Niki Cordell’s Post

📣 Life Update (getting personal and vulnerable)…I started a kids cooking school on the side and am now going all in!! Junior Chefs Kitchen provides hands-on cooking classes infused with nutrition education for ages 2-18. Some of you know that I opened the JCK brick-and-mortar Studio in Lincoln Park, Chicago November 2023 while still working full time in tech sales (and trying to be a present mother to my 3 young kids). As of last week, I have decided to go for it and work full time at JCK!!! This is a nerve racking decision but the right one for me, my family and JCK. The demand has exceeded expectations and there are big growth plans so I want to be "all in" (a la Scott Galloway or the sharks on #sharktank).    And in the 9 months we’ve been open, we’ve done some incredible things:  📚 Doubled our after school partnerships - now in 16 north side programs, both CPS and private schools 🎉 Forged a partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago 🥑 Created over 200 teaching recipes 👨🍳 Cooked, ate and taught over 150 kids per week in studio classes and after school programs 🌞 Summer camp was 90% sold out (our first summer!!) teaching over 1,250 kids! 🍽 Partnered with 15 restaurants for Field Trips  🍪 Helped a few Girl Scout Troops earn badges (more to come there!!) 🧁 Baked tens of thousands cupcakes for our Birthday Parties.  🥫 Donated over 400 pounds of food via our partnership with Nourishing Hope 🥦 Composted over 815 pounds with WasteNot, Inc. Here’s why you should check us out - in person, on social or subscribe to our weekly newsletter:    💙 We give parents a break from battling with their kids to try new foods!!  💜 Our Junior Chefs learn life skills - like knife safety, cooperation, patience, teamwork, collaboration, math, and science. ❤️ We are the only kids cooking school in Chicagoland that cooks with meat, fish and poultry as young as 2 years old.  🧡 JCK works with a Registered Dietitian that ensures our recipes are nutrient dense and provides the curriculum for staff to share these factoids. And if you’re still reading 🤣, here’s what’s next: scouting two (2) additional studios in Chicago (West Loop, South Loop, Wicker Park) with the goal to start franchising in late 2025. I want to give local entrepreneurs a way to tap their network with a proven, scalable business model that earns 30% + net margin with a powerful mission. Please join me in this adventure: ✔️ Subscribe to our weekly Wednesday newsletter full of recipes, nutrition info and happenings around town. ✔️ Follow us on Instagram / Facebook for daily info & bts reels. ✔️ Join a class! Your first class is 40% off with code JCKFall2024 And there are SO many people that have helped along the way I’d like to thank: Jonathon Cordell Amy Hoffar Cheronis Genevieve Custer Weeks Abby Phelps Philip Rosenzweig Lena Eliopoulos Michael Wexler Michael Chin David Blitz LG Group & many more! Happy Cooking! https://lnkd.in/gN8e8peD

Are double yolks lucky? If they are, I was very lucky when I was making omelettes the other day. Not pictured but I broke 6 eggs and FOUR were double yolks! What are the chances? Eggs are the best thing to start cooking with with your children. They are so versatile. From cracking to mixing, from omelette to scrambled egg to French toast. Having children be involved in cooking gives them skills they can take through adult hood. I always give them one cup to put the egg into and one to put the shell in, do it near the sink and actively clean up with them. And if shell gets in the cup? Dont worry, use the other piece of the shell as it cuts through the albumen and you can retrieve it. Pour it into a bowl to give children more access/vosibility. Then once they have cracked those simple dishes (see what I did there) you can start adding other ingredients and make other recipes with egg! For more ideas on bringing learning to life in the kitchen, my award-winning book ‘More to Mealtimes- how to learn almost anything in the kitchen and make mealtimes easier’ is available on Amazon or message me for a signed copy for just £10! #eggs #childdevelopment #nanny #learning #cookingwithchildren #doubleyolk

🍳 Discover the Top 10 Benefits of Cooking Classes for Children🌟 Cooking is more than just preparing food—it's a gateway to developing a wealth of life skills for our young ones. The benefits are as diverse and enriching as the recipes they'll learn to prepare. Why exactly is cooking the greatest activity for children? Here's what we uncovered: Fosters Creativity: Let their imagination run wild with flavors and colors. Builds Confidence: Every dish they prepare serves as a boost to their self-esteem. Teaches Responsibility: Handling food and tools can mature their sense of responsibility. Encourages Healthy Eating Habits: Being part of the cooking process can make healthy foods more appealing. Enhances Fine Motor Skills: Chopping, mixing, and plating refine their coordination. Introduces Science and Math Concepts: Cooking is a practical application of these subjects. Promotes Teamwork: Group classes require collaboration and communication. Cultivates Patience and Focus: Waiting for cookies to bake is the sweetest lesson. Instills Life-long Skills: These are abilities they will use long into adulthood. Strengthens Family Bonds: Sharing the joy of cooking brings families closer. 🧑🍳 So, let's stir up a discussion: How can we make cooking classes more fun and enticing for kids of all ages? And don't forget—tag a parent who would love to see their child don the chef's hat and embrace the wonder of cooking! 🥘 #KidsCookingClasses #YoungChefs #FamilyFun #CookingCamp Let's cook up some fun and learning! ---

