Occupy Your Kitchen with your Family

It's family day on Monday and I can't think of a better way to spend it than together in the kitchen. The dark, dreary days of February are a great time to gather around the counter in the warm & cozy kitchen with the people you love the most. 

Families that cook together experience many benefits. In addition to fostering family togetherness, research shows that it also:

• prevents behaviour problems
• improves academic performance
• builds communication & social skills
• helps to develop lifelong good eating habits
• improves family health

The kitchen is a marvelous classroom where kids of all ages can experience math, physics and chemistry in action. Working together offers a great opportunity for collaborative, cooperative learning in an environment that also fosters the development of vocabulary. The end result is usually a sense of pride and accomplishment but can sometimes offer the even more valuable learning that comes when things don't go as expected!  

Why not use Family Day as a launch pad for a new family tradition of cooking together at least once a week? Your kids can experience all the benefits of more traditional extra-curricular activities and you won't find yourself driving around feeling frazzled and hitting the drive-through. Instead, spend some family time in the kitchen where you can all relax, enjoy each other's company, learn something and enjoy a delicious, home-cooked meal.

We have family size CSA subscriptions available now. Sign up for a "Farmer's Choice Beasty Box" and a "Harvest Box" and you'll be well on your way to Occupying your Kitchen with your family!

Enter our Family Day Contest

Send us a photo (and/or tag us with it on social media) of your family cooking something from the farm and you'll be entered to win an "Occupy Your Kitchen" T-shirt and a gift box valued at $100!

Don't have kids but have some time and skills to share?
Consider volunteering with an organization like Growing Chefs!

Age Appropriate Cooking Skills

Preschool (2-5 years)

• stirring in a bowl
• rinsing & straining fresh fruits & veggies
• pouring liquid ingredients
• spreading on bread
• mashing potatoes & other cooked veggies
• rolling bread or pie dough
• using cookie cutters
• cutting soft fruits & veggies with a dull knife
• measuring liquid & dry ingredients

Young Cook (6-8 years)

• whisking eggs
• frosting cupcakes & icing cookies
• mixing dough & batter
• using can opener, juicer, garlic press
• grating cheese
• peeling fruits & veggies
• mixing & rolling pie dough
• making fresh pasta with a hand-crank pasta machine
• whipping cream with a hand mixer
• using paring or other small knives
• boiling eggs, pasta & veggies
• basic pan frying like eggs & grilled cheese

Preteens (9-12 years)

• trimming & slicing fruits & veggies
• putting food in oven and removing it
• working with timers & thermometers
• baking quick breads & muffins
• kneading dough and letting it rise
• cooking soup
• using specialty appliances such as a panini press & waffle maker
• steaming rice
• roasting veggies
• cooking pancakes on a griddle
• using a food processor, blender & stand mixer
• pan frying burgers, sausages, bacon
• using a chef's knife and other larger knives

Teenagers (13-16)

• Using all kitchen appliances including cleaning
• developing knife skills to efficiently chop, dice & mince
• baking more complicated yeast doughs & pastries
• making risotto
• marinating foods
• pan frying & grilling steaks, chops & other meat
• using slicers & mandolins
• using & cleaning outdoor gas & charcoal grills

To keep learning, join our mailing list for a weekly email including recipes like this, news from the farm, upcoming events, and more: