Anthony Bourdain thinks we are required to take Home EC.

The public high schools in my area teach culinary arts, not home economics. Chefs are the instructors.
 
Dixie said:
I took Home Economics in school but it wasn't well taught. During the cooking portion of the course, the class got to choose which groups they would like to be in, and well me being the odd one, I got placed in a group by the teacher because none of the groups really wanted me. Well instead of learning to cook, I was literally shoved aside and told, I could do the clean up. The other kids basically got to have fun and make the mess while I had to be the one to clean it up. I was even laughed at when one of the kids changed the liquid in the cleaning bottle without my knowledge and when I got cleaning the oven there was this green smudgy stuff all over it. I recall someone saying "She's so dumb, she can't even clean. Retard." I hated that class. My parents never sat me down to teach me how to cook, so I never learned. My mom constantly criticizes me for not knowing how to cook and that my DD will have to be the one to take care of me. If I ever had any confidence about my cooking it was squashed by my ex-husband that always complained about how my cooking sucked.

At least now I have a friend of mine that has offered to teach me how to cook. I think we will be making cupcakes. I know it sounds very elementary and 'childish', but I guess you have to start somewhere.

BTW - they should change it from Home Economics to "Life Skills". It should also be taught for two consecutive semesters, not just one. Course material should include cooking, sewing, budgeting, job skills, finances, basic home repairs, family conflict resolutions, crisis management, basic automotive maintenance and upkeep. Stuff that the average Joe will actually do. Many students nowadays are graduating with AP Calculus under their belt but they can't cook a meal or sew a button on their shirt to save their life. Also, all drivers should learn to drive a standard stick shift vehicle. I regret not knowing how to drive a standard.
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I am sorry to hear that about your difficulties and your dealing with your parents. Don't let them bother you. It is never too late to learn to cook. I am glad that your friend has offered to teach you basic cooking skills. It is actually fun if you pretend to play in the lab. I think you should invite your daughter with you, so your friend, you and your daughter will have good time in kitchen together. Children loves to play with food and measuring things in kitchen, and learn quicker. It is ok to make mistakes as you learn. Be careful with knives. lol I accidentally cut myself. Oops!

I suggest you can watch 'Good Eats" from Food Network. Please stay away from the show, Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade like a plague.
 
Dixie said:
I took Home Economics in school but it wasn't well taught. During the cooking portion of the course, the class got to choose which groups they would like to be in, and well me being the odd one, I got placed in a group by the teacher because none of the groups really wanted me. Well instead of learning to cook, I was literally shoved aside and told, I could do the clean up. The other kids basically got to have fun and make the mess while I had to be the one to clean it up. I was even laughed at when one of the kids changed the liquid in the cleaning bottle without my knowledge and when I got cleaning the oven there was this green smudgy stuff all over it. I recall someone saying "She's so dumb, she can't even clean. Retard." I hated that class. My parents never sat me down to teach me how to cook, so I never learned. My mom constantly criticizes me for not knowing how to cook and that my DD will have to be the one to take care of me. If I ever had any confidence about my cooking it was squashed by my ex-husband that always complained about how my cooking sucked.

At least now I have a friend of mine that has offered to teach me how to cook. I think we will be making cupcakes. I know it sounds very elementary and 'childish', but I guess you have to start somewhere.

BTW - they should change it from Home Economics to "Life Skills". It should also be taught for two consecutive semesters, not just one. Course material should include cooking, sewing, budgeting, job skills, finances, basic home repairs, family conflict resolutions, crisis management, basic automotive maintenance and upkeep. Stuff that the average Joe will actually do. Many students nowadays are graduating with AP Calculus under their belt but they can't cook a meal or sew a button on their shirt to save their life. Also, all drivers should learn to drive a standard stick shift vehicle. I regret not knowing how to drive a standard.
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While my cooking class experience was more pleasant than yours, my teacher would yell at me and I got in trouble all the time so I hated that class. My mother refused to teach me for the following reasons: I would create a mess and I didn't know how to cook for myself. She would make fun of me for not knowing how to iron at age 13. I had to teach myself how to iron at VSDB.

When I left and lived on my own, I had to teach myself how to cook. When you can live on your own, I suggest you start off with easy dishes and as you gain confidience, you can try on different dishes. That is what I did.

