OT Norah’s stocking stuffer OT

ryantt

shes going to be so pumped when she opens it.
 

Battleborn

That's awesome! I need to get my 7 year old around the grill more, she loves to help, but momma is always so worried. You sir, are raising her right. 

ryantt

Thanks @Battleborn I’m so lucky to have her by my side.   

lousubcap

That is really reinforcing her passion.  A great gift right there.  Congrats. 

TEXASBGE2018

I may have missed this, how did you get her started? My son is 7 and really interested in learning about cooking. He wants to be a chef he says when he grows up. I've been teaching him about basics so far. I'm thinking about getting a minimax so he can learn but also just so I can have it.

Kent8621

TEXASBGE2018 said:

I may have missed this, how did you get her started? My son is 7 and really interested in learning about cooking. He wants to be a chef he says when he grows up. I've been teaching him about basics so far. I'm thinking about getting a minimax so he can learn but also just so I can have it.

my almost 5 year old daughter is fascinated with helping and learning.  i am thinking about a minmax for her (and me) but curious how you got her going also. 

ryantt

@TEXASBGE2018 @Kent8621
Norah Grace started out by just hanging out with dad when she was 3.  She was always with me, and started to “help” all on her own.  Overtime she started to do more and more, so naturally dad fostered her interest, because what else could I do. When she was 6-7 she was running cooks with less and lesss assistance.  At age 8 she received her first kamado grill as a gift from the owner of KJ.   She cooks a lot these days and competes at local comps and egg fest  often times beating people 4 and 5 times her age (proud dad )!

Anyways the key has been to teach her how to do things safely, how to start the grill how to open the lid when we are cooking hot and fast, how to get food on and off without issues. Just spend time with her, I let her run the show, telling me what she wants to do.  I’ve never really pushed her to do anything with cooking, 

Now she’s she a better cook than I am.  She thinks about what works when she makes her own rubs for butts or ribs. She’s always playing with flavors, and we’ve been blessed to receive help along the way.  Harry Soo helped us with her comp chicken, we’ve received tons of support from this group, many of the basic recipes that we use were adaptations of things posted here.  People like @SGH @lousubcap @NPHuskerFL and many many others have encouraged us with kind words.  When we post one of her cooks the responses reassure her in some way that’s she’s doing a good job.    

So so that’s the long answer to your question......it’s been a journey that we’re loving.  

Carolina Q

Kent8621 said:

TEXASBGE2018 said:

I may have missed this, how did you get her started? My son is 7 and really interested in learning about cooking. He wants to be a chef he says when he grows up. I've been teaching him about basics so far. I'm thinking about getting a minimax so he can learn but also just so I can have it.

my almost 5 year old daughter is fascinated with helping and learning.  i am thinking about a minmax for her (and me) but curious how you got her going also. 

If you want to see more, search the forum for Norah Grace (or maybe just Norah). Young'n is impressive! Plenty of posts as to how she has progressed. I pay attention 'cuz I have two Granddaughters who are almost two. Time flies... before I know it, they'll be old enough!

ryantt

Carolina Q said:

Kent8621 said:

TEXASBGE2018 said:

I may have missed this, how did you get her started? My son is 7 and really interested in learning about cooking. He wants to be a chef he says when he grows up. I've been teaching him about basics so far. I'm thinking about getting a minimax so he can learn but also just so I can have it.

my almost 5 year old daughter is fascinated with helping and learning.  i am thinking about a minmax for her (and me) but curious how you got her going also. 

If you want to see more, search the forum for Norah Grace (or maybe just Norah). Young'n is impressive! Plenty of posts as to how she has progressed. I pay attention 'cuz I have two Granddaughters who are almost two. Time flies... before I know it, they'll be old enough!

One day there 2 and the next they are going to school and before I know it I’ll be handing her over to someone else to look after and care for her.   Time is flying and I’m trying my best to make the most of it.  

TEXASBGE2018

ryantt said:

Carolina Q said:

If you want to see more, search the forum for Norah Grace (or maybe just Norah). Young'n is impressive! Plenty of posts as to how she has progressed. I pay attention 'cuz I have two Granddaughters who are almost two. Time flies... before I know it, they'll be old enough!

One day there 2 and the next they are going to school and before I know it I’ll be handing her over to someone else to look after and care for her.   Time is flying and I’m trying my best to make the most of it.  

This hit me the other day when I realized "Crap, in less than a decade my son will be driving and in 11 years my daughter will be." I gotta make more money....

Woodchunk

Very nice and great gift.

did yeti do this or another company?

ryantt

@Woodchunk we had it done by a local yeti dealer. If you do not have anyone local to you there are lots of online options.  Atlanta Grill Company has a nice service for these kinds of gifts.  

SGH

ryantt said:

People like @SGH @lousubcap @NPHuskerFL and many many others have encouraged us with kind words. 

And we always will my brother. Tell her to keep up the outstanding job she is doing as pitmaster. 

