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

Lucky Leprechaun Cookies

These cookies are easy peasy and, of course, they're GREEN!

Here's what you'll need:

1 package instant pistachio pudding mix

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

3/4 cup Bisquick mix

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

And... let the kids do the rest! Mix all of the ingredients together and let them stir till their little heart's content :-) I've said it before... kids do love to stir things up!

Roll dough into 1-inch balls between those little hands! Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and and gently flatten each cookie with the bottom of a glass or if the kids would rather make hash marks on the cookies, use a fork (dip it in ice water if the forks sticks to the cookies dough).

Bake about 8 minutes until just golden..,. maybe 10 minutes (depending on your oven).

Have a St. Patrick's Day Tea Party!

Happy Cooking with Kids,

Jan McCracken, Culinary Coach

Halloween Pumpkin Pizza Recipe...

Grab your aprons! We're going to make Pumpkin Pizza for Halloween... It's a fun spinoff of pumpkin pie and very "kid friendly!" Kids, let's head for the kitchen!

I'm going to lay this out for you by letting you know several things:
* What kids will learn making Pumpkin Pizza
* What you need (gather these things and utensils before you start... well, at least before the kids hit the kitchen!
* Ingredients
* Recipe
* Directions
* Guaranteed FUN!

Making a Pumpkin Pizza is not all about Halloween! This cooking exercise in the kitchen can help kids:
* Learn more about foods and how different foods can be used... for instance, pumpkin isn't just for carving... and it isn't just for pies!
* If you have more than one child cooking, they will learn about "taking turns."
* Kids will be developing their imaginations without even being aware of it!
* Learning patience while the pizza cooks and cools.

Gather these utensils in advance:
* Cookie Sheet
* Aluminum Foil
* Spatula (maybe 2)
* Large Mixing Bowl
* Rolling Pin
* Cooling Rack
* Large Round Serving Plate

Ingredients:
* 1 package refrigerated sugar cookie dough
* 1 cup canned pumpkin
* 8-ounce package of low-fat cream cheese
* 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
* 1/4 cup brown sugar
* 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
* 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
* Black & Green decorator frosting
* Candy Corn
* Cooking Spray

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Have cream cheese at room temperature for easier mixing.
2. Cover a large cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Grease foil well with cooking spray.
3. Roll out cookie dough into a 12-inch circle... no, it doesn't have to be "perfect"... let the kids do it!
4. Bake in pre-heated 350-degree oven for about 15 minutes or until just lightly browned.
5. Let the kids know that they always need an "adult helper" in putting things in and out of the oven. Remember you are HELPING them...
6. Place the cookie sheet on a cooling rack to cool.
7. Begin cleaning up the mess and washing the dishes while the pizza is baking... yep, let the kids do it! This is a very important part of "organizing" and learning ALL about cooking.
8. While the cookie pizza is cooling... In mixing bowl cream the cream cheese... this may be a step for the "adult sous chef" to show the kids how to use a hand mixer and talk about safety in the kitchen.
9. Blend in canned pumpkin and let the kids stir it into the cream cheese... if a spatula doesn't work for them... give them an old-fashioned wooden spoon!
10. Add the powdered sugar... step back... if you add it all at once there will be clouds in the kitchen! This is a great place to demonstrate patience by adding little bits of powdered sugar at a time.
11. Stir in the light brown sugar along with the pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon. Be sure to let the kids do the measuring! It's a good time to show them how to level off spoonfuls... but don't forget... our grandmothers and great-grandmothers didn't use measuring spoons very much... it was a pinch here and a pinch there and a handful here... so don't worry if they don't get it perfect.
12. When the pumpkin pizza is cool, peel off the aluminum foil and place it on the large, round serving plate.
13. Spread the pumpkin mixture on the pizza... decorate as desired with the decorator cake icing, outlining a mouth and eyes and using the green icing for a stem. The candy corn can be used to fill in for teeth in the mouth.

Serve while warm... like pumpkin pie... you could even add a dollop of ice cream or whipped cream!

MOST OF ALL... have fun! Please write me and tell us all how your pumpkin pizza turns out!

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

Instant Strawberry Hearts for Valentine's Day!

