To cook.  Anything but buttered noodles (any pasta), rotisserie chicken and a salad.  (Yes, I know I can throw something in the crock pot.  That would require more advance planning and it just never seems to work out that we actually eat what goes in there.  A lot still gets thrown away.)  We eat a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables.  Again, really no cooking involved.  And on weekends between traveling back and forth to South Dakota, visiting family or friends here, it seems someone else is always the one at the stove.

SO… when I’m not looking:

(Sorry for the close-up.)

She ‘cooks.’

Grapes.  Bananas.  Swedish Fish.  Apples.  Some sort of sugary sauce.  Pretty sure that’s what I ended up throwing out yesterday after it sat in the refrigerator for a couple days.  (No garbage disposal or it would’ve gone out much sooner.)

At 10 years old .. she whips up whatever concoction she can, whenever I turn my back or give her a few minutes alone now, while I run errands or walk the dogs.

No stove though.  One of the rules.

So she gets creative.

And she loves it.  She will also usually try and stomach eating whatever it is she’s ‘cooked’ just to prove a point.  That she’s ready to learn.

……

In writing this – I’ve learned its not only a rite of passage by doing a little research, it’s healthy in so many ways for a child to learn to cook.  Especially now that she’s learning fractions in math, cooking might be a great way to give her practical application.  Hadn’t thought about that until this moment.  And perhaps I should have done more to bring her into the kitchen years ago.

From eHow Family:

What Children Learn from Cooking

Teaching children to cook is not only a valuable life skill, but it incorporates other important skills as well. When children cook, they have a chance to practice math skills, work on following directions, learn to work with an adult and get a sense of accomplishment. Children as young as 3 can begin learning to cook.

1. Skills for Younger Cooks (under 5)

   • Children can learn to cook, or help out in the kitchen as young as 3. While the pint-sized chefs are not ready to cut foods with a knife, or use a stove, they most certainly can help gather the items needed for a meal. This will teach them what is in the food they eat. Be sure to take the time to discuss the food groups with them as well.

   Reading Aged Children (5-7)

   • These school aged cooks can help out a great deal. They can learn to read a recipe and measure ingredients. These children can use basic math skills, and will garner a sense of pride when the meal is complete.

   School Aged (7 and up)

   • These budding chefs can follow recipes, measure ingredients, cook on a stove top and oven. If you show these children proper knife technique, they may even be able to cut some foods. Some of these children may be able to cook from a recipe with minimal assistance from an adult (especially with the older kids and if they’ve had some practice following recipes before).

   Significance

   • Children who have fun cooking with adults learn healthy eating tips, are doing something active (instead of watching television) and spending quality time with the family. These kids will have a sense of pride when the family sits down to eat the food they created.

   Fun Fact

   • Children who learn to cook will be less likely to abuse drugs. These kids also are less likely to be obese when they are adults, since cooking encourages healthy eating.

   Warning

   • While teaching children to cook is rewarding for both the parent and child, it is necessary to have plenty of patience with the young chef. Having a positive experience in the kitchen is very important for the children.

     Also, be certain to teach the children proper kitchen safety especially around hot stoves and sharp knives.

     One more link from eHow Family:

     http://www.ehow.com/about_6669390_importance-cooking-children.html

     

I waffle back and forth between wanting to fuss at her for wasting so much food (and money in the process) that would have been part of her school lunch or our dinner.  And, allowing her the space to be creative.  To cook. And I know it’s in her best interest to teach her.

So while I look for the time, I send her to look for the dish soap.  Because if she’s going to learn to cook ..