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

Old English "Sallet"... History & Cooking!

This recipe comes from a very old book that was read by the Pilgrims. It's a recipe for a great "sallet" or salad as we call it today.

It's fun for the kids to learn just a little bit of history along with the fun of cooking!

Here's the list of ingredients:

1 cucumber

Raw spinach

Lettuce

Cabbage

1 red onion

1 Tablespoon mint  (chopped)

1 teaspoon sage (chopped)

1/4 cup walnuts

1/4 cup almonds

1/4 cup raspberries

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup vinegar

1/4 cup sugar

Utensils:

Measuring cup and measuring spoons

Cutting board and knife

Colander

Salad Bowl

Salad tossing fork and spoon

Do some of the ingredients look a bit strange for a salad today? Let the kids know that there were nuts and fruits available in the wild as well as fresh sage and mint.

Okay, let's make this "Sallet!"

Have the kids peel off enough leaves of spinach, lettuce and cabbage to fill about half of the large salad bowl of choice. Wash and drain the leaves well in the colander.

Put the greens in the big salad bowl and toss together with the salad fork and spoon.

Now it's time to ask for your adult sous chef's help. Ask your grown-up helper to please chop the onion, cucumber, wanuts and almonds.

Add the freshly chopped ingredients to the salad greens. Toss again.

In a smal bowl, mix the sugar, oil and vinegar mixing well. Pour mixture over salad, toss and serve.

Wasn't it fun learning about something the Pilgrims ate while actually making it yourself? 

More Thanksgiving recipes are coming soon so stop back by!
Happy Thanksgiving Cooking,
Jan McCracken, Culinary Coach

Don't Eat ALL of That Halloween Candy!

Create some "ART" with your Halloween Candy!

Keep candy out of your kid's tummies and stay away from all of the sugar that you know is not good for them!

Use the "stacks of sweets" to create fall and Thanksgiving art!

Grab a cardboard box and jump online and go to: http://coloring-page.net/thanksgiving.html

This is a FREE site where you can download coloring pages. There are a bunch of different turkey ones. So let's get started... the kids are gonna love this!

Here's what you'll need for this project:

• A pattern of a Thanksgiving turkey (or anything else that strikes your fancy!)
• Can of white frosting (cheapest you can find!)
• Leftover Halloween candy
• A butter knife or spreader (one for each child)

Trace the pattern of choice onto the cardboard and cut out. Keep the pattern nearby so the child can have a "visual" of what the little artist is about to create (the cardboard won't have all of the markings on it... it will be... well, just a piece of cardboard)!

Remove all wrappings from the candy and put all of the candy on a cookie sheet with sides so it is spread out but not all over the table!

Spread frosting on the cardboard cutout... are we having fun yet? Let that frosting be lumpy... lumpy is creative and fun. Now... just add candy!

If you really want to "plan" with your kids... you could create an entire Thanksgiving or fall scene with pilgrims, turkeys, pilgrim hats, Plymouth Rock... the list is endless... the kids will help you with the creativity!

Have fun and let them "lick the glue"... the icing!

Creatively Crafty,
Jan McCracken, Culinary Coach

Pumpkin Pancakes for Thanksgiving Breakfast

What a great way to kick off the blessing of 
Thanksgiving morning!

These Pumpkin Pancakes with a splat of Cinnamon Brown Sugar are delish… let’s get started so you’ll be sure to have all of the ingredients on hand.

Ingredients:

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 Tablespoons brown sugar (packed)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 1/3 cups 2% milk

3/4 cup canned pumpkin

½ cup ricotta cheese

Let the kids get all of the ingredients together and measure it all out. Use a small heavy bottom saucepan and ask the adult helper to cook the butter over medium heat for about 8 minutes while stirring constantly. Then add the maple syrup, cinnamon and nutmeg. Remove from heat and let the kids dump in the pecans. Stir and set aside.

Now the fun for the kids… In a small bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar and salt. Using another bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, pumpkin and cheese. Note: Kids love to whisk! Let them dump the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients (I know you’re supposed to stir it in… but we’re cooking with kids and that’s difficult for them :-)!

Let them stir the wet and dry ingredients together until moistened.