I'm glad you have someone to teach you. :)
 
My brothers and I took Home Ec but it was a laugh. We had the Family Style Home Ed when growing up. Mom taught us all to sort the laundry, wash & dry the clothes and fold them. She also taught basic cooking and cleaning. She made sure we all 3 knew how to sew, mend, sew on buttons, sew in a zipper, hem our own pants and redo the edges on kitchen towels. Dad made sure we all knew how to change a tire. check and fill all fluids on a vehicle and minor plumbing, like cleaning out a sink drain and changing a wax ring on a toilet. We all knew how to do basic maintenance on the lawn mower and the vacuum cleaner. We had to know how to take care of our own problems with our bicycles. Then came the lessons on how to use a checkbook, how to plan healthy meals and how to properly hand wash the china and crystal. By the time we reached high school we had it all down pat. Dad would work at home, mom was working outside the home and we kids kept the house clean, the yard mowed, did all the laundry, mending and had dinner on the table when mom got home. We got our own bank account at 10 and were required to keep track of it all and have my mother check over our bank statements to make sure we balanced it right.
 
KristinaB said:
My brothers and I took Home Ec but it was a laugh. We had the Family Style Home Ed when growing up. Mom taught us all to sort the laundry, wash & dry the clothes and fold them. She also taught basic cooking and cleaning. She made sure we all 3 knew how to sew, mend, sew on buttons, sew in a zipper, hem our own pants and redo the edges on kitchen towels. Dad made sure we all knew how to change a tire. check and fill all fluids on a vehicle and minor plumbing, like cleaning out a sink drain and changing a wax ring on a toilet. We all knew how to do basic maintenance on the lawn mower and the vacuum cleaner. We had to know how to take care of our own problems with our bicycles. Then came the lessons on how to use a checkbook, how to plan healthy meals and how to properly hand wash the china and crystal. By the time we reached high school we had it all down pat. Dad would work at home, mom was working outside the home and we kids kept the house clean, the yard mowed, did all the laundry, mending and had dinner on the table when mom got home. We got our own bank account at 10 and were required to keep track of it all and have my mother check over our bank statements to make sure we balanced it right.
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I wish more more parents were like yours.
 
why call it home economics... call it a course in survival, required for everyone.. hearing and Deaf, woman and men, intersex, whatnot..

Survival course teacher: "Ok, now we know how to make omeletes for breakfast.. now let's learn how to do our taxes and balance our budget!"
 
Dixie said:
I took Home Economics in school but it wasn't well taught. During the cooking portion of the course, the class got to choose which groups they would like to be in, and well me being the odd one, I got placed in a group by the teacher because none of the groups really wanted me. Well instead of learning to cook, I was literally shoved aside and told, I could do the clean up. The other kids basically got to have fun and make the mess while I had to be the one to clean it up. I was even laughed at when one of the kids changed the liquid in the cleaning bottle without my knowledge and when I got cleaning the oven there was this green smudgy stuff all over it. I recall someone saying "She's so dumb, she can't even clean. Retard." I hated that class. My parents never sat me down to teach me how to cook, so I never learned. My mom constantly criticizes me for not knowing how to cook and that my DD will have to be the one to take care of me. If I ever had any confidence about my cooking it was squashed by my ex-husband that always complained about how my cooking sucked.

That is really a shame that your home ec class was such a disaster. Is your mom a good cook herself? Generally people who really enjoy cooking love to teach their kids how to cook, too. People who criticize all the time - well, maybe her skills aren't exactly the best, either.

At least now I have a friend of mine that has offered to teach me how to cook. I think we will be making cupcakes. I know it sounds very elementary and 'childish', but I guess you have to start somewhere.

Doesn't sound childish at all. Sounds like she's following the very good principle of "Life is short. Eat dessert first." :lol:



BTW - they should change it from Home Economics to "Life Skills". It should also be taught for two consecutive semesters, not just one. Course material should include cooking, sewing, budgeting, job skills, finances, basic home repairs, family conflict resolutions, crisis management, basic automotive maintenance and upkeep. Stuff that the average Joe will actually do. Many students nowadays are graduating with AP Calculus under their belt but they can't cook a meal or sew a button on their shirt to save their life. Also, all drivers should learn to drive a standard stick shift vehicle. I regret not knowing how to drive a standard.
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Totally agree with all the above. That list of skills you gave is very comprehensive, and I think very worthy.

