Selected Podcast
Tips for Families Cooking Together During the Holidays
Sherri Hannan shares tips and advice for families to cook safely and successfully together during the holidays.
Featured Speaker:
Sherri Hannan, RN
Sherri Hannan, RN, is the Safe Kids Fayette County Coordinator at University of Kentucky.
Transcription:
Tips for Families Cooking Together During the Holidays
Maggie McKay: The holidays are a time to bring families together, and a lot of us have some of our best memories of these times while cooking together and creating traditions.
My guest today is registered nurse, Sherri Hannan, the coordinator at Safe Kids Fayette County Program, who will give us some tips on the best and safest ways to cook with small or large crowds and little ones. Thank you so much for being here, Sherri.
Sherri Hannan: Thank you for having me.
Maggie McKay: Sure. What are some benefits to families cooking together during the holidays?
Sherri Hannan: Well, I think, like you said earlier, it just creates memories. I know my children always did cookie baking with their grandmother, and that was something they did until they were probably in their early 20s. So, I think around the holidays, especially when we are doing family meals, having family time, maybe spending time with relatives from out of town. Just being in the kitchen together is just that hub of family togetherness and laughing and talking and sharing.
Maggie McKay: And don't you notice maybe even with your own kids, now that they're in their 20s or 30s, they do it with their friends now, like in college. My son's in college and, yeah, their roommates bake together, you know, during the holidays.
Sherri Hannan: Exactly, a Friendsgiving,
Maggie McKay: Yeah, exactly. So, what's the best way to get your family members to cook together?
Sherri Hannan: Well, you can do something like everybody bring a dish to the meal. But it's always really fun to get together and do some of that meal prep together, even the night before to prepare casseroles or do some of the chopping and things like that. Again, just talking and bonding over the meal and then when you sit down together, it feels like everyone has contributed to it.
Maggie McKay: If you have young or first time cooks joining you, it's always fun. What are some of the most important things to impress upon them?
Sherri Hannan: Well, of course, safety is the most important thing. The kitchen can be a very dangerous place for kids. So making sure that you've kind of made sure that your kitchen is a safe place, that if you're allowing children to be in the kitchen with you, that you are adequately supervising, you're watching them do, you know, whatever it is that you're allowing, maybe that's measuring something or stirring something. Maybe for older kids, getting something out of the oven, you know, just making sure that even though everyone's busy, that if kids are in the kitchen and they're participating, that they're actively supervised and being watched. And then, if they just happened to be around and not really contributing to the work of preparing the food, et cetera, you need to have that kind of a kid-free zone where no one could trip over a kid playing in the floor or something could be spilled onto the child and they'd be injured. So, you know, just kind of thinking about what the roles are while you're in the kitchen.
Maggie McKay: I always think if it's possible, it's a good idea to have one-on-one, like for each child there's an adult supervisor and they don't know it, but you just say, "Okay, you watch this one, you watch that one," if it's possible.
Sherri Hannan: Yes. I mean, absolutely that would be the best case scenario. Hopefully, with kids that are interested in being in the kitchen, they've maybe been in the kitchen before and they kind of have had some experiences, but making whatever activity that they are being involved in, that it's age-appropriate. Like you wouldn't want a six-year-old maybe getting something out of the oven, like you would maybe a 13 or 14-year-old. So making sure that they're age-appropriate tasks, so that the child can actually master the skill, understand how to do it, understand some of the safety involved in it.
Maggie McKay: When it comes to safety, we touched upon it a little bit, but what about when you have large groups cooking together? What's the main safety concern there?
Sherri Hannan: Well, again, just making sure that sometimes all that chaos, some of the things in the kitchen that are really important to be aware of, like a hot stove, where things are being placed. Like if it's a gas stove, you wouldn't want a dish towel thrown nearby where, you know, it could catch fire. Making sure that anything that is spilled is quickly cleaned up so no one falls. And things that are sharp like knives, that those are, you know, put into appropriate safe places and maybe not just thrown into a sink with water where the next person could put their hand in and get cut.
Maggie McKay: Yeah. Maybe there should be certain jobs assigned to people before you start cooking, like "You're the dishwasher. You're the safety monitor" when there's all different ages. What about step stools for little ones? Is that a good idea?
Sherri Hannan: Well, there are special made step stools for kitchen that kind of have like sides that are built in, so the child, they can't fall, almost like handrails, big platforms where it's not just a small stool. But if you don't have something like that, making sure that it is a stool that is not wobbly, the child can't fall off of. And maybe someone, you know, actually has hands on the child so that they don't accidentally move wrong and fall off. Kids can't reach counters typically, very young ones. And they can do some things like stir or pour or help measure ingredients. So, they have to learn, they want to learn and practice makes perfect. So, we need to just be thoughtful about how we're introducing kids into the act of cooking and meal prep and making sure that it's just done very safely.
