Spring is time to play in the dirt...

I love playing in the dirt just as much as kids do... I love spending time in the garden... I've always been the happiest when my hands are in the dirt! I have garden gloves but they always seem to end up on the ground or the table on the porch :-)

Since Spring is here, let's make some "Dirt Cups" for a great Spring snack! The kids are gonna love it!

Here's the recipe:

2 cups milk

1 (4-serving size) instant chocolate pudding

1 (8-ounce) frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 (1-pound) package chocolate sandwich cookies

8 (9-ounce) plastic cups

Gummi worms and frogs to decorate

1. Crush the chocolate sandwich cookies & set aside

Note: The kids will love to do this if you put them in a zippy bag and give them a wooden mallet or a rolling pin!

2. Mix milk and pudding in a large bowl. Beat with a whisk until well blended. Let stand for 5 minutes. Yes, the kids can do ALL of this! Remember, you're their "assistant!"

3. Add whipped topping and half of the crushed cookies.

4. Place 1 Tablespoon of the cookie crush in the bottom of each plastic cup.

5. Fill cups about 3/4 full with pudding mixture.

6. Sprinkle with the remaining cookie crush mixture.
Note: Make sure the cookies are crushed to look like "dirt!"

7. Chill about an hour.

8. When ready to serve let the kids decorate with worms and frogs!

Don't be surprised if dirt cups become one of their favorite treats.

Getting Kids into the Kitchen,

Jan McCracken, Culinary Coach for Kids

Auspicious Fortune Cookies!

Fun for celebrating Chinese New Year! 

Fortune cookies are fun to make and a sure way to get the creative juices running in the kids as well as some good laughs making memories in the kitchen.

Chinese New Year is all about “good fortune” for the coming year so what better way to celebrate than to make your own fortune cookies!

Here’s a recipe that will make 12 fortune cookies:

1 egg white
Tiny amount of vanilla extract
1 pinch salt
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar 

Have the kids write their fortunes on strips of white paper (pieces about 4 inches x 1/2- inch).

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease two cookie sheets and set aside.

Adult helper, please beat the egg white and vanilla until foamy but not stiff with an electric mixer. Have the kids do the measuring and left them sift the flour, salt, and sugar and fold gently. Then they can fold the dry ingredients into the egg white mixture. Kids love learning the "folding" skill!

Place a teaspoonful of the batter onto one of the prepared cookie sheets, and tilt the sheet to encourage the batter to form into a nice round shape about 3 inches in diameter. Repeat, leaving at least 2 inches between the cookies, and sticking to no more than 2 or 3 per sheet as you will need to work with them quickly while they are hot. DO NOT let the kids work with the hot cookies!

Put the first sheet into the oven and bake for about 5 minutes, watching carefully, until the cookie has turned a golden color around the outer edge of the circle (the center should remain pale.

Note:  Have the kids sit on the floor and watch the cookies closely as they can easily burn on the edges! They will love it! 

Remove cookies from the  oven and very quickly lift one of the cookies with a spatula and turn upside down onto a wooden board. Adult needed here, please! 

Place the fortune in the middle of the cookie and fold the cookie in half. Place the folded edge across the rim of a cup or glass and pull the pointed edges down, one on the inside of the cup and one on the outside. Stand the folded cookies in the cups of a muffin tin or egg carton until they cool so that they hold their shape. 

Be sure to mix the cookies up for the kids to make their choices. If you want more cookies, just double the ingredients!

May your Year of the Snake be blessed and propserous,

Jan McCracken, Culinary Coach

New Year's Slushies!

Kids adore fancy glasses and if you pop one of those little umbrellas in "anything" they are thrilled... add a garnish of a slice of fresh pineapple or a strawberry on the side of the glass and... wow... they feel very grown up!

So let's make New Year's Eve special and get the kids back in the kitchen. Here's what you'll need for a tasty and fun slushie..

1 can frozen orange juice concentrate
1 pint pineapple juice
3 ripe bananas 

Ginger ale

Little paper party umbrellas

Fresh strawberries or fresh pineapple for garnish (or a skinny orange slice)

Combine ingredients in a pitcher. Freeze until mixture is slushy, stirring with a wooden spoon. 

