The first time I tried to make banana bread, it was a spectacular success—depending on how you define success.
At the time, I was single and had decided I didn’t want to be one of those guys living off frozen dinners for the rest of his life. It didn’t seem that hard in retrospect: grab some bananas, a recipe book, toss it in the oven, and away you go.
Fun fact I didn’t know: banana bread rises, so you shouldn’t put it on the top rack. Also fun fact: explaining to the fire department how you almost burned down your apartment while making banana bread is both hilarious and eye-roll-inducing. So was it a spectacular success? I guess it’s a matter of perspective—the banana bread didn’t turn out, but the fire department response was excellent.
👨🍳 Teaching My Kids to Cook
Flash forward to now: one of my goals as a parent is to teach both kids how to cook. There’s something intimate about the connection between food and home, and I make an effort to cook when they’re around. I can’t say my kitchen always produces healthy meals, but it’s definitely healthier than fast food (probably).
Somewhere along the way, I decided it was important for them to see food being made at home—and to know how to make it themselves. Of course, it hasn’t been without its traumatic incidents.
🔥 Incident 1: The Burner Foot
How my son remembers this, I don’t know. He was around three years old, and I was holding him while finishing something on the stove. For some reason, he was sitting on the counter, wearing a body jumper. In a series of events I don’t fully recall, his foot touched the burner—which was off but still hot.
He wasn’t burned, but he cried. And he’s been traumatized ever since. Every now and then, I get reminded about “the time he stepped on the stove and almost died.” (I’m not even making that up.)
🔥 Incident 2: The Pot Touch
Probably because she needed a story to compete with her brother’s near-death stove experience, my daughter once touched a hot pot while helping me cook. She got a small burn on her hand, cried, and quickly forgot it happened—until her brother brings up the burner incident, at which point she “almost caught on fire.”
🥞 Pancakes, Scrambled Eggs, and Progress
We’ve been working on the small things: learning how to use the stove without being terrified of lighting yourself on fire (still a work in progress), scrambling eggs, making pancakes, and just having fun in the kitchen.
I’ve come a long way from starting a fire with banana bread. I actually enjoy cooking now—though I’ve had my share of burnt dinners over the years.
📖 The Cookbook I’ll Leave Behind
I like to think that when they’re older and leaving home, I’ll give them a cookbook filled with all the things we’ve made together—their favourites, our disasters, and everything in between. That way, they’ll always have something to remind them of their time with me.
And maybe, just maybe, they’ll know not to put banana bread on the top rack.
If you’re brave check out this recipe: https://dadandhistwocreatures.com/carlisle-classic-oatmeal-chocolate-chip-cookies-or-raisin-if-you-dare/