1) How to teach a kid to make a salad; 2) why building a village is hard; 3) the year in fat joy + two more recommended reads; and 4) your Cute Kid Video of the Week.
So many things are best taught by aunties and grandparents--like using a sharp knife or building a fire or sewing. Driving for the big children! People who don't have to ration their patience so there's something left over for bath and bedtime for the rest of the week.
And I appreciate the counterpoint to the village article. It's true. A lot of the time the village is less welcoming of families than families aren't welcoming the village.
I love this insight -- that Aunties have the bandwidth and capacity for certain tasks that parents and primary caregivers often do not. It feels a little heretical to say, given how much parents do compared to the paltry amount that Aunties do, and yet it's true that we don't have to "ration our patience" in the same way, as you so beautifully put it.
Learned by experience! Every time I try to take a shortcut and even just cut herbs with a paring knife I immediately find myself going, "What am I DOING? This isn't working at ALL!" Thank you so much for commenting, Walter!
I have a nearly one year old and have been thinking a lot about the future and how to teach him the skills he needs in life without making it a big deal. This was exactly what I needed. (And we will sharpen our knives before he is at that point!)
Yeah learning to chop veggies is a real unrecognized Rubicon! I actually only learned to cook in about 2019, and until then I was ashamed to try to chop veggies with people who actually knew what they were doing. Now I can chop an onion like a whizz in about 15 seconds, and it turned out it wasn't that hard, but it used to be weirdly intimidating!
I bet if you watched a couple of YouTube tutorials and practiced a bit, you could get good really fast.
Also, I saw people raving about your newsletter in the Evil Witches classifieds last week. This is the nudge I need to go subscribe right now!
Wowwww. I think I am influenced to buy this. I have always wanted a panini press but thought they might be too expensive and also I'd have to figure out where to put it. But THIS!
So many things are best taught by aunties and grandparents--like using a sharp knife or building a fire or sewing. Driving for the big children! People who don't have to ration their patience so there's something left over for bath and bedtime for the rest of the week.
And I appreciate the counterpoint to the village article. It's true. A lot of the time the village is less welcoming of families than families aren't welcoming the village.
I love this insight -- that Aunties have the bandwidth and capacity for certain tasks that parents and primary caregivers often do not. It feels a little heretical to say, given how much parents do compared to the paltry amount that Aunties do, and yet it's true that we don't have to "ration our patience" in the same way, as you so beautifully put it.
The knife wisdom here is brave and spot on for all ages, especially the daring news about the paring knife.
Learned by experience! Every time I try to take a shortcut and even just cut herbs with a paring knife I immediately find myself going, "What am I DOING? This isn't working at ALL!" Thank you so much for commenting, Walter!
I have a nearly one year old and have been thinking a lot about the future and how to teach him the skills he needs in life without making it a big deal. This was exactly what I needed. (And we will sharpen our knives before he is at that point!)
Yay!
oh my god I had to cut an onion once for a cooking demo I took with a friend... I was so bad at it... and I'm 40
Yeah learning to chop veggies is a real unrecognized Rubicon! I actually only learned to cook in about 2019, and until then I was ashamed to try to chop veggies with people who actually knew what they were doing. Now I can chop an onion like a whizz in about 15 seconds, and it turned out it wasn't that hard, but it used to be weirdly intimidating!
I bet if you watched a couple of YouTube tutorials and practiced a bit, you could get good really fast.
Also, I saw people raving about your newsletter in the Evil Witches classifieds last week. This is the nudge I need to go subscribe right now!
EXCELLENT CONTENT!! <3
Actually this is the panini press attachment and it says it fits all standard toasters!!!
https://revcook.com/products/toastie-press?pr_prod_strat=pinned&pr_rec_id=765a26d06&pr_rec_pid=6808572985539&pr_ref_pid=6841586745539&pr_seq=uniform
Wowwww. I think I am influenced to buy this. I have always wanted a panini press but thought they might be too expensive and also I'd have to figure out where to put it. But THIS!
https://revcook.com/products/instaglo-r180-toaster?variant=42165627257027&country=US¤cy=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA34S7BhAtEiwACZzv4WBXbNSFiObQ5MOKhPN1WEtCPmNaTKxmZP9Tjus3Nqvik8RYXi-7dBoCMwYQAvD_BwE