Drop the batter using a 1/4 cup measuring cup onto a buttered griddle. Turn when bubbles form on top. Cook until second side is golden brown.

If you are right there at the stove and the child is old enough to flip the pancakes, they will love it!

Serve while hot with the yummy Maple Cinnamon Butter poured over the pancakes. For a special treat, add a dollop of whipped cream.

Happy Thanksgiving Morning! The fun has just begun!

Happy Cooking with Kids,

Jan McCracken, Culinary Coach

Fun Facts

There is a legend that when the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth, they stepped onto a huge granite boulder jutting out of the sand. This boulder became known as "Plymouth Rock."

 Although the boulder was in the area in which the Pilgrims landed, no one knows if the Pilgrims ever actually stepped on it. Plymouth Rock can be visited today in Plymouth, Massachusetts!

P.S. "Fun Facts" are a new addition to KidsCooking411 that hopefully will add to the "flavor" of your cooking with the kids. I'm going to try to provide you with tidbits of history and other related facts that you can have fun with in the kitchen while you're cooking!

Enjoy! Please tell your friends about KidsCooking411 and follow us on Twitter. I'm hoping to get a new Kids Cooking book out in 2012. Stay tuned!

Thanks for dropping by... I'd love to have some input from you!
All the best... and keep those kids in the kitchen cooking!
Jan McCracken, Culinary Coach

Pumpkin-Cranberry Muffins!

All righty… since we’re into cranberries at the moment let’s whip up some Pumpkin-Cranberry Muffins! These are super easy breezy too and the kids will love them.

If you’re up for it, let them decorate the tops of the muffins after they cool. The dollar store has cute turkey and pumpkin picks that make the muffins very festive!

Here’s what you’ll need:

1 (15-oz.) can of pumpkin (that would be the real pumpkin, please)

1 cup oil (not olive oil)

3 cups sugar

3 cups flour

1 1/12 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 Tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

3 eggs

1 large bag fresh cranberries

Cupcake papers (maybe some fun Thanksgiving ones?)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Have the kids rinse the cranberries and drain them in a colander. Look for bad berries and toss them.

Crack the eggs in a small bowl or cup and beat slightly with a fork. Set aside.

Get out a big mixing bowl (this is a fun recipe because you can dump it all in at once)! Prepare the cupcake tins with the papers. Yep, teach them the right order of all things cooking!

Have the kids measure everything first. In doing this when measuring ingredients like baking soda and baking powder, they can measure and dump it in a little shallow bowl (this makes the whole process easier and go also go more quickly).

Take all of the measured ingredients and dump it ALL into the large mixing bowl EXCEPT for the cranberries. With a large wooden spoon, mix really well. Then fold in the cranberries (another lesson in folding here).

Fill each of the cupcake papers 1/2 full with the batter. This can easily be accomplished without a lot of mess by using a cookie scoop or a measuring cup… the cookie scoop is much more efficient.

Bake for 30 minutes. This recipe makes a lot…. About 44 muffins!

P.S. This is a great recipe for the kids to make and then color on some brown paper bags and decorate them and give a few muffins away to some of their friends for Thanksgiving… teaching them not only to prepare food with love but to share their food by blessing other people. 

Happy Cooking with Kids,

Jan McCracken, Culinary Coach

Thanksgiving is a Time of Gratitude...

Thanksgiving is a time for us to really look around and count our blessings. It’s a wonderful thing for children to become aware of the things they have to be thankful for and be appreciative… a time for sharing family traditions, stories and recipes.

Do some fun things like have a toast with some cranberry punch (yep, the recipe is coming)… Click glasses together with, “Here’s to many happy days in the kitchen cooking together!”

Getting kids into the kitchen is fun all year ‘round but can be a very special and memorable time during Thanksgiving week…. Don’t be “too busy” to let this precious time slip by…

Happy Cooking with Blessings,

Jan McCracken, Culinary Coach

Sautauthig (Sawf-taw-teeg) Cornmeal Blueberry Mush

We're stirring in a bit more history while we're cooking with the kids. They will enjoy this recipe as it's an oldie and was a favorite dish of the Native Americans of the Northeast.

It's a very simply pudding made with cracked corn (called samp), crushed dried blueberries and water. As time went on, the settlers would add milk to make it rich and yummy!

