About the Author

The Kids Love to Cook blog journey commences for me.

I thought that I'd commence the trip by telling you a little of my journey and how I have got to this point of starting a kids cooking school. This will be a long post this time, but a good way to start.

My earliest memories are of my Mum cooking in the kitchen on hot summer Sydney afternoons, sweltering as the sun beat directly into her kitchen.  She has always hated summer, and it is hardly surprising, having to work in the tiny sweat shop of a kitchen in Winmalee for four children (you've got bottomless pits - she'd say).

It was the 1970's, and with a little wad of small people to feed and one income, everything was home made.  There was always biscuits, slices, scones, bread, baked dinners, soups, relishes, jams and sauces, along with the standard Aussie fare of lamb chops, thick sausages, baked chicken dinners, chicken drumsticks, tuna mornay, casseroles and MASH!  Did any meal not contain mashed potatoes???  I must have peeled that many potatoes as a kid, that I rarely look at a potato now, and if I do cook one, it will only have the bare minimum done to it.  Cut into pieces, and baked - skin and all. 

Along with the busy kitchen, was an equally busy vegetable garden and fruit trees.  Even in her 70's, Mum has an active vegie garden, and food is picked fresh, then eaten. 

Although the concept of having fruit trees sounds romantic, there's a little more work with them than just "doing an Eve" and picking lush fruit from the trees.  The Fowlers Vacola bottling routine is a lot of work.  For every joyous bite of a canned apricot with home made custard - a dessert regularly eaten as I grew up, there was many wasted hours of summer holiday time spent peeling, deseeding, skinning, those damned apricots!!!  believe me - anything can be bottled. 

A story that I recall, was going to Flemington Farmers markets and buying a 20kg bag of carrots for $1.  That's a big saving, but a lot of carrots.  We had to peel them, cut them up, blanch them, then get them ready to freeze.  The four of us hated those carrots by the end of the day.  It wasn't a blessed family together moment.  It was a painful, drawn out experience, all in the aid of saving a few dollars.  I always wondered whether we were that hard up that we needed to do this, but I sure as heck wasn't asking my Mum that by the end of that day!!!!

Fast forward several decades and I also have 4 children, but quite a different lifestyle.  I have a vegetable garden, but I had better weed it before my Mum comes over next! 

My husband gave me a fig tree when we bought this house as a gift, as I had always wanted one. 

My daughter Georgia loves to cook.  In fact, she's a bit of a commandant in the kitchen.  She likes to be there on her own, without any interruptions from any one else.  She is my calm child, but interrupt her whilst cooking (such as getting a drink from the kitchen) and she becomes a scary woman!!! 

We moved from the Hills district to the south west about 3 years ago, and as I was looking for cooking classes for her, I discovered that there were only holiday classes, or we would have to travel to the Sutherland shire.

I realised that there would be stacks of children who would love to be given a hands on, practical environment, which they could learn about using a knife, stove skills, and get an exposure to a wider variety of food options.

I have a saying that whenever I make a major life decision - the ducks always line up in a row.  Meaning, factors outside my control, fall into place at the right time.  This was a case in point.  After I discussed with the girls my idea, the next day, Georgia came home from school saying that her teacher floated the idea of having a cooking session in her class.  I speedily wrote and email to her teacher, offering my cooking class option, and soon had 30 kids cooking every Thursday afternoon.

We then hired a local school hall, and offered the option to the local school students.  I had hoped that we might get 12 kids.  We had 30 inquiries and 24 booked in.  I was thrilled, and we went from there.

So the story goes.  I am quite excited at the prospect of incorporating 2 of my passions - cooking and working with kids. Is it work? - hardly!!