What does one do with a clumsey daughter?

self | 9/05/2011 | self

[Little Bill]

I was insructing my Daughter into theymystries of CanningPickels. She is a Graduate of Culinary School along with several other degrees which added nothing to her employabilty.

I bought a cheap mandolin to insure consistant thickness of the cukes we were slicing, she proceeded to cut the tip of a finger off, The blood, the blood, after doing first aide I sent her off to the ER.

Is this normal? I mean cooks deal with sharp stuff, how many fingers lie at the bottom of our salads?

[Truth29]

What does one do with a clumsey daughter?

Well, if her name was Chaz Bono, I could talk about options not normally thought about, but that would be in bad taste...

[Little Bill]

I was going to do something similar but she wanted no onions and canned. She grew up on refrigerator dills.

[linn37]

Looks tasty,let us know when they are ready and don’t be so hard on the kid. Usually you are more careful the next time after you slice off the tip of one of your digits. If she does it again then worry.

[pyx]

Your daughter may not be quite as clumsey as you think. Many "professional" people have cut themselves badly on mandolin food cutters. The exposed blades are very sharp.

There are smaller 'V' style mandolin cutters often come complete with food grippers to prevent cuts. I use one of these with a food gripper to prepare cukes for pickling. Larger box-style mandolin food cutters for large food items such as cabbage halves/quarters (for sauerkraut) are often designed with food grippers already built into them to prevent cuts.

Although you likely do already, shower your son/daughter with sincere praise when they get things correct, irrespective of their age.

[Uriah_lost]

Every experienced butcher I’ve ever known has freaky looking fingers from “bobbing” them in the process of doing their jobs. I think its mostly just from not focusing on the task at hand...

[chris_bdba]

With a mandolin you must use the pusher otherwise you will hurt yourself.

[EDINVA]

Short term solution could be a chef’s cutting glove. One of my sons worked in food prep some years ago and had a metal/mesh glove, like a knight’s mail, to wear while slicing and dicing. I’d think employers would insist on using something like that rather than end up with a fingertip in the salad.

[Little Bill]

This was for her, the next will be mine, 80 bucks I needed an excuse.

[Skooz]

My daughter caught much grief — real and playful — for being somewhat of a klutz.

All I could do was adore her. Still do.

[Little Bill]

She may well think of herself as a klutz, she ain't and knows it, but she plays the woman game and does it well.

[Little Bill]

She may well think of herself as a klutz, she ain't and knows it, but she plays the woman game and does it well.

[TruthConquers]

Maybe she’s like my daughter and gets tripped up (pun intended) by mere simplicity. Mine can do the most difficult gymnastics routines and tumbling passes but faceplants at least 10 times a day just WALKING. Not even chewing gum at the same time, either! :O

That is the case with dancers as well. I personally think that the more flexible among us are more prone to this type of thing. They get labeled clumsy, but it is a matter of being so much more flexible than the rest of us, they can do things to themselves that the less flexible just don't do.

My daughter is a ballet dancer (who just became a trainee at a ballet company this fall) and they are known for this very same problem. They are clumsy. And my hubby is the same. But he isn't a dancer at all. But he still managed to sprain both ankles once in a parking lot.

Stuff just happens.

[eartrumpet]

I know a butcher who backed into his meat grinder.

He got a little behind in his work.

Then his wife backed into the meat saw.

Disaster.

[Sacajaweau]

Because I don’t pay attention sometimes, I keep my one sharp knife in a sheath.

[Sacajaweau]

These are sweet and crispy and they're just so easy.

I grew up on my grandmas dill pickles.

I got this recipe a few years back from my mom.

[eastforker]

I have two butchers steels, both over a hundred years old. One just a little more course or maybe less worn than the other. When I get done sharpening you could shave with those knives. My son got me a Japanese Messermeister for my birthday one year, about a hundred dollar knife. That knife is kept in it’s box untill I get ready to use it.

[Chode]

could e worse...

[Little Bill]

I remember My Grannie in Utah making dills 60 years ago, I am still sorting out recipes after my Mother died. I am going to fatten my Grand daughter up on 200 year old recipes.

[Hot Tabasco]

What does one do with a clumsey daughter?

she proceeded to cut the tip of a finger off,

I don't know why you're panicking, she's got nine more fer crissakes! You ever hear a cat complaining about losing one of its lives??????

[Flamenco Lady]

Don’t harass her or tease her about it. She probably feels bad enough already.

If your mandolin does not have a gripper you can also use one of the grippers for an ear of corn with the mandolin. If the prongs are too long for the item you are slicing you can cut spacers out of a clean sponge and load them on to the corn holder so the tips are short enough to hold the item you want to slice and still allow you to slice it using the mandolin without holding on to the food with your hands. The sponge will also provide and extra cusion for your hand and fingers so they don’t even have to get close to the blade on the mandolin.

I would rather cut up a sponge than my hand or fingers!