Maggie McKay: You mentioned meal prep. I know when I bake, I put everything I need out the night before. It makes it so much faster the next day. Is that a good idea for large groups to have just everything at a station that you'll need out?
Sherri Hannan: Well, that probably would be a good use of your time to have all your ingredients assembled, that you've actually taken time to read through recipes, step one, step two. Things happen pretty quickly sometimes in recipes. So, you want to make sure that, you know, you're ready to go with the next step. So, you know, maybe cutting the celery, the onions, all of those things the night before, storing them in the refrigerator, doing anything with assembly of casseroles and things like that, that you would want to place in the refrigerator and just get out the day of and put in the oven. So, it's just kind of really planning, thinking through your menu, what needs to be done, what can be done early. You always want to think about sanitation. You always want to think about food safety, those types of things as well when you're planning a big meal for a lot of people.
Maggie McKay: When it comes to cooking with little ones, what do you think is the best thing to make with them? Baked goods maybe or something else? What's the simplest?
Sherri Hannan: Well, some of the very simple things that you can do is just some things that maybe, like if you're making-- I'll make something up-- like cookies, they can help measure ingredients, they can stir ingredients, they can take a dollop of cookie dough onto a cookie sheet and then just the adult takeover with putting something into the oven and back out, just so that they're being involved and they're being able to see how they contributed to the food that they're getting ready to eat. But again, making sure that whatever we're allowing children to do in the kitchen, that they are developmentally appropriate skills. We're not letting a very young child have a sharp knife. Maybe to learn some knife skills, we would start with that butter knife or cutting butter or something else.
Maggie McKay: Does your family have a tradition that you cook a certain dish together during the holidays?
Sherri Hannan: Well, we typically, especially thinking about Thanksgiving. We kind of have what we call a brine party because we brine our turkey. So, we have the kids come over and we get the turkey all ready with the brine. And then, we start making some casserole, so our broccoli casserole or sweet potato casserole. And that's where my kids have really learned how to be cooks in the kitchen, is that they were always involved in some of that, putting the meal together. And then, of course, you know, that's one of their favorite meals all year. So, it's something that they enjoy doing. So, it just teaches you how to cook. And when they have their own families and the next generation takes over, hopefully they have learned some of those good safe skills for the kitchen.
Maggie McKay: Right. Speaking of the next generation, my sister always had a gingerbread house decorating day with the whole neighborhood, and they did it for years until they grew up and now their kids are doing it. Anyway, what would you like people to take from this, Sherri?
Sherri Hannan: Well, I just think, you know, making the adults good role models. If you're cooking, you never leave the kitchen while you have something on the stove. Setting timers, making sure that you're using the pot holders and keeping kids away from hot things like not just the stove, but maybe a hot crock pot or an air fryer. So just, again, always teaching as you're doing things and as kids are observing that you're doing everything in a safe manner. They're constantly observing and you're teaching, whether that's, "This is a spatula. This is a slotted spoon." It's good math skills when you're teaching kids, half a recipe, double a recipe, you know, how to do that math. So, there's just a lot of things to learn in the kitchen. And I think being together and knowing that you're making those memories, bonding over just the act of preparing a food to sit down and eat together. I think that is just one of the special things that families can do.
Maggie McKay: And as a registered nurse, what is the most common accident you see during the holidays while people are cooking?
Sherri Hannan: Well, of course, burns is a big one. Burns are a big one, where you've touched a hot rack in the oven or something has spilled. So, again, handles to the back, cords, you know, not allowed to dangle. And even like soups or coffee, things are away from the edge of the table, so kids can't knock them off and have some of those bad scald burns. Cuts from a knife, so just making sure again that anything super sharp is for a much older child. Those really sharp kitchen items and that could even be like a vegetable peeler or something, that kids are actually able to use those things correctly and that you are actually willing to commit to the time of watching, to make sure that the kids are doing something in a safe manner. But burns and cuts, maybe slips and falls if something spills and it doesn't get cleaned up right away, ice and things like that, that someone could trip. So, those are some typical ones that happen more often around the holidays associated with the kitchen injuries.
Maggie McKay: Sherri, thank you so much for these useful ideas and tips to make cooking as a family during the holidays a fun experience and not a stressful one.
Sherri Hannan: Well, thank you and I hope everyone has a happy holiday.
Maggie McKay: You as well. This is UK HealthCast with the University of Kentucky Healthcare. For more information, UK healthcare.uk ukhealthcareuky.edu/safe-kids-fayettecounty. Please remember to subscribe, rate and review this podcast and all of the other University of Kentucky Healthcare Podcast. I'm Maggie McKay. Thanks so much for listening.
