Everyone can cook...?

[LPBeier]

Originally Posted by Fisher's Mom

Amen!!!! Sadly, so many things like home ec, shop, music, art and even PE have been discontinued in school. I know that even when I was in school, there was no home ec or shop at the school I went to. It would have helped a lot if I had even had one semester of home ec.

I totally agree with you Fisher's Mom and with Pancho. School systems seem to be cutting back on anything relating to "real life". Our school district just decided to remove all junk food vending machines from high schools so that the students will eat better. That is good in theory; however, the revenues from those machines went into field trips, sports and other extracarricular activities which are now in jeopardy. I didn't get much out of home ec because I learned about cooking and sewing from my Mom starting at 8 years old! But many of my friends had working mothers or ones that weren't into those things. And I think that is even more prevelant today. Same with Auto tech and shop as well. LIFESKILLS!!!!!!

[LPBeier]

Originally Posted by Fisher's Mom

You deserve a huge pat on the back for this! Anytime a person takes the time and makes the effort to teach another, you change their lives!!!

Thanks, but I think my "daughter" is the one who deserves the pat for not falling in her (real) Mom's footsteps!

[DaveSoMD]

One of me best friends swore she could not cook and could no "use that bottom thing" (the oven). She could use the outdoor grill, but not the stove or oven. She always loved to come to dinner and loved my cooking. So I offered to teach here. Simple as that. I asked her what she wanted to learn to make first so she would make somenthing SHE wanted. She picked apple pie, so she could make it for here husband. I found a very basic pie and used a refrigerated crust. We made 2. I made one and she made one, step-by-step together. Success! And as we were baking I learned a few things that were her basic problems. She never preheated the oven, just turned it on and put the food in and she always left the rack at the lowest setting. We had a few other lessons, burgers, chicken, other basic things. She learned not to use the hightest setting on the burners, except to boil water, how to preheeat a pan other basics. No she calls me when she tries a new recipe or has a success.

Now we get together every year to bake dozens and dozens of christmas cookies over tow days (the record was 12 different types of cookies that made about 5 dozen each) and split the results!

[Fisher's Mom]

Originally Posted by DaveSoMD

One of me best friends swore she could not cook and could no "use that bottom thing" (the oven). She could use the outdoor grill, but not the stove or oven. She always loved to come to dinner and loved my cooking. So I offered to teach here. Simple as that. I asked her what she wanted to learn to make first so she would make somenthing SHE wanted. She picked apple pie, so she could make it for here husband. I found a very basic pie and used a refrigerated crust. We made 2. I made one and she made one, step-by-step together. Success! And as we were baking I learned a few things that were her basic problems. She never preheated the oven, just turned it on and put the food in and she always left the rack at the lowest setting. We had a few other lessons, burgers, chicken, other basic things. She learned not to use the hightest setting on the burners, except to boil water, how to preheeat a pan other basics. No she calls me when she tries a new recipe or has a success.

Now we get together every year to bake dozens and dozens of christmas cookies over tow days (the record was 12 different types of cookies that made about 5 dozen each) and split the results!

Kudos to you for this, Dave! That's what my neighbor and my friends here did for me - taught me the basics that make the difference in a successful dish or one that goes in the trash. You're a gem and I'm very glad you found DC!

[suziquzie]

I wish i could find someone that would care enough to let me help em!
Everyone I know thinks i go to too much trouble to cook.... make too much work for myself. I CANNOT convince them that I love love love it, and it is not work to me. It's fun! I know they know i think its fun but i cant tell them in any way shape or form it is NOT work to me!!
The dishes on the other hand......

[LPBeier]

Originally Posted by suziquzie

I wish i could find someone that would care enough to let me help em!
Everyone I know thinks i go to too much trouble to cook.... make too much work for myself. I CANNOT convince them that I love love love it, and it is not work to me. It's fun! I know they know i think its fun but i cant tell them in any way shape or form it is NOT work to me!!
The dishes on the other hand......