Spoon 2 or 3 tablespoons (or more) into a party glass and add ginger ale... bubbles are fun for New Year's no matter your age!

Add some fun New Year's hats and noisemakers (from the $ store) and you have celebrating kids!

2013 Blessings and Happy, Happy New Year,

Jan McCracken, Culinary Coach

Fudge-Filled Cookie Cutters!

All righty... these are so much fun to make and easy, peasy! More great gifts that the kids will be so tickled to give with a big grin and "look what I made!" 

You can pull out your own favorites fudge recipe but I've got a "Peppermint Fudge" recipe here for you that looks soooooo festive and tastes yummy... Does this sound like Christmas or what? Just imagine "this fudge" in the cookie cutters at the top of the post... pretty cool, huh? Let's get started... first of all buy Christmas cookie cutters... they are on sale every where right now. You can even find some large copper ones at some of the dollar stores. Or, you can buy a couple dozen of different shapes and sizes too! And the plastic red and green ones look great too! So many choices :-)...

Here we go...
2 (10-ounce) packages vanilla baking chips
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract (add more if you want it more minty!)
1 1/2 cups crushed candy canes
Just a quick dash of red food coloring

Let the kids... Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray the inside of the cookie cutters with non-stick cooking spray. Line the cookie cutters up on the parchment paper and set aside. 

Let the kids do the measuring and crushing of the candy canes (they love doing this)! Combine the vanilla chips and sweetened condensed milk in a saucepan. We need the adult helper to cook over medium heat. Stir frequently until almost melted, remove from heat and continue to stir until smooth. When chips are completely melted, stir in the peppermint extract, food coloring, and crushed candy canes. 

Remove from heat and pour into the cookie cutters and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Now the kids can place the cookie cutters in plain or decorative Christmas cellophane bags and tie at the bottom.

If you use clear cello bags, let the kids decorate them with Christmas stickers... again, I encourage you to let the kids use their imagination and creativity... ALWAYS!

Merry, Merry!

'Tis the Season to Get Kids Cooking,

Jan McCracken, Culinary Coach

Window Pane Christmas Cookies...

{Photo Source:  Kraft}

The kids will literally sit on the floor with the oven light on and watch these cookies bake as the candies melt. Let the magic begin as dough is transformed into cookies with colored window panes! The kids are gonna love it!

Here's the ingredient list:

18 red and green clear hard candies

2/3 cup butter, softened

2/3 cup shortening

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 cups all-purpose flour

Sifted powdered sugar 

Cookie cutters of the kids' choice Note: You'll need a large cookie cutter and a matching smaller cookie cutter for some cool Christmas trees, bells, stars... let them use their imagination.

Line cookies sheets with foil and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Have the kids put the red and green candies in separate small "heavy" plastic zippy bags. Crush candies, leaving them coarse. Place each color in a small bowl.

Now let's mix up the cookie dough...

Let the kids measure the ingredients using several measuring cups (just like on the cooking shows)! And, please stop the mixer and let them dump ingredients into the mixing bowl. DO NOT keep the mixer running while those little fingers are near, please. 

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and shortening with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds (an adult helper is needed here, please). Add granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Beat mixture until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally (if the kids want to scrape, please stop the mixer). 

Beat in eggs and vanilla. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour. Divide dough in fourths. 

Now the kids can jump in... the kids will love trying to roll out the dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll a portion of the dough 1/4-inch thick. Using 2-1/2- to 3-inch cutters in desired shape, cut out dough. Place cutouts about 1 inch apart on prepared cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining dough. 

Using smaller, 1/2- to 3/4-inch hors  cutters, cut out two, three, or four shapes from each larger cutout. Note:  The key here is to not let the kids cut out too many shapes so the dough won't hold together... I know, details!

Fill cutout openings with crushed candy. Bake in preheated oven about 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned (have the kids watch carefully so they don't burn). Cool completely on foil. When completely cool to the touch carefully peel foil away from cookies. 