Tips for Families Cooking Together During the Holidays
Maggie McKay: The holidays are a time to bring families together, and a lot of us have some of our best memories of these times while cooking together and creating traditions.
My guest today is registered nurse, Sherri Hannan, the coordinator at Safe Kids Fayette County Program, who will give us some tips on the best and safest ways to cook with small or large crowds and little ones. Thank you so much for being here, Sherri.
Sherri Hannan: Thank you for having me.
Maggie McKay: Sure. What are some benefits to families cooking together during the holidays?
Sherri Hannan: Well, I think, like you said earlier, it just creates memories. I know my children always did cookie baking with their grandmother, and that was something they did until they were probably in their early 20s. So, I think around the holidays, especially when we are doing family meals, having family time, maybe spending time with relatives from out of town. Just being in the kitchen together is just that hub of family togetherness and laughing and talking and sharing.
Maggie McKay: And don't you notice maybe even with your own kids, now that they're in their 20s or 30s, they do it with their friends now, like in college. My son's in college and, yeah, their roommates bake together, you know, during the holidays.
Sherri Hannan: Exactly, a Friendsgiving,
Maggie McKay: Yeah, exactly. So, what's the best way to get your family members to cook together?
Sherri Hannan: Well, you can do something like everybody bring a dish to the meal. But it's always really fun to get together and do some of that meal prep together, even the night before to prepare casseroles or do some of the chopping and things like that. Again, just talking and bonding over the meal and then when you sit down together, it feels like everyone has contributed to it.
Maggie McKay: If you have young or first time cooks joining you, it's always fun. What are some of the most important things to impress upon them?
Sherri Hannan: Well, of course, safety is the most important thing. The kitchen can be a very dangerous place for kids. So making sure that you've kind of made sure that your kitchen is a safe place, that if you're allowing children to be in the kitchen with you, that you are adequately supervising, you're watching them do, you know, whatever it is that you're allowing, maybe that's measuring something or stirring something. Maybe for older kids, getting something out of the oven, you know, just making sure that even though everyone's busy, that if kids are in the kitchen and they're participating, that they're actively supervised and being watched. And then, if they just happened to be around and not really contributing to the work of preparing the food, et cetera, you need to have that kind of a kid-free zone where no one could trip over a kid playing in the floor or something could be spilled onto the child and they'd be injured. So, you know, just kind of thinking about what the roles are while you're in the kitchen.
Maggie McKay: I always think if it's possible, it's a good idea to have one-on-one, like for each child there's an adult supervisor and they don't know it, but you just say, "Okay, you watch this one, you watch that one," if it's possible.
Sherri Hannan: Yes. I mean, absolutely that would be the best case scenario. Hopefully, with kids that are interested in being in the kitchen, they've maybe been in the kitchen before and they kind of have had some experiences, but making whatever activity that they are being involved in, that it's age-appropriate. Like you wouldn't want a six-year-old maybe getting something out of the oven, like you would maybe a 13 or 14-year-old. So making sure that they're age-appropriate tasks, so that the child can actually master the skill, understand how to do it, understand some of the safety involved in it.
Maggie McKay: When it comes to safety, we touched upon it a little bit, but what about when you have large groups cooking together? What's the main safety concern there?
Sherri Hannan: Well, again, just making sure that sometimes all that chaos, some of the things in the kitchen that are really important to be aware of, like a hot stove, where things are being placed. Like if it's a gas stove, you wouldn't want a dish towel thrown nearby where, you know, it could catch fire. Making sure that anything that is spilled is quickly cleaned up so no one falls. And things that are sharp like knives, that those are, you know, put into appropriate safe places and maybe not just thrown into a sink with water where the next person could put their hand in and get cut.
Maggie McKay: Yeah. Maybe there should be certain jobs assigned to people before you start cooking, like "You're the dishwasher. You're the safety monitor" when there's all different ages. What about step stools for little ones? Is that a good idea?
Sherri Hannan: Well, there are special made step stools for kitchen that kind of have like sides that are built in, so the child, they can't fall, almost like handrails, big platforms where it's not just a small stool. But if you don't have something like that, making sure that it is a stool that is not wobbly, the child can't fall off of. And maybe someone, you know, actually has hands on the child so that they don't accidentally move wrong and fall off. Kids can't reach counters typically, very young ones. And they can do some things like stir or pour or help measure ingredients. So, they have to learn, they want to learn and practice makes perfect. So, we need to just be thoughtful about how we're introducing kids into the act of cooking and meal prep and making sure that it's just done very safely.
