Product Review Thursday

  Today is product review day. I was having a hard time coming up with a product to review because I don’t feel we have had sufficient time to use the tools to accurately review. I have a few tools in mind, but would like another week to use them to see how they perform. Instead I thought I’d mention a few items I have found useful so far.
  Measuring cups – There can never be enough! We currently have 3 sets. Seems abundant I know. Remember Top Secret Chocolate Cookies? This recipe called for 2 cups of flour and 2 cups of sugar. There goes 2 of my 3 1-cup measuring cups. There always seems to be one in the dishwasher or one that was used for snacks!
  Measuring spoons – Ditto! There can never be enough. Seems like almost every recipe uses 1 teaspoon of this and 1 teaspoon of that. I have seen people wipe off the measuring spoons and use it again for the next ingredient, but I’m trying to teach my Little Chefs about germs, cleanliness and no double dipping!
  Hot pads – These are a must of course, but those little hands do not fit in the big mitten type. I am working on getting a child size. Don’t worry, there will be a review about that once they arrive and are tested.
  Excitement – Seems like an odd thing to review, but it is absolutely necessary. The more excited I am and the more positive I am the more my Little Chefs enjoy themselves. They are cooking, but this truly is a team effort. I have to be on top of every step guiding them along the way. Its been hard teaching and watching them do things to their abilities (meaning not perfect). They have been wonderful and so far we have had a lot of success. What I really have learned is cooking does not have to be perfect. If a mango is not cut in uniform sizes, if cilantro is not cut small enough the recipe still works out and tastes fine. Sure it probably would taste amazing if it was done properly, but it works, it is filling and we are having fun.
  You do not have to be perfect to cook. Choose to begin. Practice comes with each new recipe you execute. My hope is by the end of the year my Little Chefs will be able to look back to here, where they started and be incredibly proud of themselves, at what they have learned and at what they have accomplished.