I'm obviously proud of my kids, like every parent. But one thing I'm particularly proud of is their love of food. Inherited from both my wife and from me - we're both seriously into our food and love cooking and feeding other people.
The children have taken this as normal. They love helping us cook and having people round for food. They really like it when they can cook something with little or no help, something that has been happening more and more.
Our eldest managed to cook a peach and chickpea curry from scratch (a meal that has become a staple in our house) a few weeks back. sorting out all the ingredients, and cooking them herself, the only thing I had to do was turn on our technical induction hob, something I feel like I need help with at times!
Then last night our middle child decided she wanted to do some baking. I told her that she could but would need to write out the recipe into our family cook books first. She chose pineapple upside down cake, a family favourite, she did everything herself, the only thing I did was put it into the oven and take it out again. She even tested the cake to see if it was done by putting a knife in and seeing if it came out clean.
She was so proud when they had a friend round tonight and she could offer him a piece of cake that she had made herself! The other lovely part was that while she did this we were all in the kitchen doing other things and preparing a huge tea for when my wife came back from work, extra large as my parents were coming over as well!
They're finally starting to earn their keep!
Just wondering what I should get her to make me next...
What was the first cake you made by yourself?
I wasn't a baker but spaghetti and meatballs was one of the first meals I made. My mom never measured so I learned but watching and writing down how much of each ingredient. The cake looks delicious.
ReplyDeleteI never measure for savoury dishes, it's amazing how much the kids have picked up just by watching. A few bad habits as well though from me!
DeleteA no fail chocolate sponge from the family recipe book. It was a staple round our house as mum never could make a proper sponge...too heavy handed! (she was a great cook otherwise)
ReplyDeleteviv
That sounds good. Do you have a recipe you could share with us?
Deleteflat chocolate cake
Delete1/2 lb butter
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp cocoa (depends on strength a bit)
1 tsp vanilla
melt butter, add everything else and stir until combined, cook in moderate oven (350-400), ice while warm
I like to make this into small cakes using papers. Otherwise use a lined cake tin and note this will rise but not greatly.
Sounds good! We'll have to try it!
DeletePerhaps your daughter could share her recipe here : )
ReplyDeleteYes! I'll ask her what she thinks!
DeleteCherry cake, and bless my mum, she told me how to stop the cherries sinking, and I won 1st prize in a school competition, of which I was the youngest. I still have the cook book prize, it's falling apart from use.
ReplyDeleteYou can't leave it like that! How do you stop them from sinking? Also haven't had a cherry cake in years - I need this recipe!
DeleteHi Kev,that cake looks lovely. Its good to get them into the kitchen from an early age and naturally. I and my brother were introduced early, but then from the age of 10 I had to earn my pocket money by being in the kitchen with mum, clearing up behind her, as well as making stuff from scratch. Dad insisted and in retrospect it was perhaps one of the greatest gifts they could have given me. I could bake and cook a full three course dinner by the time I was 11. Mum was taken seriously ill during my GCSE years and was in Addenbrookes Hospital for about 8 weeks. Between us as a family we kept things going without any outside intervention. I was making sure my younger brother was sorted out, done his homework and fed as well as seeing to myself as my Dad was going to the hospital straight from work every night and not getting back until late when he would also get a hot meal. I was studying for my Olevels as well. I think teaching them to cook from young sprigs as well teaches them an awful lot of independence and teaches them to think for themselves. A very useful life skill. It should be a core subject on the curriculum at all ages. I was lucky in that the school I went to offered four hours per week Domestic Science for each year until you chose your Olevel options. I still chose it then anyway. A family that pulls and plays together always stays together. Victoria sponge was the first thing I made, and all the different variations you can add to a basic mix. I was always taught that if you did not want cherries to sink in a cake to dust them lightly with flour to cover some of the stickiness up or alternatively halve the cherries as whole cherries can be too "heavy". Keep up the good work with the littlies it is lovely to see. Tricia
ReplyDeleteWow, I dont think I could have done what you did at that age, but think my sister probably could of. She took to cooking much earlier than me and my brother but mum still wouldn't let us leave home until we could cook well. My pocket money was earnt from working on the farm and so I used to hate doing anything in the house, although we still had to!
DeleteI agree it should be a big subject in school. I know it should be down to parents but so many dont have the skill or the time to teach it to their children themselves unfortunately. But I remember my home economics classes being quite useless as all the naughty kids would mess around so much. That could be more to do with the teacher though or the rough class i was in at the time! I do remember making cheese scones though! I don't even like cheese scones! Lol!
I like the tip with the cherries. Something we'll have to try!
Thanks!
Here's another easy staple (we worked out that my Grandmother had made a quarter of a million of these!)
ReplyDeleteSultana buns
1 tbsp golden syrup
1 cup sugar
1/2 lb butter
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup (more or less) sultanas (add last after mixing)
Mixture should be stiff
cook in moderate oven
As an aside.. for best result a tablespoon of syrup means put the spoon in the syrup and pull out whatever sticks to the spoon :) In reality about 3 tablespoons worth. It took us a while to figure out just what Grandma did to get that brown slightly sticky and crispy exterior :)
enjoy
viv
They sound goooooodddddd! I'm going to get the kids to make these!
DeleteSo fantastic that your children are cooking from an early age, it'll set them up for life, especially as they won't learn it in school. I think you've done a wonderful job with them all. The first cake(s) I made by myself were Rock Cakes, taught to me by my mum.
ReplyDeleteWe used to have tock cakes all the time! And I used to make them with my mum as well.
DeleteIt's a shame about schools not teaching it so much now, what skill is more important - remembering when the battle of hastings was or being able to make a cake or cook a curry from scratch? We have lost sight about what the important part of education should be.