Kent8621

ryantt said:

@TEXASBGE2018 @Kent8621
Norah Grace started out by just hanging out with dad when she was 3.  She was always with me, and started to “help” all on her own.  Overtime she started to do more and more, so naturally dad fostered her interest, because what else could I do. When she was 6-7 she was running cooks with less and lesss assistance.  At age 8 she received her first kamado grill as a gift from the owner of KJ.   She cooks a lot these days and competes at local comps and egg fest  often times beating people 4 and 5 times her age (proud dad )!

Anyways the key has been to teach her how to do things safely, how to start the grill how to open the lid when we are cooking hot and fast, how to get food on and off without issues. Just spend time with her, I let her run the show, telling me what she wants to do.  I’ve never really pushed her to do anything with cooking, 

Now she’s she a better cook than I am.  She thinks about what works when she makes her own rubs for butts or ribs. She’s always playing with flavors, and we’ve been blessed to receive help along the way.  Harry Soo helped us with her comp chicken, we’ve received tons of support from this group, many of the basic recipes that we use were adaptations of things posted here.  People like @SGH @lousubcap @NPHuskerFL and many many others have encouraged us with kind words.  When we post one of her cooks the responses reassure her in some way that’s she’s doing a good job.    

So so that’s the long answer to your question......it’s been a journey that we’re loving.  

thanks for the input, I too try and spend alot of time with her at this age, unfortunately i travel for work alot so when i home she follows me around.  my little guy is now three also and his interest is starting to peak but he is really just interested in eating more than anything.

Woodchunk

ryantt said:

@Woodchunk we had it done by a local yeti dealer. If you do not have anyone local to you there are lots of online options.  Atlanta Grill Company has a nice service for these kinds of gifts.  

Great, thanks

ryantt

Hey Scottie could I pick your brain about another cooker for her.   She wants an offset.....I know your the man when it comes to cookers @SGH

SGH

ryantt said:

Hey Scottie could I pick your brain about another cooker for her.   She wants an offset.....I know your the man when it comes to cookers @SGH

PM headed your way. 

ryantt

@Kent8621, I completely understand the travel/away from home aspect of things.   These days I’m lucky to be home everyday, but I typically work 12-14hrs a day but luckily just 5 days a week.   Then I also teach Sunday school, preach 2 times a month and do youth on Wednesday’s.  Life is busy so what time we have I make the most of.  I do not know if she gravitated to cooking because that’s what I did when I was home of if it was her interest because she liked the food.   All I know is now she loves it, its a family affair and I am beyond joyed we have this to share together.    

My fried, I guess my quarters worth of free advise (pastor so it’s worth extra jk) is spend the time doing what ever you can to be with your little one.   As I look back at my childhood I remember all the time my grandparents spent with me, not the gifts, money, size of house or any thing else.   The time is what I remember, they were there for me, took me in adopted me and took care of me.   Giving me much, so much more than what they realized.  

Killit_and_Grillit

Awesome! She will be pumped no doubt. 

lousubcap

ryantt said:

Hey Scottie could I pick your brain about another cooker for her.   She wants an offset.....I know your the man when it comes to cookers @SGH

@ryantt Please take all following with a few grains of salt...I am a true neophyte in the stick burner world (2 years+ as an owner) but at my ripe old age closing in on 7 decades I had wanted to learn how to manage a wood fired smoker for years.  And it is a totally different animal.  Needs care and feeding almost continuously as you know.  This should be given serious thought as the level of effort is a few orders of magnitude above a kamado cooker. 

I would not want Norah Grace to become frustrated with the stick burner to the point where it would impact her Q enthusiasm.  She has demonstrated a talent and skill-set way beyond her years.  Plenty of time to mess with the sticks down-stream.  FWIW-

ryantt

@lousubcap what I’m thinking is a fully insulated unit that would help I think with the need to constantly feed it.  Also perhaps something I can setup a charcoal maze in and let her toss a few logs on as we go so we could slowly break into it.  
Idk if such a beast exist but was thinking of getting a friend to help me with the build.   He’s got all the tools and talent I think we might need to make such a toy for her.  

I do do appreciate your wisdom, does the above sound like something that’s possible    

lousubcap

@ryantt Given your location the winters can be quite a deterrent to messing about with sticks.  If you know someone who has the skills you describe, you may want to address with him/her.  @SGH has a whole lot of knowledge here but given the size of even a small unit and the heat retention issues it may be reasonably beyond scope.  Hopefully I'm all off-base here.

As an audible, you may want to look at a good sized weber (they make a 26" rig I believe) and set it up for two zone cooking, feeding charcoal and small sticks to the one side (figuring they must have a hinged grate to enable that to happen) and cooking on the other.  Wish I had more. 

ryantt

lousubcap said:

@ryantt Given your location the winters can be quite a deterrent to messing about with sticks.  If you know someone who has the skills you describe, you may want to address with him/her.  @SGH has a whole lot of knowledge here but given the size of even a small unit and the heat retention issues it may be reasonably beyond scope.  Hopefully I'm all off-base here.

As an audible, you may want to look at a good sized weber (they make a 26" rig I believe) and set it up for two zone cooking, feeding charcoal and small sticks to the one side (figuring they must have a hinged grate to enable that to happen) and cooking on the other.  Wish I had more.  


Thanks for the info, the Weber might be a good way to go if my friend feels like he can’t do it.