Re: standard transmissions: they are a dying breed, but it's good to know how to drive one anyway. Skills are somewhat transferable to the Manumatic thingies of today's cars when you can move into either automatic or clutchless manual operation. My step-dad taught me how to drive a stick when I was 17. Bless his heart, because that was before the days of Syncro-Mesh or whatever they call it, and I think I gave him a few more grey hairs as I ground the gears a time or two. Eventually I learned and fell in love with driving a stick. Fun when conditions are right: PITA in heavy city traffic.

In my family, my mom was never really a good cook, but she tried hard. She loved to bake, though. We went all out for Christmas cookies that we gave to all our friends. She also loved making us fancy birthday cakes. For my 5th birthday, she made me a "Mary had a little lamb" cake, from a mold of a girl in petticoat with a little lamb at her side. All beautifully decorated.

But my dad was really the good cook. He was the one who taught us how to make good spaghetti sauce, stick whole cloves in ham before baking it, various other things. Considering I was only 7 1/2 when he died, he taught me a lot.

I read recently a comment that "The average person today doesn't cook; she re-heats." So, so true. It's becoming a lost art, and that's a pity.
 
My mom is a good cook, and everyone comments on how well she cooks. Yet, when I cook it's a disaster so I just stay away from it.

However I did manage to teach myself to cook a few things along the way:
Mac'n Cheese
Homemade burgers
Deep fry frozen items in the deep fryer (IE taquitos, french fries, breaded chicken tenders, etc)
baked potatoes
stove top ramen noodles
fried eggs / scrambled eggs
'wop biscuits'
grilled steaks

And sadly that's as far as my list goes based on what I can remember. Anything else and forget it, I probably can't cook it.

Maybe someday I will feel confident enough that I can cook a full-course meal for my friends and see what they say. Just not today.
 
Sure you can. One step at a time!

Friends don't expect gourmet perfection, anyway. Good times, good-enough food, a nice atmosphere, and you're there.
 
Beach girl said:
Totally agree with all the above. That list of skills you gave is very comprehensive, and I think very worthy.

Re: standard transmissions: they are a dying breed, but it's good to know how to drive one anyway. Skills are somewhat transferable to the Manumatic thingies of today's cars when you can move into either automatic or clutchless manual operation. My step-dad taught me how to drive a stick when I was 17. Bless his heart, because that was before the days of Syncro-Mesh or whatever they call it, and I think I gave him a few more grey hairs as I ground the gears a time or two. Eventually I learned and fell in love with driving a stick. Fun when conditions are right: PITA in heavy city traffic.

In my family, my mom was never really a good cook, but she tried hard. She loved to bake, though. We went all out for Christmas cookies that we gave to all our friends. She also loved making us fancy birthday cakes. For my 5th birthday, she made me a "Mary had a little lamb" cake, from a mold of a girl in petticoat with a little lamb at her side. All beautifully decorated.

But my dad was really the good cook. He was the one who taught us how to make good spaghetti sauce, stick whole cloves in ham before baking it, various other things. Considering I was only 7 1/2 when he died, he taught me a lot.

I read recently a comment that "The average person today doesn't cook; she re-heats." So, so true. It's becoming a lost art, and that's a pity.
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I have to agree on this one. I think it's also a part of the reason why we have such a problem with obesity.
 
Beach girl said:
Re: standard transmissions: they are a dying breed, but it's good to know how to drive one anyway. Skills are somewhat transferable to the Manumatic thingies of today's cars when you can move into either automatic or clutchless manual operation. My step-dad taught me how to drive a stick when I was 17. Bless his heart, because that was before the days of Syncro-Mesh or whatever they call it, and I think I gave him a few more grey hairs as I ground the gears a time or two. Eventually I learned and fell in love with driving a stick. Fun when conditions are right: PITA in heavy city traffic.

In my family, my mom was never really a good cook, but she tried hard. She loved to bake, though. We went all out for Christmas cookies that we gave to all our friends. She also loved making us fancy birthday cakes. For my 5th birthday, she made me a "Mary had a little lamb" cake, from a mold of a girl in petticoat with a little lamb at her side. All beautifully decorated.

.
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The part quoted above really brings back memories!

