Back in the (New) Kitchen: What I Learned from Teaching Calm Cooking in My Old School

Last week, I stepped into a kitchen that felt both familiar and completely new. It had been 18 years since I last walked the halls of my old school, and now, there I was, leading a Calm Kitchen workshop in a beautifully renovated space. A full-circle moment I didn’t see coming.

This wasn’t your average family cooking class. I was surrounded by trained chefs - fellow alumni -and yet, the conversation quickly turned to the same questions so many parents struggle with:

What do I do when my child won’t eat what I’ve planned?

How do I bring calm to our dinner table? How can I make food fun again and vegetables interesting?

Turns out, even the most skilled in the kitchen aren't immune to the everyday mealtime messiness.

Chopping Together, Laughing Together

What surprised me most was how naturally teamwork took over.

“You chop the onions, I’ll do the peppers.”

Just like that, the kitchen buzzed with laughter and ease. We were a team, improvising, supporting, sharing tips and jokes. It reminded me that cooking can connect us - even when we all know what we’re doing.

That’s the sweet spot I try to bring into every Calm Kitchen session: blending good food with good company, simple techniques with meaningful connection.

From Theory to Action

While I always weave in evidence-based nutrition guidance, one of my core beliefs is: you learn best when you do. It’s easy to talk about mindful meals or balanced plates, but it’s in the slicing, stirring and tasting that things really click.

We cooked two quick, child-friendly recipes - perfect for kids aged 3 to 8 to join in. We talked about strategies families can take home and actually use right away. Nothing fancy. Just ideas, rituals and games that work.

And in the middle of it all, we remembered: perfection isn't the goal but presence is.

The Kind of Feedback That Sticks

At the end of the evening, people didn’t just walk away with new ideas. They left with a smile and that’s what matters most to me.

“I had fun.”

“I really enjoyed it and found it interesting. You can tell that you're passionate, knowledgeable, and truly want to help people become more aware and inspired to make changes”.

“Thank you so much! It was a really lovely evening full of memories and good ideas! Thanks again!”

Cooking together created more than meals - it sparked memories, ideas and laughter.

Want to bring a little more calm into your kitchen too?

Stay tuned - we’ll be sharing the two recipes from the workshop in the newsletter. In the meantime, try giving your child a “job” in the kitchen this week (even if it’s just tearing salad or setting the table). See what unfolds.