Keeping Clean:
- Wash your hands before you start. Make sure to also wash your hands after touching raw poultry, meat, or seafood and cracking eggs. These ingredients may have harmful germs that can make you very sick. Wash knives and cutting boards with soap and water after they’ve touched these ingredients.
- Use two cutting boards (one for meat and one for everything else) to avoid getting any germs from the meat on other food.
- Rinse all fruits and vegetables under cool water before you use them.
- Make sure your work space is clean before you start.
- Clean up as you cook.
Image Credit: Shutterstock.com
Planning Ahead:
- Read the recipe from beginning to end before you start cooking. Make sure that you have all the ingredients and tools you will need before you start.
- If you don’t understand something in a recipe, ask an adult for help.
Measuring:
- To measure dry ingredients, such as flour and sugar, dip the correct-size measuring cup into the ingredient until it is full. Then level off the top of the cup with the flat side of a butter knife. Brown sugar is the only dry ingredient that should be tightly packed into a measuring cup.
- To measure liquid ingredients, such as milk and oil, use a clear glass or plastic measuring cup. Make sure it is on a flat surface. Pour the liquid into the cup until it reaches the correct level. Check the measurement at eye level.
- Remember that measuring spoons come in different sizes. Be sure you are using a teaspoon if the recipe asks for it and not a tablespoon.
Mixing:
- Beat—Mix ingredients together fast with a wooden spoon, whisk, or an electric mixer.
- Mix—Blend ingredients together with a wooden spoon, an electric mixer, or a whisk.
- Stir—Combine ingredients using a wooden or metal spoon.
Image Credit: © Photoalto/Photolibrary