A great snack for the kids to create almost by themselves... it's a Valentine Muffin!

You'll need:
English muffins of your choice
Cream cheese (plain or strawberry would be "berry cool")
BIG strawberries

Let's do it!

The adult helper can split the English muffin in half and the kids can place them in the toaster or the toaster oven. Let the muffins cool slightly to touch.

While the are cooling a bit, the kids can rinse their BIG strawberry and pat it dry with a paper towel. Then let them use a "child safe knife" and cut the strawberry in half forming a magical heart!

Spread cream cheese on the muffin and place the "heart berry" in the middle. For extra pizzzazzz of the day, you might have some small heart-shaped paper doilies in the pantry. A perfect way make this snack a true Valentine celebration by placing the doily on the plate (let the kids do it!)... and then placing the Valentine muffin on the doily.

Who said that special treats have to be difficult?
Happy Valentine's Day and Happy Cooking,
Jan McCracken, Culinary Coach

Washington's Birthday Cherry Brownies

President's Day has become one of those "floating holidays" and we combine all of the past President celebrations on that day... however, I'm an old-fashioned girl and I still like to recognize Lincoln on his birthday and Washington on his birthday.

So, here's a a really easy way to make Washington's birthday special for the kids. While you're making these special Cherry Brownies, you might want to do a little research and give the kids some of the fun history of George Washington and the cherry tree.

Have fun with this and Happy Birthday, President Washington!

Washington's Birthday Cherry Brownies

1 package (21.5-ounce) brownie mix

1 cup cherry pie filling (canned)

1/4 cup oil (canola or your preference)

2 large eggs

1 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, dump in the brownie mix. Measure and add the oil. Break eggs in a separate small bowl or cup. Add eggs. Stir well. Add cherry pie filling and stir until blended into brownie mixture.

Note: Reserve some cherry pie filling to use as a topping on the brownie, if desired.

Use a 13" x 9" baking pan. Grease the bottom only. Note: If you prefer a spray oil that will work or have the kids put a small amount of oil or butter on a piece of waxed paper and let them rub it all over the bottom of the pan... this on is much more fun!

Pour batter into pan and spread evenly. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes. Be careful not to over bake and dry out the brownies! Insert a toothpick to test.

While the brownies are till hot from the oven (yes, the adult helper needs to do this!)... sprinkle the top of the brownies with the chocolate chips. Spread them around and they will melt.

Top the brownies with fresh whipped cream, or... if you want it to be very special, serve the brownies warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and top with a small amount of the cherry pie filling. Stick a small American flag in the middle for a real George Washington birthday celebration!

Happy Cooking with Kids,
Jan McCracken, Culinary Coach

Get those little gardeners ready!

Are you ready to begin planting? You say, you don't have space for a garden... got a windowsill? Kids love this planting project... and love watching things sprout and grow. So let's get to it!

For our first spring gardening project we're going to do something that brings almost immediate gratification to the kids to "see something growing!"

We're going to sprout some sprouts of alfalfa seeds!

Here's what you'll need:
Alfalfa seeds
Clear glass quart jar
A square of cheesecloth that will cover the top of the jar
A strong rubber band that fits the top of the jar tightly

Make the first part of this project an after dinner deal and just before the kids go to bed... the alfalfa seeds need to soak overnight. Have the kids measure out about 3 tablespoons of seeds.

Put the seeds on a baking sheet and show the kids how to "sort seeds"... as you know, any time you cook beans, you need to pick out the less desirable ones... same with alfalfa seeds. Also, there just might be some dirt and small rocks mixed in. This is a great exercise for the kids in math... learning about "measurements"... and following directions and doing things the way they are supposed to be done... "sorting the seeds." And they will love it!

After the seed sorting is done, put the seeds in a strainer and rinse them under running water. Yes, the kids can do this!

Put the rinsed seeds in to the jar and add enough water to cover them. Tell the seeds "good night," letting them soak until the kids get up the next morning.

After breakfast, it's project time! Pour the seeds out of the jar back into the strainer and strain them. Then rinse well with cold water. Place the seeds back in the jar. Cover the top of the jar with the cheesecloth and secure with a rubber band.