Everyone remembers what food was like when they were students — but now, in California, school meals are changing and it’s the school food professionals who are making it happen. California’s school food professionals are more skilled than ever before. From scratch cooking and meal planning, to procuring fresh ingredients and educating kids about what to eat, they are leading the effort to bring better quality meals to school cafeterias. Check out how school food professionals are improving school food and powering California’s students: https://ow.ly/GsIJ50Rnue1

Everyone remembers what food was like when they were students — but now, in California, school meals are changing and it’s the School Food Professionals who are making it happen. California’s School Food Professionals are more skilled than ever before. From scratch cooking and meal planning, to procuring fresh ingredients and educating kids about what to eat, they are leading the effort to bring better quality meals to school cafeterias. Check out how School Food Professionals are improving school food and powering California’s students: https://ow.ly/GsIJ50Rnue1

Everyone remembers what food was like when they were students — but now, in California, school meals are changing and it’s the School Food Professionals who are making it happen. California’s School Food Professionals are more skilled than ever before. From scratch cooking and meal planning, to procuring fresh ingredients and educating kids about what to eat, they are leading the effort to bring better quality meals to school cafeterias. Check out how School Food Professionals are improving school food and powering California’s students: https://ow.ly/GsIJ50Rnue1

As a current board member of Kids Cooking For Life, I am reaching out to friends, colleagues and family alike to invite you to personally join me on Dec 4th, or support this mission to spread cooking classes for children. My parents divorced when I was 6, and while my dad taught me how to make rice in a rice cooker, I really wished someone could have taught me how to cook. It wasn't until I became an adult, did I learn how to cook. My career has evolved to be an instructor for kids' cooking classes and mentoring other instructors to teach cooking classes in the San Francisco Bay Area. As an instructor in communities like the Tenderloin, Bayview and Mission neighborhoods, I see first-hand what your donations can provide: purchasing healthy ingredients, cooking instruments and the 10 weeks I spend guiding them as they develop new lifelong skills. Will you help me continue to help communities heal from within by supporting Kids Cooking for Life and donating or coming to our Friendraiser? Your donations help fund cooking classes to those who need it the most. From KCL: "Hello, Friends, You are warmly invited to Kids Cooking For Life Friendraiser on December 4 at 5:30 - 7:30p (319 Miller Ave, Mill Valley CA)! I also want to share with you what’s cookin' at Kids Cooking For Life. Did you know that the California Department of Education does not require teachers to teach nutrition and when they do, it’s a barely a couple of hours through some hand outs and worksheets? We all know that is not the best way to learn about healthy eating. With schools already stretched thin and budgets for life skills programs continually shrinking, schools, administrators, teachers, parents, kids and our community RELY on organizations like Kids Cooking for Life to deliver this life-skill education. No wonder we have a long waitlist for our program. Thanks to donors like you, our classes are FREE to the children.  Because no child should pay to learn life skills. The ability to cook simple, nutritious meals can reduce dependence on processed foods and give kids the confidence to prepare simple meals that nourish both body and mind. Eating healthy shouldn’t be so difficult! By offering our classes free of charge to schools that cannot afford them, we ensure that children from all backgrounds have the opportunity to learn these skills. Your investment in the our young chefs ensures that they have the opportunity to benefit from a lifetime of healthy eating. Pls join our Friendraiser on December 4. If you unable to attend but would like to support us, please consider making a donation on https://lnkd.in/gNBipXyk or through Venmo (QR code in invitation below). Together, we can continue to empower young people, one healthy meal at a time."

Everyone remembers what food was like when they were students — but now, in California, school meals are changing and it’s the School Food Professionals who are making it happen. California’s School Food Professionals are more skilled than ever before. From scratch cooking and meal planning, to procuring fresh ingredients and educating kids about what to eat, they are leading the effort to bring better quality meals to school cafeterias. Check out how School Food Professionals are improving school food and powering California’s students. ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/gyHn9J24

Parenting Today: Explore the joy of cooking with kids! From small blenders to silicone molds, these kid-friendly tools are designed to make mealtime more engaging and fun for young chefs. Discover how these tools can help teach responsibility and life skills in the kitchen.

Research shows that children who participate in chores such as cooking become more successful young adults. Bonus: Did you know that kids who help with food preparation are more likely to eat fruits and vegetables? Read more on our blog grow! 👇 https://lnkd.in/e3prxby4