Ingredients:
2 cups fresh blueberries
1 1/2 cups low-fat milk (or your milk of choice)
1 1/2 cups water
3/4 cups cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon sugar

Utensils:
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Wooden spoon
Colander
3-quart heavy bottom saucepan with lid
Wire whisk
Small bowl

Put the blueberries in the colander. Rinse under cool running water. Gently shake and dump onto a paper towel. fold paper towel over and gently pat blueberries dry.

Combine the milk and the water in the saucepan. Stir constantly over medium heat with the wooden spoon. Bubbles will begin to form around the edges of the pan.

Grab the wire whisk and slowly stir the cornmeal and salt into the hot liquid (an adult helper may want to do the whisking as liquid is very hot). Stir the hot mixture until there are no lumps.

Reduce the heat to simmer and cover the pan. Set the timer for 10 minutes and simmer. Mixture will thicken.

Remove from heat and fold in the blueberries and the maple syrup (a great opportunity to teach the difference between "folding" and "stirring"). Be patient as it sometimes takes the kids to get the rhythm of folding.

In a small bowl mix the sugar and nutmeg together. sprinkle on top of the mush and serve right away.

Not only is this tasty but it's a very hearty dish!

Happy Cooking,

Jan McCracken, Culinary Coach

Maple-Nut-Berry Popcorn Balls

What a treat! Another recipe using ingredients that the Pilgrims and the Indians had at Thanksgiving and these popcorn balls are yummy!

Here are the ingredients you'll need:
Popcorn (you can use a store bought bag or fresh air-popped... I don't have to tell you which one I prefer... homemade, of course)!
Chopped walnuts
Dried cranberries
Butter
Maple syrup

Utensils:
Large bowl
Large wooden spoon
Serving plate

Here we go... pop your fresh popcorn or open that store-bought package of popcorn. Put the popcorn in the big mixing bowl.

Sprinkle in some chopped walnuts and dried cranberries (as many as you think will make it yummy). Pour some melted butter over all and stir with the big wooden spoon until well mixed.

Pour some maple syrup over the [warm] popcorn... you notice I said "warm popcorn"... you want enough maple syrup to just coat the popcorn so it will stick together nicely. Please ask your grown-up sous chef helper to help you judge how much to use.

Stir all together until the popcorn, nuts and berries are well coated. Shape the "sticky popcorn" into small balls on the serving plate. Place in the fridge until the syrup hardens and you have a Thanksgiving treat!

Note:  This is a great exercise for kids to begin learning about getting the "real feel" of cooking without measuring everything! They can begin to use their good judgment and eye what looks about right... this comes with the true joy of cooking!

Happy Cooking,
Jan McCracken, Culinary Coach

Thanksgiving & Watermelons?

Watermelons at Thanksgiving? What is up with that?

Well, this is a very different kind of post than what you're accustomed to on my blog so I had to dig up something 'off the wall' to get your attention... Hmmmm... how about a text color to match the watermelon? Well... here we go...

Yes, it's almost Thanksgiving! We see so much going on in our world today and I don't offer advice very often... but my heart says to "go for it!" Thanksgiving means many things to many people in this great land of ours... and this Thanksgiving is very different for so many... I won't go there as I'm certainly not a financial analyst... I'm a Culinary Coach... grins...

Here's my advice for this upcoming Thanksgiving... no matter what you have this year, be thankful... be thankful for your family, be thankful for those little things that you're beginning to realize mean so much, be thankful for the memories you're making this year... no one can ever take your memories away from you!

Try really, really hard to begin operating with a "thankful heart" not just one day of the year but every day! If you're one of my regular blog visitors, you're here because you have precious children to cook with... be thankful... even in times that seem bleak, being thankful for what we have as we begin each and every day with gratitude will bring hope and healing to you and those around you.

So count your blessings this Thanksgiving and continue to count your blessings every day! Okay... end of lecture... LOL... Have fun and get your kids into the kitchen to help you cook Thanksgiving dinner! What fun memories you'll be making!

Stop back by... there will be more fun things to cook with your kids for Thanksgiving! What blessings!Happy Cooking,
Jan McCracken, Culinary Coach

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