Turn the jar upside down and kinda shake the seeds around making sure they are pretty dry. If you leave too much water on the seeds, they might rot... however, I'm sure the kids will make sure they are well-drained!

Before bedtime, fill the jar with fresh water (you don't have to remove the cheesecloth) rinsing the seeds again. Turn the jar upside down draining the water off. Again, shake the seeds.

Repeat this procedure every day, morning and night for 4 or 5 days... the kids will magically see tiny green leaves and white shoots appear! They will be thrilled!

The sprouts will be ready to eat within 5 or 6 days... maybe sooner if you live in a warmer climate... where the sprouts are in your kitchen can have an effect on how quickly they grow as well.

So.... happy sprouting... come back soon and I'll have some "sprout recipes" that the kids can actually use what they have grown in a recipe and eat it! What fun!
Gleeful Gardening,
Jan McCracken, Culinary Coach for Kids

Let's Build an Easter Bunny Cake!

This cake has been a long time favorite for the Easter table centerpiece! 

The only thing that has changed seems to be instead of using a basic white cake mix, there are all kinds of cake mix choices out there... why not try a carrot cake (the bunny would like that!)... Anyway, I've made these directions pretty generic so you can let the kids get creative... so here we go...

This recipe makes two bunny cakes... here's what you'll need:

1 box of cake mix of your choice

2 cans frosting

Coconut

Jelly beans

Green food coloring (for grass)

Ingredients to make box cake

Pink construction paper (for the ears)

Let the kids do as much as possible on this... all but using the electric mixer :-)

Preheat the oven to the requirement on the box. Prepare the cake mix according to the package directions. Pour into 2 round 8-inch or 9-inch layer pans. Bake according to the package directions. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Remove cake layers from pans and then allow to cool completely. 

While the cake layers are cooling either cover two pieces of cardboard with aluminum foil or find  2 flat plates to place the bunnies on. You can also go ahead and cut out the pink bunny ears from pink construction paper.

All righty... let's build bunnies! Here's your road map...

Cut one layer in half. Put halves together with frosting. Stand cake upright on cut edge. Using a sharp knife (adult helper here, please)... cut a V-notch about 1/2 of the way up the semi-circle. Use the cake notched cut out pieces to attach with toothpicks for the tail. The area below the notch will will form bunny's head. The 2/3 area above the notch will shape the bunny's rounded back. Frost with remaining frosting from first  can of frosting.

Generously sprinkle with white coconut... the kids love this part! Use jelly beans for eyes and nose (the nose has to be pink :-)! Place the pink construction paper ears in the bunny's head.

Place coconut in a jar with a drop or two of green food coloring and shake it up, baby! Voila... you've got grass to spread around the bunny! Add some jelly beans to look like eggs in the grass.

This old recipe seems always to please. The kids will be so tickled with their Easter Bunny creation! Isn't it just the best, getting kids into the kitchen?

May you and your family have a blessed Easter!

Jan McCracken, Culinary Coach for Kids

How do you say Happy New Year in Chinese?

The kids will have fun learning a little Mandarin Chinese and 
greeting  their friends and family with Happy New Year...

 Here's how to say it in Mandarin Chinese 
which literally means, 
"Congratulations, may you be prosperous."

"Xin [sing] Nian [nee-an] Kuai [kwai] Le [ler]"

The Cantonese, "Gong Hey Fat Choy" is the most popular and probably the easiest for the kids! 

Even though the pronunciations are a little different, both are written the same way 

in Chinese characters.

Here's the Chinese Symbol for Happy Chinese New Year: 
 (恭禧發財)

Please keep in mind that there are more than 150 dialects in China so there are many different greetings that mean the same thing. When I was in China, people in Northern China didn't understand people from other provinces in China! 

The kids might also have a lot of fun trying to draw the Chinese characters for "Happy Chinese New Year"... just do a search online and print out the characters. If you have a light box, it's really fun for them to trace them and then go over the characters with a colored marker! All great learning experiences as we teach our kids to take a glimpse into other cultures and learn what little friends around the world are celebrating.

May you all have a happy and prosperous Year of the Snake 2013!

