Extra, unexpected time at home can be viewed as a moment to bond with our families and explore new culinary ideas or nourish them with homemade foods that we don’t always have the opportunity to prepare. At a moment when so much is unfamiliar it can be nice to be in the kitchen where life feels like a constant. If you have extra time at home to be in the kitchen, consider these ideas.
7 Minute Vegetable Soup
Made from frozen veggies and pantry staples, this incredibly easy vegetable soup is easy for kids to help with and uses foods many of us have on hand.
View recipe »Cooking 101
This might be a good time to enhance your knife skills or enroll your family in cooking school. Possibly you want to explore recipes together, build a family favorites collection, or find unique ways to use the frozen foods or seasonings and spices you’ve been hanging onto. We often wish we had more time to develop new menus for our family to get away from cooking the same, expected dishes so enjoy the moment you have to do that now.
Hands-On
If you’re able to stock your kitchen with groceries, your gift of time may be an opportunity to try recipes that require patience and focus. Spring rolls, baked veggie egg rolls, and ravioli are some examples of recipes that involve more hands-on time.
New to You
There are several ways of getting produce to your home that may help your family try new fruits and vegetables that aren’t usually on your shopping list. Check out local farms that may be delivering or take advantage of unique companies that will send produce to your home. When Jerusalem artichokes, Romanesco broccoli, or other “less likely to be on your list” produce arrives in your box, it will force your family to seek recipes and try something new.
Food Science
We know there are many lessons to learn in the kitchen that can cover the primary school subjects of math, reading and cultural studies, but no doubt the easiest is food science. Resources online can help you explore what happens when you alter a chocolate chip cookie recipe or develop a food science centered curriculum. If you bake breads, then you know that different doughs also offer the opportunity for science in the kitchen.
Surprising Sweets
You know everyone will gather around if you help your family find new, unique desserts to try together. “Ice cream” made from bananas, sweets that are better for you and made from few ingredients, dessert hummus, or sweets straight from the microwave are just some you can try together.