The kids will like this part... using a small brush, dust the edges of cooled cookies with powdered sugar. Makes about 4 dozen. These make great gifts and the kids will be SO proud of them!

Merry, Merry!

'Tis the Season for Cooking with Kids,

Jan McCracken, Culinary Coach

A Recipe for Christmas Joy!

Merry Christmas and God Bless you every one! 

Here's a special little recipe for stirring up some Christmas Joy... Let's remember the "Reason for the Season" as we have fun here at KidsCooking411 with some wonderful recipes coming your way.

To set the Christmas spirit in motion, here's a Recipe for Christmas Joy (please feel free to add any of your own special ingredients :-)...

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Hugs
4 teaspoons Kisses
2 cups Smiles
4 cups Love
1 cup Special Holiday Cheer
1/2 cup Peace on Earth
3 teaspoons Christmas Spirit
2 cups Goodwill Toward Man
1 Sprig of Mistletoe
1 medium-size bag of Christmas Snowflakes (the regular kind won't do!)

Mix Hugs, Kisses, Smiles and Love until consistent. Blend in Holiday Cheer, Peace on Earth, Christmas Spirit and the Good Will toward Men. Use the mixture to fill a large, warm heart, where it can be stored for a lifetime... the shelf life is FOREVER :-)

Serve as desired under mistletoe, by the Christmas tree... or just when the mood strikes! Be sure to sprinkle liberally with special Christmas Snowflakes of Love.

It is especially good when accompanied by Christmas Carols, family get togethers, connecting with old and new friends... and even sprinkled amongst unsuspecting strangers!

Serve cheerfully to one and all.

May you have the Merriest Christmas Ever! 'Tis the Season and I'll have some really fun recipes for cooking with the kids beginning this weekend so please stop back by!

'Tis the Season to get kids cooking,

Jan McCracken, Culinary Coach

Frosty Pumpkin Pies!

Talk about Thanksgiving FUN! The kids are gonna love making this pie and will be SO proud when it comes time for serving family and friends.

So get the kids in the kitchen and grab your aprons and your spatulas!

Here's what you'll need:
Pre-made graham cracker pie crust (or let the kids make it from scratch... your choice)
1 cup plain canned pumpkin (this is the real pumpkin not filling)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1 quart of vanilla ice cream
Whipped cream for garnish (optional)

Note: While the kids are getting prepared and getting their aprons on you might want to set the ice cream out on the countertop so it can begin to soften.

All righty... here we go... man your mixing stations!

Using a large bowl (or dividing between a couple of bowls... depending on the number of kids cooking)... soften the ice cream... Do this with a large spoon or large spatula... yes, the size of the spoon or spatula is "relative" to the size of the child's hand! Set the ice cream aside (we don't want soup... just "softened").

Combine the pumpkin, sugar and spices together. You have a choice here... you can use an electric mixer and closely supervise it's use or you can let the kids stir it up! Kids would rather stir it up!

Make sure the ice cream is well mixed and softened. Then add the pumpkin mixture to the ice cream... yep, just dump that pumpkin stuff in there! Now, stir, stir, stir until very well blended... you'll be able to tell because it will all be the same color! As the "adult helper" if you need to give the mixture a few shots with the electric mixer when the kids have stirred their little hearts out... just do it!

Now let the kids spoon the mixture into the pie crust. Smooth the top with the back of a spoon. Pop the pie into the freezer for several hours until it is firm.

When it's serving time, remove the pie from the freezer and let it thaw for a few minutes. Let the kids add a dollop of whipped cream on top of each piece and have the kids serve the pie to the guests... they will be so proud... and so will you!

Happy Thanksgiving Cooking with Kids!
Jan McCracken, Culinary Coach

Tasty Pilgrim Hats...

These tasty Pilgrim Hats are easy breezy and 
really fun to make! 

While the kids are gathering the ingredients and making the treats why not take turns telling stories about the Pilgrims. It doesn’t matter if the little ones don’t get the history just perfect… it’s their perceptions of what Pilgrims and Thanksgiving means to them that’s important and precious!

