It is my strong belief that everyone should have a signature dish. A quick and easy dish you can make in your sleep with ingredients that you’re likely to have on hand. My mother-in-law makes a FANTASTIC, three-ingredient garlic-miso dressing. It’s dead simple to make and everyone clamors for her to make it. “Grandmom’s Dressing” is her signature dish.
Today, in honor of all the hardworking, self-sacrificing, in-need-of-a-break Moms, I’m sharing one of my all-time favorite parenting hacks. Ready? Encourage your kid to choose their own signature dish. It’s a game-changer.
When my daughter was 7, and sleepovers were becoming a regular occurrence, I told her about signature dishes. We talked about how much we all love when Grandmom comes to town and makes her famous dressing. I asked if she’d like to have a signature dish of her own. “That way, when you’re a guest at someone’s home (say, at a sleepover), you could offer to make it for your hosts.”
She chose scrambled eggs. She apprenticed with her Dad, our in-house breakfast expert. Working alongside him, she overcame her egg-cracking apprehension. She salted and peppered to taste. She developed patience for the low-and-slow cooking method that yields the creamiest results. In time, she earned the household title of BEST SCRAMBLED-EGG-MAKER, just barely surpassing her Dad! For sure, learning these skills required some parental investment. And getting her to clean up after herself took some reminding. But it was SO worth it.
Because she took that skill on the road! We started getting reports about the post-sleepover scrambled eggs she made for her hosts. And then during a vacation with another family, she surprised us all by offering to make her “signature dish” for breakfast. Total win! The parents appreciated the break, her eggs were delicious, and she beamed with pride. A little confidence in the kitchen goes a long, long way!
With that, ✨ Happy Mother’s Day ✨ to all! And, if your child needs some inspiration in coming up with a signature dish, send them our way – we’ve got plenty of ideas!
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