Overcoming Challenges in Cooking

I've been cooking since I could do long division, and still there is an abundance of knowledge I lack concerning the world of culinary. And just like any eager chef, there are signature dishes I have tried over and over (and OVER) again to master, with no true success. Take the ever-so-popular dish, fried chicken, for example. As much as I love a piece of juicy, tender, well-seasoned bird with that perfectly crisp skin, recreating the dish to my dinner guests and my liking has, in the past, proved challenging.

My advice to my fellow cooks concerning challenges you may face in the kitchen is this: don't be dismayed! No matter how great a chef you may be, I can guarantee that you've made mistakes, and are constantly trying to improve dishes that you thought were just mediocre. Be open-minded. If you cannot seem to master that skill, try and find a way around it. I can pan fry chicken, but it never comes out pretty. The color is uneven, or it didn't cook long enough, etc. This repeated attempt at something I thought should be so simple was initially discouraging... UNTIL I was introduced to the deep fryer.

I admit that I have gotten away from cooking so many fried foods, so there isn't much else I use it for other than chicken (some quick French fries, or empanadas, but that's about it). But BAAAABBBBYYY!, the deep fried chicken! Once I have seasoned and breaded the chicken, all I have to do is drop the pieces into the fryer basket, lower it into the hot grease, and wait. My son's paternal grandmother gave me this tip I still use today. She said, "listen to the chicken cooking. When you first drop it in, the frying noise will be fast. As the chicken approaches doneness, the frying noise will slow down considerably. The chicken is done when you barely hear the frying noise, and the pieces are floating on top of the grease. It's that simple. VOILA! Beautiful, evenly colored, crispy-on-the-outside, tender and juicy on the inside, delicious chicken for your dining pleasure!

Beautiful chicken, fried with ease in the deep fryer.

So, you see, my fellow cooks, where there is a will, there is a way! I will continue to try and perfect my pan frying, but until I get it down to a science, my handy deep fryer will be there to save the day!

What's a challenge you have encountered in the kitchen? How were you able to overcome it? Please share!

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Getting Your Kids to Eat Vegetables

It is very common for children to have aversions to certain vegetables.

In my blended family, there are seven children. Three of them LOVE vegetables and will clear any plate I put in front of them, no matter what's on it. Three of my kids are picky beyond belief. They will eat certain vegetables, and are deathly afraid to try others. Then, there's one (the oldest) who is totally against eating any type of green anything! Despite the diverse taste buds my little ones seem to have, I still do my best to make sure they eat meals that are as nutritious as possible. Sometimes, I have to get really creative, but here are some ways you can get your munchkins to pack in the good (green) stuff:

1. Sneaking veggies in things they love
I put onions in almost EVERYTHING I cook. If you dice them up small enough, once they cook, they are practically invisible. I do the same with green peppers as well if I feel its appropriate for the dish. In spaghetti sauce, I blend up carrots and add it to the sauce, in addition to the finely chopped onions and green peppers.
In my go-to rice (more about that later!☺), I use cilantro, oregano, finely diced onion and minced garlic. ALL of the kids absolutely love the rice, and even the pickiest ones request second helpings. They don't have a clue that hidden between those wholesome grains of rice is at least one whole serving of vegetables. And as long as I keep my dirty little mom secret from them, they'll never know!

2. Condiments
Okay, so the thought of putting ketchup on top of my green beans is not in the least bit appealing to me, but some kids love it. And to that, my philosophy is to go with what works. Ranch or thousand island salad dressing, barbecue sauce, and honey mustard are all options for condiments that can be added on top of vegetables to make them more desirable for young mouths to eat. If you've been facing the challenge of getting your child to eat any veggies, try this trick next time, and see if it works for you.

3. Encouraging Open-mindedness
It is not uncommon for a child to have an aversion to vegetables. All the sources tell you that when starting your infant child on solid food, always give them vegetables first so they won't form a preference to the sweeter foods. Listen. With my first child, I did everything by the book. I gave him vegetables first, and he is still one of the pickiest of my children to this day. It is important to first recognize that it is probably not your fault. It is very normal for a child to prefer other things (french fries, chips, et al the junk food in the world). But it is imperative that we as parents, continue to encourage our children to eat vegetables. If your child tries a vegetable and doesn't like it, and none of my other suggestions work, wait a while and reintroduce it to him/her. Our taste buds do change, and something your child found disgusting at age 3 could very well end up being their favorite food. Whenever I cook, when its time to make plates, even if I am serving something I know one of the children doesn't prefer, I will always put at least a tablespoon full of it on their plate. I ask them to just try it, and if they don't like it, they don't have to eat it. Using this method has been successful on a few occasions, enough that it was certainly worth sharing.

In closing, it is our responsibility as parents to ensure our kids are getting the proper nutrients they need to flourish and grow. There is no black and white in parenting, and this is ever so true when it comes to meal time. Don't get discouraged if your child doesn't like vegetables. Try some of my suggestions, and if nothing works, just give it time, and be persistent.

Have you had to face any challenges getting your kids to eat vegetables? If so, tell us about it! What are some things you tried that worked or didn't work for you?

(Sorta) Clean Eating and Cooking

Flash cooking methods, such as sauteeing, can help to preserve the nutrients in fresh vegetables when cooking.

With all the craze about diets and healthy lifestyle changes, clean eating is at the forefront of ways one can change their eating styles to be healthier consumers of food. Its not very difficult either. Well, some of you may be asking, "what the heck is it?" Fitness Magazine defines clean eating as "eating whole foods, or 'real' foods — those that are un- or minimally processed, refined, and handled, making them as close to their natural form as possible." Some examples of unprocessed foods include fresh fruits and vegetables, dried beans, nuts and farm-fresh eggs. Minimally processed foods such as whole wheat bread and pasta, popcorn, brown rice, oils, and frozen fruits and vegetables are also considered versions of clean eating. The more unprocessed, the better the food is for our bodies.

One way to shop for a cleaner variety of food is to shop the perimeter of the supermarket. Oftentimes, we find the majority of items on the inside shelves are boxed or canned items. As a general rule of thumb, if its in a box, jar, or can, more than likely, it's a processed food. Food companies put additives in food so that they will have a longer shelf life. The drawback of this is that those additives are not always good for our bodies. 

By attempting to shop, cook and eat cleaner, we are undoubtedly giving our bodies healthier cuisine choices and hopefully adding a little more longevity to our lives. No unrealistic expectations over here, though. Ever since learning about clean eating, I have dedicated myself to being more conscious of food choices when shopping for my family. I buy as much fresh produce as I can, but I have to admit, it's a challenge because if you don't use the fresh produce within 1-2 days, it starts to go bad. A happy medium for me is frozen. I can buy almost everything I would buy fresh in the frozen variety (except cabbage, but I'm interested in seeing if I can freeze it from fresh to make it last longer). Buying frozen increases the lifetime of your produce drastically. For busy moms like me, this may be your best option. You have to experiment and see what works best for you and your family.

In closing, clean eating is not just some fitness fad or new diet for you to try. It is an awareness of the things we put into our bodies, and a genuine attempt to make better choices about those things. Have you had any experiences with clean eating? Feel free to share!