Gong Hey Fat Choy!

Jan McCracken, Kids Culinary Coach

Happy Chinese New Year!

According to the Chinese Zodiac, 2013 is the Year of the Snake. Celebrating Chinese New Year can be a blast for kids as well as a grand learning experience!

They can learn the appreciation of  Chinese history as well as a lot about the culture while having a great time. Chinese New Year is sometimes called Spring Festival and is the most important of all holidays in China. There are special foods that are eaten during Chinese New Year and I'll be back with some recipes for you and the kids to prepare for your celebration!

It would be fun for you to do a search for Chinese animals for the kids to look up their year of birth and match it with their Chinese animal in the Chinese Zodiac. This is not like fortunetelling and can be a fun-filled research exercise for the kids as they learn about ancient Chinese history.  

The zodiac sign of the Snake symbolizes traits such as gracefulness, intuition, introspection, materialism and intelligence. 

Chinese New Year welcomes the Lunar New Year this year on February 10th. The dates of Chinese New Year change every year. The Snake is the sixth sign of the Chinese Zodiac which consists of 12 Animal signs.  

Happy Chinese New Year!

Come back in the next few days for some fun recipes for celebrating and head to the kitchen with the kids!

Happy Cooking with Kids,

Jan McCracken, Culinary Coach

Gingerbread Garlands from the Kitchen!

The kids are gonna love making these gingerbread friends! And they can hang them on the Christmas tree, on the mantel or even the staircase. Let them use their creativity and imagination to create gingerbread friends that all look alike or let each one take on their own personality...

The secret to making this garland is a simple plastic straw! Just make a small hole in each of the gingerbread hands before baking. After the cookies have completely cooled and the kids have decorated them, let the icing dry at room temperature. Use narrow, red satin ribbon to space the cookies as far apart as you wish... Just run the ribbon through the holes in their hands then knot the ribbon so they will stay in place and trim the ends with scissors... Voila... a gingerbread garland!

So let's get baking! We're off to the kitchen!

We're going to use the mixer on this little project so the adult helper will need to assist! Oh, and by the way, if the kids would rather make snowmen or Christmas trees, just use another cookie cutter!

Here's the ingredient list:
1/2 cup shortening (at room temperature)
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup molasses
1 egg
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

You'll need:
Large mixing bowl
Mixer on stand
Spatula
1 1/2-inch cookie cutters
Cookie sheet
Wire cooling rack
Prepared icing in tubes
Candies for decoration (optional)

Let the kids put the shortening in the mixing bowl and get their little noses right up close and personal to the bowl. As the "adult helper" mixes the shortening for about 30 seconds, explain a little about kitchen safety in using the mixer.

Let the kids measure out the dry ingredients, showing them how to scrap off measurements with a knife so they are exact. Note: you can spread waxed paper on the counter or table top they are working on and there will be less mess to clean up!

Okay... let the kids add the sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Beat until all ingredients are combined. Stop the mixer and let the kids scrap the bowl with the spatula. Then beat in the molasses, vinegar and egg until combined.

Now, it's going to get interesting. Stop the mixer and let the kids put in like a half a cup of flour and beat. At some point the dough will be very thick and you will have to finish by hand stirring the remaining flour into the batter.

Let the kids divide the dough in half, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours (Yes, you can do this the day before and refrigerate the dough overnight... but if you do that, let the dough sit on the counter for about 10 minutes until it's workable).

All righty... now the fun begins! Man your rolling pins, troops! Grease the cookie sheets and set them aside. And, I suggest that you divide each half of the dough in half again so there is a smaller piece of dough to work with.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Let the kids sift flour to lightly flour the surface of choice (those plastic cutting rectangles are great). Place the gingerbread dough on top of the floured surface and sprinkle just a tad of flour on top. Show the kids how to roll the rolling pin off to the side in flour.

The dough should be rolled out to approximately 1/8-inch... just a little reminder... we're not shooting for "perfection" here... this is supposed to be a learning adventure and most of all, fun!

