Sunday, October 30, 2011

Happy Halloween, My Little Goblins & Ghosts!

Just couldn't let this day go by without wishing you all a very Happy and Safe Halloween!

Fall has arrived so please stay tuned as I have lots of fun Thanksgiving, Christmas and all holiday fun in the kitchen "cooking with kids!"

Jan McCracken, Culinary Coach & Adult Helper-Sous Chef

Friday, October 7, 2011

Sailboats - It's Columbus Day!


Mixin' the fixin's with a little history of Columbus will be a really fun thing to do with the kids in the kitchen.

There are tons of sources on the internet to print out a coloring page for the kids to relate to Columbus Day. The kids can create the Sailor's Delight snack and talk about Columbus. Then eat their snack and color their little piece of history. And there's sure to be a resounding cry of, "Look what I made!"

So let's get started and make these Sailor Delight Snacks...

Depending on how many children are involved and how many will be eating snacks, they can each create the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria, or share... your call, the "Adult Sous Chef Helper!"

Here are the ingredients that you're going to need:
Cantaloupe
Red Grapes
Raisins
Marinated Cherries
Sliced Cheese - your choice - Swiss, Cheddar... any will work - you just need sqaure slices!

Materials that you'll need for preparation of the boats:
Large Knife
Cutting Board
Plates for all
Wooden Skewers

Let the kids wash the cantaloupe really well under running water. The Adult Sous Chef Helper should use a cutting board and a large knife and "demonstrate" how to slice the cantaloupe. Leave the rind on and cut in slices that can "sit up" when placed on a plates... think "little boats" here!

Give each of the kids a skewer. Have them place a cherry, then a grape and then a raisin on the top of the skewer.

Take a slice of cheese and poke a hole in opposite ends of the cheese squares. Put the skewer through the holes in the cheese squares. This will form the "sails" for the cantaloupe boats.

At the bottom of the skewer, have the kids add two more grapes and a couple of raisins to hold the cheese sail in place.

Stick the skewer into the cantaloupe and set those sails! The kids will be so proud of their colorful boats. Gather 'round the table and talk about Columbus and enjoy! Oh... don't forget after they have their snack and color their Columbus Day pictures, head back to the kitchen for clean up... don't do it for them, please... it goes with the program of cooking!

Oops... I almost forgot to tell you what they are going to learn on this one... here ya' go:
Making sailboats for Columbus Day will get them talking about Columbus and learning the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria (maybe you better brush up on your history...there may be questions :-D)!
Patience will be needed as they make holes in the cheese and put the fruit on the skewers.
Dexterity is sharpened when the kids are carefully placing fruit on the skewers.
Completing the task is reinforced when you head back to the kitchen for cleaning up!

Isn't cooking with the kids just the BEST? Have fun!

Happy Cooking,
Jan McCracken, Culinary Coach & Adult Sous Chef