Family Cooking Tips

Archive for April, 2008

Cooking with kids

Cooking is a very important part of family life. Many people choose to cook good, wholesome foods that are both nutritious and healthy for their family. However, what many people fail to realize is that between working all day, and coming home to cook, clean and do laundry, children often get lost in the shuffle. Children often have things they want to share with you and it is important that you make time for them.

Teaching your kids the value of a home cooked meal is a tradition that is past down from generation to generation.

Wouldn?t it be great to teach your kids what your mother taught you and her mother taught her? You can pass down recipes and traditions from your ancestors.

Cooking with is a great way to spend quality time with your kids. You can really bond with them as you cook.

There is however certain guideline that you should follow to ensure their safety in the kitchen.

Set the rules ? it is important that you set rules for your kitchen, and it is equally important that you enforce them. Children will test their limits, and do so has no place in a kitchen.

Knives ? never let your children use a knife unsupervised. It can be dangerous and lead to serious injuries.

Dangers ? there are always dangers in the kitchen, and the stove is one of the biggest. Do not let your children near the stove when it is turn on, even if it is to stir the pot. It is equally important that you turn all of the pot handles in so that little hands cannot grab them and so that they do not get caught on your sleeve.

Measure ingredients ? if you are cooking with little ones, pre-measure the ingredients so they can add it to the bowl. When you do this, they will feel like they have made the dish and their pride will shine through.

Cooking with kids does not only share traditions with them, it also assist them in developing skills that you would not ordinarily think of. Take for instance measuring, it seems pretty straight forward, however, when the recipe needs to be doubled, you are teaching them math. There are so many different benefits to cooking with your kids.

Setting up your video camera while cooking with your kids will create memories that will last a lifetime.

When all is said and done, at the end of a long day, everyone needs some time to relax and to unwind. Your children are the same, only they need your attention. When you bring them into the kitchen, you are not only creating quality time, you are teaching them skills that will last a lifetime, something that they can pass on to their children.

Cooking Tips

For some people, cooking is a relaxing and enjoyable experience. However, when you are cooking it is important that you pay attention to what you are cooking, distractions can lead to ruined food and can even cause injures. It is important that you set up rules for your kitchen and enforce them. Your family?s safety may depend on it.

When you are preparing to cook, it is important that you have all of the ingredients, gadgets, and tools that you will need right at your fingertips. If you have to stop and find something, you may end up with a dinner that no one wants to eat.

There are a lot of little tips that can assist you in the kitchen and make the cooking experience even more enjoyable.

Equip you kitchen ? it is important that you have many different size spoons in your kitchen, both wooden and metal. Stirring a pot of pasta with a metal spoon is fine, however if you are making a delicate sauce, you will need a wooden spoon to stir with.

Food temperature ? it is important to bring your ingredients to room temperature before using them. Foods blend together better when they are the same temperature.

Maintenance ? it is important that you keep all of your appliances in good working condition. This will assist you in easy food preparation and will reduce the risk of accidents.
Caution ? it is important that you use caution when you are cooking. Do not allow yourself to be distracted, especially if you are cooking with hot oil or frying on the stovetop.

Tidiness ? cleaning up after each step of the cooking process not only gives you more time to spend with family and friends, it also reduces the chance of cross contamination.
It is critically important that you do not use utensils that have come in contact with raw meat for any other preparation. Cross contamination is one of the biggest causes of food poisoning in the world.

Use the right tools ? using the right tools for the job is by far the most important safety factor in cooking today. If you are slicing bread, use a bread knife, and if you are carving meat, use a carving knife. Do not confuse the two; it can lead to serious injury. It is important that you familiarize yourself with all of the utensils that you will have in your kitchen.

By following the rules of safety, you are ensuring that your cooking experience will not only be safe, you will find that it will also be a rewarding one.

Chocolate chip cookies

2 cups of flour
1/2 cup of butter
1/2 cup of shortening
1 cup of brown sugar
1 cup of white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 package of chocolate chips

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Beat the butter, shortening, and sugars together until creamy. Incorporate eggs. Combine the dry ingredients and chocolate chips. Place by teaspoons on lightly greased cookie sheets and bake at 350 for 8 mins or until golden brown.

Chili

1-pound bag of dried beans
1 pound of steak tips
2 large onions thinly sliced
3 large clove of garlic chopped
4 cans of tomatoes
3 habanaro peppers (These are the hottest peppers in the world. use rubber gloves when handling them and avoid touching you face and eyes.)

Soak the beans in cold water for 12 hours. Sautee the onions and garlic in olive oil until softened. Cut steak tips in small pieces and add to the onions and garlic.

Put all of the ingredients into a large saucepot and simmer for 4 hours or until the bean have softened.