Have some fun with these…

Ingredients you’ll need:

Miniature Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

Oreo cookies

Candy corn or yellow jelly bean

Yellow or orange fruit roll-up

Chocolate frosting (a store bought can will work just dandy)

Decide how many Pilgrim Hats you want to make and then have the kids take the foil off of the peanut butter cups and set aside.

Separate the two halves of the Oreo cookies… you’ll need only the half without the icing so you can be gobbling up the other halves while you work! Or, set them aside and read the PS for a later project.

Take a small spoon of frosting and place it in the center of the plain chocolate cookie half.

Turn the peanut butter cup upside down and stick it in the center of the cookie in the dab of frosting. Then, frost over the entire cookie and the peanut butter cup so chocolate frosting covers all and is smooth.

Slice a thin strip of the fruit roll-up and wrap it around the base of the peanut butter cup, forming a band around the Pilgrim Hat. I think it’s more likely that you have some candy corn around rather than yellow jelly beans… so slice off the yellow part of the candy corn and dip it into the frosting. Stick the yellow slice onto the band of the hat, forming the buckle.

These are so cute displayed on a platter for a special Thanksgiving treat for the kids with some hot chocolate.
Having fun in the kitchen with kids,

Jan McCracken, Culinary Coach

Celebrating National S'mores Day!

Hello my little foodies, moms, grandmoms and anyone else that follows along with KidsCooking411...

We're celebrating this week and invite you to join in the fun! I'm Jan McCracken (most of you already know that) and I write KidsCooking411. Getting kids into the kitchen at an early age is one of my passions. Another passion is authoring cookbooks!

Friday is National S'mores Day (August 10) and so we're celebrating S'mores with a new S'mores recipe (without the campfire) every day this week at KidsCooking411. Fun stuff, right?

The other celebration is the release of my brand new Kindle cookbook that just went live on Amazon, S'mores Galore Ooey Gooey Recipes (No Campfire Required). It's a fun and yummy read with over 30 recipes with a twist on the flavors and magical ingredients of that campfire favorite, S'mores (see the new cover below). Jump over to my website to read more about the book: www.SmoresGalore411.com

Let's head to the kitchen and whip up an easy dessert to begin our S'mores celebration!

S'more Summer Parfaits

What You Need:
1 (3.9 ounces) package instant chocolate fudge pudding mix
2 cups cold milk
2 cups coarsely crushed graham crackers (about 24 squares)
1 cup miniature marshmallows
4 tablespoons mini-chocolate morsels
Whipped cream 

Make It:
Crush your own crackers as it saves a ton of money! Store bought crumbs are expensive. And besides, the kids will love rolling over them in a zippy bag with the rolling pin :-) This recipe will require about 24 squares or 12 whole graham crackers... give or take a couple.

This is a super easy recipe and with a little supervision and direction, I think you'll agree that the kids can pretty much do all of this one on their own! 

In a bowl, whisk together the pudding mix and cold milk for 2 minutes. Allow to stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set.

Use some parfait glasses or Mason jars and layer the ingredients as follows: Begin with 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs, 3 tablespoons of pudding, 1/4 cup marshmallows and 1 tablespoon chocolate morsels.

Top with the remaining pudding. Refrigerate for about an hour before serving.

At serving time, add a dollop of whipped cream. Sprinkle with the remaining graham cracker crumbs and a few chocolate morsels.
Makes 4 servings 

A cool S'more treat! Be sure to stop by tomorrow for another S'mores recipe!

S'more Cooking with Kids,

Jan McCracken, Culinary Coach

Smiley Summer Fruit Pizza!

In the good ol' summertime... this refreshing and fun fruit pizza will make the kids smile as they make their pizza smile!

Playing with their food and making funny faces with fruit?

Yep... they're gonna love it... let's do it!

Smiley Summer Fruit Pizza

3 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

6 (6-inch) flour tortillas

2 tablespoons water

1 (1-ounce) package instant vanilla pudding (the 4-serving size!)

