Every now and then, I enlist my two teenagers to make a simple meal, or a side dish. Granted, my son has learning disabilities and my daughter is bipolar, but one would think that between the two of them they could figure out how to read a box of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese and successfully make it without incident. How wrong could I be?
The directions are simple. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add macaroni, cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Strain the noodles. Add 1/2 a stick of margarine, letting it melt with the hot noodles. Add 1/4 cup of milk. Add the powdered cheese packet and stir until the powder is completely mixed in.
Several months ago I enlisted my daughter to make it and she put the water in the pot, then added all the ingredients except the cheese packet. I happened to walk past the stove and see what was in the pot and catch her before she dumped in the cheese packet. I managed to strain the noodles out, start a new pot of water to boil and saved our side dish, but the margarine and milk were wasted.
Thursday night the two of them were trying to fix the mac & cheese. My son kept bringing the box to me and asking what to do next. (It's on the box, isn't it?) He measured out the water, made me double check it was the right amount. Put the pot of water on the stove and then I heard him dump in the macaroni. Umm...so much for reading the directions. I told him to turn the stove off, strain the noodles, hold them in the strainer and start with a fresh pot of water and wait until it boils. Just for good measure I gently reminded him that the rest of the ingredients were for after the noodles were cooked and strained. It turned out just fine and he was quite proud of himself.
It makes me wonder though, when they are on their own what the heck are they going to eat if they can't follow the directions for Kraft Macaroni & Cheese? Ramen noodles get boring after awhile. I'm just sayin'...
Lola's Diner
©2008-2009
LOL I remember making mac n cheese as a teen and realizing as I was eating it something was wrong.
ReplyDeleteI had added the cheese powder without the milk and butter - ick!
I think I added the noodles once without waiting for the water to boil shortly after I was married too. lol
I can relate:-) My teen, for some reason, doesn't follow direction when cooking. She seems to do well in school(Honor Student). But, when is comes to cooking something happens. Maybe it all that instant food syndrome. You know the one, "Come,it's time for dinner".
ReplyDeleteDon't laugh at them or it will backfire!! When I was about 7, I had to bring brownies to school for something and my Mom, being so helpful, says "make them yourself". But I didn't know how. "Read the box" she said. When it said to stir by hand, I did--with my HAND. I didn't know. She laughed and laughed at me, told everyone what I did and it humiliated me. I never baked again and I still hate cooking. So, maybe show them how to do it--they may just be intimidated. Otherwise, you'll be cooking for them forever!
ReplyDeleteProbably a lot of Kraft Easy Mac, Ramen Noodles and take out.
ReplyDeleteOne of my sisters loved to bake and if she didn't have an ingredient, she'd improvise. One of her most creative failures was substituting Kool aid for sugar when she was trying to make brownies and didn't have any sugar. It didn't work.
Hey- I loved your mother in law comment. I read through it before reading who wrote it and I knew it was you. 3rd time is indeed a charm. I wonder what Drew's mother in laws thought of him ... :()
ReplyDeleteI've actually been working with my thirteen year old son, making him learn how to cook at least the basics. I didn't know how to cook when I moved out of my parents house, and I remember how hard it was for me, I don't want him to go through that.
ReplyDeleteas a father of two special needs myself. My kids are 11 and 13. My 13 yr old now can open a can of spagettio's (sp?) and put it in the mircowave. the only issue were still working on with this, is that he sometimes doesnt use microwave bowl....God Grant me the strength
ReplyDeletewhere is your widget, i can put it on my blog.
ReplyDeleteI remember when my daughter would make (or eat) nothing much more than that easy mac stuff. Now she fancies herself some gourmet cook. Her favorite is chicken curry.
ReplyDeleteI have tried to teach my kids how to make mac and cheese but they do the same thing your daughter does. Pour everything in at the start. Iv'e been making this dish for all their lives at least one night a week. You'd think they would have watched just a little. Son insists that the noodles are better if you put them in before the water boils. I've pulled out the bible of cook books, Joy Of Cooking< to show him that he is wrong but he doesn't care. Go figure.
ReplyDeletewell, to be perfectly honest, im not sure how i turned my badge into a code...It took me forever to figure it out, and once i had done it, i was so proud of myself. Now, to remember it is something else. I will go back and figure out how i did it, im sure there is an easy way, but i didnt know it.
ReplyDeletenotice your a melissa ethridge fan, me to...here is a link to her partners blog incase your interested.
http://hollywoodfarmgirl.blogspot.com/
Im kinda computer challenged myself. to put my 'badge' on your blog, you just copy the code under the badge. (hopefully its there) then go to your blog and add it as a HTML gadget. If it doesnt work, then im a loss. If it does work, great. Ill try to get you one so you can have it....thats if it works of course. I noticed that my badge is on dad 2 two sites. I probably should ask him how he did it....but im embarressed...lol
ReplyDeleteMy two boys have almost taken over the cooking - when the mood suits them. I always know - one of them will yell from the kitchen, "Hey mom, what's the chicken in the freezer for?" Then we get half an hour of "what if I put cinnamon in the broth?" and "Hmm. what else is in the pantry?" Occasionally, they'll even go hunt online for a recipe, read two or three, and then improvise based on what they've read. My 17 year old says it's all my fault that he's a geek who knows more about cooking, politics and the economy than any kid his age should know. I tell him wait till he gets to college and finds girls that will love him for it.
ReplyDelete