Suzi I totally understand what you are saying. Before I took my culinary course and was cooking for our youth events at church people looked at me really strange that I could do this all on my own. I remember my DH and I offered to go cook on a one week trip with 20 young people and the church insisted on sending another couple to "make sure I wasn't in over my head". What the other couple found out was that I really DID love it, really DID find it easy and really DID a good job.

Stop trying to convince them that you love it. Just keep doing what you are doing. Maybe once or twice have some of these people actually come and "help" you. They will see for themselves that it is natural for you.

A lot of times that is just it - if a person isn't comfortable with doing something, it is hard for them to see that someone else would love it enough to "go overboard".

[SixSix210]

When we started doing the videos, my friends and family immediately divided into two camps. The one that thinks I'm nuts for bothering, and the other that has recently begun asking for specific things to be done for the videos. lol. So I feel both sides of this debate. Everyone CAN cook, but not everyone WILL cook.

[LPBeier]

Originally Posted by SixSix210

When we started doing the videos, my friends and family immediately divided into two camps. The one that thinks I'm nuts for bothering, and the other that has recently begun asking for specific things to be done for the videos. lol. So I feel both sides of this debate. Everyone CAN cook, but not everyone WILL cook.

Touché! BTW, what kind of videos, Six?

[PanchoHambre]

Originally Posted by GotGarlic

As someone who is married to a former schoolteacher now in administration, I have to say it's not "the schools" that focus on test scores - it's parents and politicians. They are the ones who demanded and passed the laws mandating practically constant testing - trust me, teachers don't like it. They went into teaching because they like *teaching*.

And school districts are not the ones who cut taxes to the point that many schools can no longer afford to offer "frills" like home ec, music, art and PE. Those subjects don't get tested, so they don't get taught. If your job depended on high test scores, you'd teach to the test, too.

Belive me garlic I know... my family is all teachers. I see my parents frustration first hand.

I had home ec and woodshop in 7th and 8th grade (late 80s) I dont think they offer it anymore. Certainly the HS does not. It is a shame especially since not all kids are college track. Being able to take a standardized test is probably less useful to them than knowing how to roast a chiken of change thier oil.

I currently live in a rather rough urban area. The long notorious HS in my neigborhood was recently re-structed into smaller "theme" based schools one of which is a culinary track. The students have been involved in catering community events and have participated in cultivating a herb garden on one of our many vacant lots. So far it seems to be a sucessful idea. The kids are learning something in addition to basic curriculm that may actually help them gain employment and becoming more engaged in the neighborhood. I am hopful for the success of this program as we have way too many youth here with no life skills and few prospects. if the culinary and othe programs help even a few of them broaden thier world view beyond the hood it will be a good thing.

[LPBeier]

Originally Posted by PanchoHambre

Belive me garlic I know... my family is all teachers. I see my parents frustration first hand.

I had home ec and woodshop in 7th and 8th grade (late 80s) I dont think they offer it anymore. Certainly the HS does not. It is a shame especially since not all kids are college track. Being able to take a standardized test is probably less useful to them than knowing how to roast a chiken of change thier oil.

I currently live in a rather rough urban area. The long notorious HS in my neigborhood was recently re-structed into smaller "theme" based schools one of which is a culinary track. The students have been involved in catering community events and have participated in cultivating a herb garden on one of our many vacant lots. So far it seems to be a sucessful idea. The kids are learning something in addition to basic curriculm that may actually help them gain employment and becoming more engaged in the neighborhood. I am hopful for the success of this program as we have way too many youth here with no life skills and few prospects. if the culinary and othe programs help even a few of them broaden thier world view beyond the hood it will be a good thing.

Thanks for sharing Pancho, we have a few of these types of schools up here in Canada, but way too few. And they are usually for the students who are "not acedemically inclined" so the students feel they are being treated as second class citizens instead of being given a better chance. I shouldn't sound like this is the norm here because it isn't. I just know of a few people who have felt that way and not come through the programs successfully.