1 banana

1/2 fresh mango

1 kiwi fruit

Fresh strawberries

Seedless raisins

Cooking spray

All righty... there is very little of this that the kids can do by themselves with an adult helper overseeing building smiley fruit pizzas!

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a small bowl, still together the sugar and the cinnamon. Using a basting brush or a new 1-inch paint brush, brush the tortillas lightly with a small amount of water.

Note: It's best to put the water in a ramekin that the kids can dip their brushes into. Also, you might show them how to blot their brush out a bit on a folded paper towel.

Sprinkle the sugar mixture on top of the tortillas. Spray a baking sheet. Place the tortillas on the baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes. Watch them so they don't get too brown... ovens vary and so do tortillas! You want them just lightly browned.

While the tortillas are baking prepare the pudding according to the package directions. In making instant pudding it's a lot more fun for the kids to have their very own little whisk that fits their little hand and that they can control and really learn. Yes, it's quicker to throw the pudding in the blender... however, let the kids use their whisks and stir it up by hand!

Place the pudding in the fridge and let the tortillas cool for a short time. Meanwhile, let the kids peel and slice the bananas and the strawberries with a plastic knife. The adult helper will need to peel and slice the mango. Place each fruit in a different bowl, creating a fruit palette for the kids to chose from.

Have the kids measure out about 1/3 cup of pudding on each tortilla (it doesn't have to be an exact measurement on this one) and spoon it onto each tortilla.

Let the creative juices flow and encourage the kids to create a happy face or a design on the tortilla with the fruit. The face can be a smiley face... a silly face... or a design can be created... it's up to the child... the tortilla is their canvas and the fruit their medium! Yum!

The most important part of this little adventure in fruit pizzas is for everyone, including the adult helper, to have fun, laugh and learn. Then, of course, to eat the bounty!

Happy Summer!

Jan McCracken, Culinary Coach for Kids

Celebrate with S'More Sandwiches!

I don't think I know anyone that doesn't love S'Mores! I know my fond memories of the simple, yet delightfully luscious treats go back to my Brownie and Girl Scout camping days.

Here's an interesting twist on S'Mores that will quickly become a traditional favorite... it's just one of them thangs... while you're having a 4th of July barbecue or if you're off to the park or the beach for a picnic... take the supplies along for these new S'Mores... I'd really like to hear from any of you that try this great recipe...

S'More Dessert Sandwiches

Small store-bought angel food cake loaf
2 milk chocolate candy bars
Marshmallow creme

Note: If you want to substitute toasted marshmallows for the marshmallow creme, just do it!

This recipe will make 4 S'More sandwiches so adjust according to either the number each person wants to devour or to your number of guests!

While the grill is hot, slice the loaf angel food cake in 1/2-inch slices. Place the cake slices on hot grill. Toast until lightly browned (a quick 2 minutes).

If you opt to use the marshmallow creme, spread a tablespoonful on the cake after toasting on one side and place back on grill to toast the other side. Be sure to not walk away from the cake while it's toasting!

Remove cake slices from grill and place half of the chocolate bar on each of 4 of the cake slices. Press cake slice with warm marshmallow creme together with cake slice with chocolate.If opting for using toasted marshmallows, roast the marshmallows until golden brown and squishy inside. Place the chocolate bar on a toasted cake slice and slide 2 toasted marshmallow per S'More sandwich onto chocolate and press together gently.

Either way you choose... everyone will be asking for "S'More!"

Have a wonderful celebration of our Independence!
Jan McCracken
Culinary Coach for Kids

Red, White and Blue Fruit Salad

One of the things that we are thankful for every day is this great country of ours! Becoming aware of the freedoms that we enjoy are important for us all and I’ve found that there are lots of kids that really love the American flag!

If the kids would like to add a dash of patriotism to your 4th of July celebration, here’s a really easy, yet very symbolic fruit salad that the kids can quickly whip up! And, it’s a healthy addition too :-)

Ingredients:

Strawberries

Bananas

Blueberries

Whipped cream (optional)

Utensils:

Colander

Plastic knife

Cutting board

Clear glass salad bowl or individual glass serving bowls

Just put on your Culinary Coaching hat and let the kids do this one! Just guide them through… it might be fun to sing some patriotic songs while the kids are stirring the red, white and blue!

