Kitchen Survival for Busy Parents

A Five-Week Culinary Bootcamp

For many of us, the stress of dinner starts long before we get home. By the time the workday is over, everyone is hungry, we're exhausted, and figuring out what to cook feels like one more thing on an already endless to-do list. Takeout starts sounding like the easiest option. Before long, it becomes a habit—expensive, often unhealthy, and never quite as satisfying as a home-cooked meal.

It doesn't have to be this way.

That's exactly why I created Kitchen Survival.

I'm not just a chef—I'm also a busy mom who has spent years juggling family life while running my own business. I know what it's like to get home after a long day with a refrigerator full of ingredients and still wonder what to make for dinner.

Over the past 25 years, I've worked in professional kitchens, catered hundreds of events, taught cooking classes, and built Baba's Brew from the ground up. But the most valuable lessons I've learned haven't come from restaurant kitchens—they've come from figuring out how to consistently put wholesome, homemade meals on the table when life is busy.

The systems I'll share in this bootcamp are the same ones I rely on in my own home every week. They'll help you spend less time wondering what's for dinner, save money by wasting less food and relying less on takeout, and make cooking enjoyable instead of overwhelming. Most importantly, they'll help you put healthier, more delicious homemade meals on the table for the people you love.

Over five hands-on classes, we'll cook together, enjoy the meal we've prepared around the table, and build your own Kitchen Survival Binder—filled with recipes, chef's notes, cooking formulas, and practical resources you'll use long after the bootcamp is over.

Whether you're just learning to cook or simply looking for a better system, my goal is to help you feel confident, organized, and excited to cook again.

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🧑🍳 WEEK I – Kitchen Foundations: Knife Skills & Setting Yourself Up for Success

📅 Sunday, September 6th | 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Every confident home cook starts with the same foundation: good knife skills, an organized kitchen, and a plan. In our first class, you'll learn how to prep ingredients efficiently, organize your workspace like a chef, and build habits that make cooking faster, easier, and far less stressful.

Skills You'll Learn

     Choosing the right knife for the job

     Proper knife grip and cutting techniques

     Knife care and sharpening basics

     Essential knife cuts: dice, mince, julienne, batonnet, chiffonade, slices, and wedges

     Kitchen organization and efficient workflow 

     Pantry essentials every busy home cook should have

     Refrigerator and freezer organization

     Proper storage of fresh herbs and produce to maximize freshness

     Kitchen tools worth investing in—and the ones you can skip

Menu

     Crispy Oven-Baked French Fries

     Colorful Vegetable Stir Fry

     Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Kitchen Survival Bonus

My 30-Minute Weekly Produce Prep Routine

Learn the exact system I use after every grocery trip to save time, reduce food waste, and make healthy cooking easier all week long.

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🧑🍳 WEEK II – One Chicken. Five Meals.

📅 Sunday,  September 13 | 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM

A whole chicken is one of the most economical and versatile ingredients you can buy. In this class, you'll learn how to roast it perfectly, carve it with confidence, make rich homemade stock, and transform one simple dinner into several completely different meals your family will actually look forward to eating.

Skills You'll Learn

     Choosing a quality chicken

     Proper seasoning and roasting

     Using a meat thermometer

     Carving like a pro

     Making homemade chicken stock

     Safe food storage

     Meal planning from leftovers

Menu

     Perfect Roast Chicken

     Perfect Mashed Potatoes

     Seasonal Roasted Vegetables

     Homemade Chicken Stock

Kitchen Survival Bonus

One Chicken → Five Family Meals

We'll discuss how one roast chicken can become: Roast Chicken Dinner, Chicken Taco, Chicken Salad Sandwiches, Chicken Noodle Soup, Chicken Fried Rice

You'll receive recipes for all five.

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🧑🍳 WEEK III – Freezer Cooking: Cook Once, Eat All Week

📅 Sunday,  September 20 | 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Imagine opening your freezer after a long day and finding homemade meals ready to go instead of reaching for takeout. In this class, you'll learn how to batch cook, freeze with confidence, and turn one afternoon of cooking into weeks of stress-free dinners.

Skills You'll Learn

     Batch cooking

     Freezer meal planning

     Cooling and storing food safely

     Portioning meals

     Reheating without sacrificing quality

     Transforming one recipe into several meals

Menu

     Chicken Pot Pie Filling

     Hearty Beef Chili

     Homemade Meatballs

Kitchen Survival Bonus

One Recipe → Many Meals

Learn how to transform one recipe into multiple completely different dinners your family won't get tired of.

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🧑🍳 WEEK IV – Cooking Without a Recipe: The No-Waste Kitchen

📅 Sunday,  September 27 | 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Some of the best meals aren't planned—they're created from what's already in your refrigerator. Learn how to cook with confidence instead of relying on recipes, rescue leftovers before they become food waste, and turn everyday ingredients into delicious meals.

Skills You'll Learn

     Cooking without a recipe

     Ingredient substitutions

     Reducing food waste

     Bread rescue techniques

     Homemade pantry sauces

     Building meals from leftovers

Menu

     Refrigerator Frittata

     Clean-Out-the-Fridge Stir Fry

     Sunday Refrigerator Strata

     Everyday Dijon Vinaigrette

     The Ultimate Stir Fry Sauce

Kitchen Survival Bonus

My Sunday Refrigerator Reset

A simple weekly routine that helps reduce waste, save money, and make meal planning almost effortless.

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🧑🍳 WEEK V – Family Favorites: Homemade Classics Everyone Loves

📅 Sunday, October 4 | 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM

We'll finish the bootcamp with the meals everyone requests again and again. These are the homemade classics that bring people to the table—simple, comforting recipes you'll make for years to come.

Skills You'll Learn

     Building flavor from simple ingredients

     Making comfort food from scratch faster than ordering take-out

     Homemade convenience food

     Weeknight cooking shortcuts

     Freezer-friendly family meals

     Elevating everyday classics

Menu

     Juicy Smash Burgers

     Creamy Homemade Mac & Cheese

     Classic Creamy Coleslaw

     Homemade Burger Sauce

Kitchen Survival Bonus

One Burger Night → Several Family Meals

Learn how to turn burgers into cheeseburger bowls, patty melts, stuffed peppers, taco night, and more.

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By the end of this bootcamp, you won't just have five new recipes.

You'll have a kitchen that works better, wastes less, saves you money, and makes answering "What's for dinner?" a whole lot easier.

Investment

Early Bird Tuition

$950

Register by August 31 and save $145.

Regular Tuition

$1,095

Your tuition includes:

     Five hands-on culinary classes (15 hours of instruction)

     All organic, thoughtfully sourced ingredients

     A complete Kitchen Survival Binder that we'll build together throughout the bootcamp

     Recipes, chef's notes, cooking formulas, and practical kitchen resources

     A shared meal at the end of every class featuring everything we've prepared together

     Plenty of individual instruction in a small-group setting

Space is intentionally limited to ensure every student receives personal guidance and hands-on coaching.

Seats are limited and this one will fill quickly. Once it’s full, it’s full!