I sit here at the computer while my 17 year old makes homemade chicken noodle soup from scratch without a recipe.  Life is good.

I did not really start cooking until she was about 8 and I realized that if I continued that way we were going, she would only know how to warm stuff up.  She would not really know how to cook, with recipes or without, because I mostly just put stuff together that needed to be warmed up.  So I started watching foodnetwork and realized that I loved to cook.  When Devin was 10, I made her responsible for one meal a week.  She could take the easy route of prepared food like canned soup every once and awhile, but I let her know I wanted her to learn to cook.  I got a couple of cookbooks specific for children and off she went.  She made pad thai as one of her first attempts.  From there she took off and I am so proud that she makes stuff up, cooks without a recipe and trusts her ability to combine ingredients.  She makes all kinds of meals now and rarely follows a recipe.

She is really great at asian sauces.  Over time, we have tried all kinds of recipes that we find in magazines, cookbooks or from watching America’s Test Kitchen.  I am working on a cookbook complete with photos of the preparation and final dish so I can print and bind it as a reminder of our favorite “family” recipes.

it just does not take that much effort to build family traditions, empower your kids to be self-sufficient while building their confidence.  A little thought, a little planning, a little creativity…..I cannot say how much I have enjoyed cooking for and with her these past 9 years.  I am proud and thrilled to know that she will grow up to be a skilled, creative and accomplished cook.