Let the kids wash the strawberries and blueberries in the sink using a colander. Then turn them out on a paper towel. Gently pat dry. Keyword: Gently!

Cut the green stems off the strawberries (yes, this can be accomplished with a plastic knife that the kids won’t get cut on). Peel the bananas.

Slice the strawberries and bananas with the plastic knife on a cutting board. Combine all of the ingredients in a clear glass (or plastic) bowl so the red, white and blue shines through.

Chill and serve! It might also be fun to serve in individual bowls, add a dollop of whipped cream and stick tiny American flags in each bowl as an added small tribute to our flag!

Here's to 4th of July fun in the kitchen cooking with the kids!

Happy Cooking,

Jan McCracken, Culinary Coach

Flyin' 4th of July!

A recipe for great fun on the 4th!

Stop by one of the big drug stores or a dollar store and pick up some frisbee flying discs for your 4th of July picnic. Turn them upside down and use them first as your paper plate holders. It will add a splash of great color to your picnic table and when the meal is over the kids will have a blast sailing them all over the place!

Fold in some jump ropes and water pistols and you'll create some great memories for the kids and a lot of laughs...

It's a flyin' 4th of July!
Jan McCracken, Culinary Coach for Kids

Great Stars!

Stars and Stripes forever and Rice Krispie treats too! 

We all love Rice Krispie treats and here's a really fun and yummy 4th of July version... These treats are simple and quick and the kids will love decorating them with red, white and blue spangles and sugar glitter!

Let's get started...

Here's what you'll need:

3 tablespoons butter

4 cups miniature marshmallows (make sure they are fresh, fresh!)

6 cups Rice Krispies®

Canned frosting or decorating gel

Assorted candies and red, white and blue sprinkles

White glitter sugar

Let the kids measure out the marshmallows and the Rice Krispies. Have them dump them in separate bowls. Have them prepare a 15 x 10 x 1-inch pan with cooking spray.

Let the kids measure the butter and plop it in the pan. The adult helper can then melt the butter over low heat.

The adult helper will do the actual "cooking" and stirring as this stuff gets really hot and if the kids get it on their skin it can burn very badly... This is a perfect opportunity to make the kids aware of how important "stove safety" is... how important it is to "pay attention" when you're stirring something very hot... let them get up on their stools as you stir but make sure they are a bit of a distance from the stove and burners... it's truly safety first in the kitchen at the stove!

All righty then... after the butter is melted, add the marshmallows stirring constantly until the marshmallows are melted. Remove from heat and add the Rice Krispies. Stir until the cereal is well coated. Turn mixture into prepared pan and spread with a buttered spatula. Lay waxed paper on top and let the kids pat down the mixture until even and smooth.

Cool slightly. Use star cookie cutter s coated with cooking spray and cut into star shapes. Now for the fun! Decorate with frosting of choice and sprinkle on the red, white and blue!

What a yummy and patriotic 4th of July treat!

Happy Red, White and Blue,

Jan McCracken, Culinary Coach for Kids

Having a Red, White & Blue Time!

The 4th of July is quickly approaching. It's a time for history sharing, picnics, fireworks and fun food...

Let's make that food red, white and blue!

Let's kick it off with a celebration of red, white and blue frozen yogurt on a stick. These frosty delights are healthy and patriotic!

If you already have molds, that's great... I've discovered that they make all kinds from the popular "rocket mold" to 3-tiered "sand castle-style"... and of course, there's the old standby of the old-fashioned flat molds. If you need help in finding some of these more elaborate molds, just leave me a post and I'll be glad to share some resources with you.

What no molds in your cupboards? You can still make this recipe! All you need is paper cups and Popsicle sticks! Let's get the kids in the kitchen and get these yummies in the freezer... the kids will love making them as it's kinda like coloring Easter eggs! Here we go...

