Mommy & Me Cooking Class

My daughter is always asking to help me in the kitchen, but because I can be a bit of a control freak, I have a hard time sharing the tasks. I start with good intentions, pulling up a chair and explaining each step to her as I measure, pour, and mix the ingredients, but when she asks if she can try, I tend to respond with "oh it's too heavy", or "mommy will do this part and you can watch". I was always afraid she would pour in too much, or miss the bowl and make a mess, and because I'm a career mommy, I get home late and am usually in a rush to finish the meal so we can eat before it's bed time!

 

Recognizing her constant desire to learn how things are made, and to be involved in each step of the process, I thought it would be fun to take a mommy & me cooking class. Hey, maybe I'd learn a thing or two myself! I came across a lovely little place called The Hungry Oven, located only 10 minutes from my house, and signed us up.

 

The morning of our class, my girl was ecstatic. She was so excited to finally have the chance to learn how to cook, and she was even more excited to be doing something special, just the two of us.

 

 

We walked into the modern white lobby, its walls lined with colourful images of gourmet dishes, and bright fruits and veggies, and I was immediately impressed. There was a parent room, equipped with coffee and flat-screen TVs where you could watch your children as they cook. There were a few large state-of-the-art homestyle kitchens - spacious, clean and welcoming for the older kids and adult classes, and a junior chef kitchen (where our class was held), which was colourful, and equipped with kid-friendly induction cooking surfaces, allowing kids to be part of every step of the process, while remaining in a safe environment.

 

We were led by a very friendly chef, and her helper - a sweet 14-year-old girl whose love for cooking was apparent. My daughter was so thrilled to be involved in each and every step of the way.

 

Preparing the filo pastry for her spanakopitas

 The three hour class flew by as we rushed around the kitchen, selecting ingredients, and chopping, mixing, smelling and tasting along the way. We took a short break halfway through to taste some of our masterpieces, and were sent home with 3 large tupperware containers full of the treats we had made.

Quinoa falafel, spanakopita, and thumbprint cookies

We made quinoa falafel with a yogurt dip, spanakopita, fresh hummus, and thumbprint cookies - all made using fresh, organic ingredients.

My girl was so proud of herself, and hasn't stopped talking about it since! I'm hoping to take another class with her, and also think it would be a fabulous birthday party destination. I would also love to have a girls night out - cooking and wine with some of my favourite friends? Sounds perfect to me.

Completely worth the money, and definitely a redo for us!