Maggie McKay: You mentioned meal prep. I know when I bake, I put everything I need out the night before. It makes it so much faster the next day. Is that a good idea for large groups to have just everything at a station that you'll need out?
Sherri Hannan: Well, that probably would be a good use of your time to have all your ingredients assembled, that you've actually taken time to read through recipes, step one, step two. Things happen pretty quickly sometimes in recipes. So, you want to make sure that, you know, you're ready to go with the next step. So, you know, maybe cutting the celery, the onions, all of those things the night before, storing them in the refrigerator, doing anything with assembly of casseroles and things like that, that you would want to place in the refrigerator and just get out the day of and put in the oven. So, it's just kind of really planning, thinking through your menu, what needs to be done, what can be done early. You always want to think about sanitation. You always want to think about food safety, those types of things as well when you're planning a big meal for a lot of people.
Maggie McKay: When it comes to cooking with little ones, what do you think is the best thing to make with them? Baked goods maybe or something else? What's the simplest?
Sherri Hannan: Well, some of the very simple things that you can do is just some things that maybe, like if you're making-- I'll make something up-- like cookies, they can help measure ingredients, they can stir ingredients, they can take a dollop of cookie dough onto a cookie sheet and then just the adult takeover with putting something into the oven and back out, just so that they're being involved and they're being able to see how they contributed to the food that they're getting ready to eat. But again, making sure that whatever we're allowing children to do in the kitchen, that they are developmentally appropriate skills. We're not letting a very young child have a sharp knife. Maybe to learn some knife skills, we would start with that butter knife or cutting butter or something else.
Maggie McKay: Does your family have a tradition that you cook a certain dish together during the holidays?
Sherri Hannan: Well, we typically, especially thinking about Thanksgiving. We kind of have what we call a brine party because we brine our turkey. So, we have the kids come over and we get the turkey all ready with the brine. And then, we start making some casserole, so our broccoli casserole or sweet potato casserole. And that's where my kids have really learned how to be cooks in the kitchen, is that they were always involved in some of that, putting the meal together. And then, of course, you know, that's one of their favorite meals all year. So, it's something that they enjoy doing. So, it just teaches you how to cook. And when they have their own families and the next generation takes over, hopefully they have learned some of those good safe skills for the kitchen.
Maggie McKay: Right. Speaking of the next generation, my sister always had a gingerbread house decorating day with the whole neighborhood, and they did it for years until they grew up and now their kids are doing it. Anyway, what would you like people to take from this, Sherri?
Sherri Hannan: Well, I just think, you know, making the adults good role models. If you're cooking, you never leave the kitchen while you have something on the stove. Setting timers, making sure that you're using the pot holders and keeping kids away from hot things like not just the stove, but maybe a hot crock pot or an air fryer. So just, again, always teaching as you're doing things and as kids are observing that you're doing everything in a safe manner. They're constantly observing and you're teaching, whether that's, "This is a spatula. This is a slotted spoon." It's good math skills when you're teaching kids, half a recipe, double a recipe, you know, how to do that math. So, there's just a lot of things to learn in the kitchen. And I think being together and knowing that you're making those memories, bonding over just the act of preparing a food to sit down and eat together. I think that is just one of the special things that families can do.
Maggie McKay: And as a registered nurse, what is the most common accident you see during the holidays while people are cooking?
Sherri Hannan: Well, of course, burns is a big one. Burns are a big one, where you've touched a hot rack in the oven or something has spilled. So, again, handles to the back, cords, you know, not allowed to dangle. And even like soups or coffee, things are away from the edge of the table, so kids can't knock them off and have some of those bad scald burns. Cuts from a knife, so just making sure again that anything super sharp is for a much older child. Those really sharp kitchen items and that could even be like a vegetable peeler or something, that kids are actually able to use those things correctly and that you are actually willing to commit to the time of watching, to make sure that the kids are doing something in a safe manner. But burns and cuts, maybe slips and falls if something spills and it doesn't get cleaned up right away, ice and things like that, that someone could trip. So, those are some typical ones that happen more often around the holidays associated with the kitchen injuries.
Maggie McKay: Sherri, thank you so much for these useful ideas and tips to make cooking as a family during the holidays a fun experience and not a stressful one.
Sherri Hannan: Well, thank you and I hope everyone has a happy holiday.
Maggie McKay: You as well. This is UK HealthCast with the University of Kentucky Healthcare. For more information, UK healthcare.uk ukhealthcareuky.edu/safe-kids-fayettecounty. Please remember to subscribe, rate and review this podcast and all of the other University of Kentucky Healthcare Podcast. I'm Maggie McKay. Thanks so much for listening.