Patriotic Pops!

3 cups vanilla yogurt
Red food coloring
Blue food coloring
6 wooden sticks

Note: This recipe will make 6 Patriotic Pops... if you want or need to make more, simply double the recipe.

Divide yogurt into three small bowls and tint as follows:
Tint 1/2 cup of the yogurt with red food coloring
Tint 1 1/2 cups with blue food coloring
Leave the remaining 1 cup of yogurt plain.

Fill each cup with 1 tablespoon red yogurt, followed by 2 tablespoons white yogurt, then 3 tablespoons blue yogurt. Insert a wooden stick and freeze the pops until firm.Note: Let the pops freeze at least 4 hours before devouring! Have a "cool" red, white and blue!

Getting kids in the kitchen,
Jan McCracken, Culinary Coach for Kids

Tire Gardens!

Even if you have room for a real garden at your house, the kids will love a special spot to call their own. You can accomplish this by picking up a couple old car tires that can be "all theirs!"

The idea with this project is for kids to learn where their food comes from and to be able to actually plant little seeds and watch them grow. Kids are fascinated with the entire process!

To make this project even more fun, pick up an old tire (one for each child, if you have the room). The tires can be spray painted colors like bright yellow and then the kids can personalize them with paint pens or acrylic paints. Let the tire dry overnight before planting.

Note: These tires are stacked just so you have an idea of what we’re doing… double tires are not necessary for planting :-)

I suggest that you take the kids to pick out their seeds. Just make sure that it makes good sense and if it they want to grow watermelons, keep in mind that is all the tire will hold! Grins... 

You might want to consider letting the kids pick out one type of plant that is already growing as well as some seeds. They can plant the seeds on one side of the tire and plant the seedlings on the other side. Another fun suggestion is for them to plop a whirly gig in with their plants, making it look like a real garden!

By the way, you can get almost everything at one of the dollar stores for this project!

Here's what you're going to need for this project:

Old car tire(s)

Various paints for decorating and personalizing the tire

Potting soil

Seeds and seedlings

Sunshine

Water

Little plastic water can

Garden gloves (optional)

All righty... here we go... place the tire in a spot that gets plenty of sunshine. Fill the tire with soil all the way to the top. Pack the soil firmly... let them get their hands in the dirt! Explain that the soil can't be packed down really hard as their won't be any air in there. Also, you want the soil to be loose to cover the seeds.

Read the seed packet instructions together as how deep to plant the seeds and how far apart... I wouldn't worry about the "how far apart" part of it... just let them plant the seeds! Let them use their finger and draw a line in the soil for a "row" to plant their seeds... no, it doesn't matter if the row isn't straight! Let the kids do this, k? Make sure they don't plant the seeds too deep. 

Now let them cover the seeds and gently pat the top... keyword is gently! Have them use their hands to dig little holes to plant the seeds and seedlings. Then they can use their little plastic watering can. Make sure they don’t drown the seeds :-)

Don’t be surprised is they check their tire garden every hour for a couple of days… 

Let me know how your tire garden grows!

Happy Gardening with Kids,

Jan McCracken, Culinary & Gardening Coach for Kids

Snickers Salad for Mom!

I reached back in my "old recipe box" for this one... it's a very old favorite and a special treat for Mom on Mother's Day!

The kids can pretty much do this one on their own with just a little supervision and some help in cutting the apples and the candy bars from an adult helper. The more the kids can do on their own, the more special it is...So, let's get the kids into the kitchen!

Here's what you'll need:

1 small box instant French vanilla pudding

1 cup milk

4 Granny Smith apples (cored and diced with adult help, please)

2 bananas (peeled and sliced)

2 large Snickers candy bars (cut into bite-sized pieces, with adult help, please)

8 ounces Cool Whip (thawed in the fridge)

Mix the pudding with the milk and whisk it! Kids do love to whisk!

Stir in the fruit and the Snickers. Fold in the Cool Whip... easy peasy... chill until serving time!

Um... don't expect leftovers on this one!

Happy Mother's Day!