For the driving story I am talking about the late 1950's early 60's so it has been awhile. My dad sold Oldsmobile, Buick & Cadillac so they didn't get many stick shifts in in the way of used cars even. But I wanted to know enough to get us back to town if someone I was with got sick or hurt. Finally they had a Carvair (not sure of spelling anymore) come through and we went out one afternoon. Then in 1964 I bought my first car (we had gotten to use a demonstrator like the family car). It was a 1958 Cheve Delray without even a radio but in good mechanical shape. BUT . . . the previous owner was part of a trucking company where they did their own repairs. They had put a TRUCK spring (and not just off a pickup) on that clutch. I did have some fun not telling the first time someone drove it and even guys would kill it when that clutch would jump out! I did make it a point to try to avoid the railroad underpass though because it was soooo hard to hold if you got stuck going up.

The baker in our family was an aunt and she too involved the rest of us in making cookies for Christmas gifts. I also had a lamb cake while growing up. But, it was just the lamb and made by a family friend. If I remember right was at Easter.
 
Corvair. My uncle used to be very active in the Corvair Society of America.

Do Driver's Ed classes today even teach kids how to drive stick any more? Probably not really necessary (unless you are ever a participant in "The Amazing Race," where inability to drive a stick has led to the occasional downfall of otherwise-competent racers), but sure is fun. Vroom-vrooom....
 
Beach girl said:
Corvair. My uncle used to be very active in the Corvair Society of America.

Do Driver's Ed classes today even teach kids how to drive stick any more? Probably not really necessary (unless you are ever a participant in "The Amazing Race," where inability to drive a stick has led to the occasional downfall of otherwise-competent racers), but sure is fun. Vroom-vrooom....
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I doubt it. In Centralia, IL back in the 1950's they got the cars they used for the training from local dealerships and did not get any with the manual transmission in the fall of 1958. That is when I could have taken it but my dad had already taught me how to drive an automatic and there was no insurance advantage to me taking it as we got to use the company demonstrator (which had more coverage than an individual could ever afford to carry) like the family car. The only thing was if I took the car someplace it had to be somewhere where I could be reached if he got a call from someone that wanted to see a car after hours.
 
Beach girl said:
Corvair. My uncle used to be very active in the Corvair Society of America.

Do Driver's Ed classes today even teach kids how to drive stick any more? Probably not really necessary (unless you are ever a participant in "The Amazing Race," where inability to drive a stick has led to the occasional downfall of otherwise-competent racers), but sure is fun. Vroom-vrooom....
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Most of the schools around here and in Columbia, MO no longer have Driver's Ed classes due to budget cuts.
 
Barbaro said:
I agree with you, Beach girl.

A few days ago, I was at Super Target to buy yellow squashes. Cashier was scanning my items, and she looked at my yellow squashes, and took her vegetable book out to check the prices. She asked me if they were yellow squashes. I replied, "Yes, they are." She has admitted me that she doesn't know much about vegetables. :shock: They are just yellow squashes..
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I gotta admit...in my 20s, I didnt know much about veggies either. I learned a lot from my hubby who loves cooking as a hobby.
 
it was required to take Home Econ. and Shop in my middle school <7th/8th grade>
I did badly in both as those were the years I was especially physically bullied and I didn't understand the measurements, many of the instructions and other things in either class. We were supposed to take turns using the sewing machines, or the equipment in Shop - take turns while other classmates watched. I was so scared about messing up and "getting it" and knowing my classmates were watching that it was terrible.
Think if I'd had Home Ec somewhere else or with other peers I could have done better but Shop-related things is not a skill area of mine regardless.
 
most of what I've learned about cooking was from watching my dad or my mom, actually, and later, cooking shows, taking a couple of seminars on cooking and nutrition here and there. I really explored a lot about nutrition through needing to learn about that in order to care for my previous beloved dog who was diagnosed with kidney disease at age 2 <yrs>. So in order to provide with what I thiought was the best life quality for her I learned about holistic health and nutrition for carnivorous <dogs and cats> pets. That research led to learning about holistic health and cooking for people also.
Also, being part of a co-op I've learned a lot about healthy cooking and veggies.
 
Are you a vegetarian now, by chance? I try to incorporate a lot of fruits and veggies into almost every meal, but could never stick with being completely vegetarian.
 
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