Get to know us..
Hi!
Thanks for stopping by to meet Brody and I(mom). This whole process with the kids has been purely a labor of love. From the YouTube videos we make with other kids, to the learning experience that the kids get out of it.
My love for cooking started when I was very young, and I was inspired by my mom. I wasn’t always the best cook growing up, but my mom was and she was always in the kitchen cooking. She prepared a different meal every for the family night. She had a natural talent when it came to cooking, and could create an amazing meal out of thin air. Besides the variety of meals we had weekly, we also had a traditional Italian dinner (spaghetti and meatballs)on Sundays- every Sunday. This was the day that we all looked forward to, and we would have friends come over. It was a celebration of family, friends, and tradition. She would spend all day in the kitchen preparing the sauce. Then my dad would go into the kitchen to give it the taste test, and give her his expertise opinion. For me this is one of my fondest memories of growing up.
I always loved cooking, but it wasn’t a real passion until I hit my 20’s and I had to do my own cooking. I have to say I was a little spoiled by my mom. In fact my sister still makes fun of me to this day that I used to make the same Italian chicken in a cream sauce dish all the time, for us, friends, parties. First of all I loved this dish, and second I had no confidence or real skills in the kitchen. This is one recipe I had perfected and was proud to serve 🙂
As my interest grew in cooking so did my need to learn more. I started cooking more, experimenting, took lots of cooking classes, made a lot of different meals from recipes, then I was off to culinary school. I’m so fascinated with all the niche cooking and food blogs, and resources out there these days. I’m wowed every day by the talent and creativity that people share of their culinary creations. These amazing people have inspired me to be a better cook, and more creative in the kitchen.
The kitchen is my happy place, it’s where I find my Zen. I could spend hours, and even whole days in the kitchen making multiple things, preparing food, teaching the kids. Someone once told me that they thought it was weird that I can be in the kitchen all day. I still can’t find the weird in it, but obviously that person doesn’t cook.
Since Brody, my 7 year old, had taken such a huge interest in the kitchen, I started teaching him some basics and just having fun. He was only four at the time, so not a lot of hard work in the kitchen for him. Like no cooking on the stove, no baking, the mixers were not safe since he liked to try to stick his fingers in it, so we definitely avoided that, LOL. He’s old enough now and can handle more difficult kitchen tasks, and learn new skills. He likes to cut veggies cook, cook food on the stove with me, and anything else he can do with his hands. Through this process he became such a great eater. As far as my 6 year-old, Landon, he’s a challenge! He eats the basics well, but he could be very happy on a carb, and sweets diet. By the way I could get him to eat just about anything for a small fee! Yep, cash!
The Busy Little Chefs journey
We started this journey a couple years ago when Brody was just 5. I wanted to build upon his interest for cooking. This was a dream for me to be with my kids, and be creative through food. When I talked with him about the idea of a show, he liked it and he asked a lot of questions. Ok, what child doesn’t want to hang with their friends, make fun treats, and get paid? Yes, I paid him! Then we started talking about different food and dessert recipes. He was hilarious, just creating recipes that didn’t make sense. He didn’t know a lot of different ingredients then, but he’s come a long way since then.
Brody is a very active and artistic boy, and I’ve been told he’s a sensory seeking child. Well, this made perfect sense to me since he had to touch everything. The creation of this show was a way for Brody to satisfy his senses, and encompass all of his passions. He’s always up for shooting a new video, and definitely enjoys it.
I have been very hands on with the whole process, from the recipe development, to making the aprons, practicing with the kids, and editing the videos. I have such a passion for every part of the process. First, I get to spend time with Brody and teach him so many things, but I also get to do what I love.
Busy Little Chefs started as fun and entertaining videos for the kids. Since we started this process in 2015, I’ve been asked time and time again if I teach cooking. I spoke with Brody about the idea of teaching a full cooking course online through YouTube. He was so excited that we would be doing this together. This project is currently in the works, and we will be bringing new videos soon. This will start with the very basics, and an emphasis on learning skills, cooking methods, and ingredients.
We’re always happy to answer any questions, and you can contact us by clicking here.
Best,
Dyana & Brody
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