Getting Kids into the Kitchen,

Jan McCracken, Culinary Coach for Kids

Mother's Day Coupon Book!

Lookie what I found for the kids to give Mom for Mother's Day!  It's not about cooking but it sure is a great recipe for "giving!"

Jump over to this website and print out this "Print and Color Coupon Books"... There's a coupon for hugs, house cleaning, breakfast in bed, washing the car... quite a nice variety.

There are so many wonderful lessons in this one... the kids will learn that you don't need to spend a bunch of money for a gift to make it really special... and giving of one's self and love is the greatest gift of all!

And, yepper, there is a special recipe for Mother's Day for the kids coming up!

Getting Kids into the Kitchen,

Jan McCracken, Culinary Coach for Kids

Pastel Deviled Eggs!

This is a very fun twist on coloring eggs for Easter and the kids are gonna love it! Let’s color the whites of the eggs! 

This is a very fun twist on coloring eggs for Easter and the kids are gonna love it! Let’s color the whites of the eggs!

All righty... don those little chef hats and aprons... the kids can do almost all of this creation except for using a sharp knife to cut the eggs in half. Oh... you'll need 12 hard-boiled eggs! Can you tell I'm really excited about this little project?

Note:  Eggs that are about a week old are always easier to peel... the really fresh ones don't do so well!

First, make the colors that the kids pick out for coloring the whites. You do this just as you would for Easter egg dye for coloring the shells of “hard boiled” eggs.

Use glasses or mugs (whatever works best for you but it’s more fun with clear glasses so the kids can see the transformation actually taking place :-) The size of the glasses that you use will depend on how many egg whites you want to color at the same time!

Fill the glasses about 2/3 of the way full with cold water. Then add about 3 drops of food coloring (this will make the whites pretty pastel colors!). Add a teaspoonful of cider vinegar to each coloring concoction.

Peel the eggs... the kids love the cracking part! Adult helper, please slice each egg in half, long ways...

Let the kids pop the yolks into a small bowl (if there's more than one child, then divide the yolks so each child has a bowl). Set the yolks aside and let's get to the really fun part...

Carefully place the egg white halves in the colored water. While the eggs are magically turning pretty pastel colors, have the kids mix up the filling for the eggs.

Filling for Eggs:
2 teaspoons mustard
1/3 cup mayonnaise (may not use the entire amount)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon cider vinegar

Using a fork, smash the egg yolks until fine... the kids will learn about textures and lumps!

Add the mustard, sugar and vinegar. Then stir, stir, stir. Add part of the mayo and stir as you don't want the egg mixture to be soupy... just really smooth. You may not use the entire 1/3 cup of mayo… just add until mixture smooth with no lumps! Put mixture in the fridge until colored egg whites are dry.
When egg whites are the color you want, remove them from the glasses and place on a plate with at least a double paper towel to drain and dry.

Fill the egg whites with the yolk mixture and put on a pretty plate. Cover with plastic wrap until serving time.

The kids will be hollering, "look what I made!"

Hoppy Easter!
Get Kids Cooking,
Jan McCracken, Culinary Coach for Kids

Easy Easter Basket Cupcakes...

Easter is a time of celebration! And, of course, for the kids it's a time for jelly beans and chocolate bunnies.

If you're invited to an Easter egg hunt and need to take something make it special. The kids will love decorating these extra easy cupcakes and everyone will think you spent hours on them.

Have the kids stir up their favorite cupcake recipe and bake 'em! Frost them with pastel colored frosting... either use your favorite recipe or store bought for quick and easy.Sprinkle the tops of the cupcakes with green coconut (easy... just put coconut in a jar with a drop... maybe two of green food coloring and shake it up... the kids love doing the shaking up!). This will be the grass for the cupcake basket. Then let the kids decorate with jelly beans so it looks like eggs in an Easter basket.

Top the cupcakes off with red string licorice making the "handle of the basket."

The kids are gonna love 'em and have a great time with this "hoppy" project!

Get Kids Cooking!

Jan McCracken, Culinary Coach for Kids