Cooking 101

My boys love to eat. They have absolutely no problem mowing down on whatever is cooked for them each day. Well, except for mushrooms... They both HATE mushrooms and I'm not gonna fight them on that because I LOVE mushrooms and that just means more for me! :)

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However, neither one of them has had a whole lotta time spent in the kitchen actually preparing any meals. Don't get me wrong, they have mastered the toaster, can operate the microwave with flair, and Nick can whip up a mean batch of top ramen from time to time. But if you asked them to saute a veggie or bake a cake I think you would not be pleased with the outcome. So starting last month, we've decided to have each kid cook one dinner per month. From start to finish... This includes choosing a new recipe that appeals to them, making sure we have all of the ingredients, preparing the meal and sharing it with the entire family.

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Nick went first a couple of weeks ago. He chose to make pasta in Alfredo sauce, crescent rolls, and green beans. Now since I rarely make homemade Alfredo sauce I thought it was only fair to let him use the jarred type too. Besides it was his first meal and I thought we should stick to something rather easy. .

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He quickly learned that timing is one of the hardest parts to making a meal come together. But he did an awesome job. Everything was ready at the same time and cooked to perfection! I was in the family room in case he had any questions but told him that my rear was going to stay planted on the couch. I wanted him to do EVERYTHING and by doing so I think he was even more proud of the outcome.

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So meal number one was a success! Nolan is up for his cooking day in just a week or two. He says he already knows what he's going to make. I'm liking this little cooking experiment/lesson so far. I think it's important for everyone to know how to cook. Their future wives will thank me and I have to admit I'm liking the fact that I get a night off from cooking! :)