Now grab those cookie cutters and let the kids cut out those Christmas shapes... again, perfection is not the goal. You may need to help them get them onto the cookie sheet. Leave about an inch between each cookie. Don't forget to take the straw and make holes in the hands of the gingerbread guys and gals or other Christmas critters!

Bake at 375 degrees for about 5 minutes... watching closely until the edges are lightly browned... yes, gingerbread burns easily... the kids will love keeping a close eye on their creations! When you take the cookie sheet out of the oven, leave the cookies on the sheet for about one minute. Then transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let them cool.

While the cookies are cooling, have the kids clean up the work surfaces and get the dishes cleaned up. By that time the cookies will be ready to decorate with icing, candies, Christmas sprinkles... whatever the little ones desire! Then string the red ribbon through the holes and secure with a knot and hang these festive little creatures.

The kids will be so proud... chalk up another "look what I made!"
'Tis the Season for getting kids into the kitchen,
Jan McCracken, Culinary Cook

Pumpkins are On Sale!

It's Fall Fun!

All righty... Halloween is over but the pumpkin patches are still bursting with pumpkins. It doesn't matter why... the main thing is that fresh pumpkins are ON SALE!

Note: If you don't have a pumpkin patch near you... the grocery will work!

Okay... you have picked out a pumpkin and the kids are going to learn some old-fashioned "punkin' stuff!" A lot of kids these days think that pumpkins are just for carving... not! Let's get started... we're going to make homemade Roasted Pumpkin Seeds!

You'll need:

• a cookie sheet
• vegetable oil
• salt
• the cleaned and dried pumpkin seeds

First of all, cut that pumpkin open and clean out all of the seeds. Yep, let the kids use their hands. Cut the pumpkin itself into slices and pop them in a zippy bag (or two or three, depending on the size of your pumpkin!). Put the pumpkin in the fridge for "more with pumpkin" coming later...

Stop and preheat the oven at 250 degrees so it will be ready when the seeds are!

Using a colander (or two) let the kids go to the sink and wash the seeds really good. Then have them pat the seeds dry with paper towels (if it were me, I'd let them use old terry kitchen towels as they work much faster and aren't as messy!).

Let the kids put a light coat of vegetable oil on a cookie sheet. An easy way to do this is to have them measure out a small amount of oil in a small (as in very small) bowl. Show them how to dip a folded paper towel into the oil and smear it all over the pan. Is that fun or what? And it doesn't make a mess!

Now it's time to spread the pumpkin seeds evenly over the cookie sheet. Make sure that there aren't big clumps of seeds... hey, keep your hands off the cookie sheet... let the kids do it! (Yep, this is the hard part :-D... )!

If they want salted seeds, then have them measure out the salt and sprinkle the seeds with salt. Otherwise, they can put the seeds in a paper bag after they are roasted, add the salt and shake it up!

Bake the pumpkin seeds for about 15 minutes. As the "adult helper" you get to stir the seeds so they don't burn and put them back in the oven. Watch them closely... the kids will be prompting you... for another 10-15 minutes until the seeds are golden brown. They're done!

Cool the seeds for a great, fun and very healthy snack. The kids are going to want to share them with their little friends and you can be sure they'll be saying, "look what I did!" The pride in preparing healthy food will become addictive for your child... could there be a better addiction?

Happy 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

Candy Corn Cupcakes

More Halloween Cooking Fun!

Candy corn is an all time favorite... yum! Kids love making these cupcakes... let's head for the kitchen!

Make sure you have these supplies before you begin:
Spatulas
Mixing Bowl
Mixer (a hand mixer is preferable)
Measuring cups & measuring spoons
Paper cupcake cups
Muffin pan that bakes 24 cupcakes or 2 that bakes 12 cupcakes
Wire rack
Small icing spatula

Special ingredients:
Yellow cake mix
Creamy vanilla frosting in the can
Orange food coloring
Candy corn
Black licorice twists

For the cupcakes:
Yellow cake mix
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/3 cups water
3 egg whites (or egg white substitute)

Ready for some real Halloween cooking fun? Here we go...

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and pop those paper baking cups into the cupcake pans. Have the kids dump the yellow cake mix into a large mixing bowl. Add the water and the egg whites. Use the hand mixer to blend. The beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes. If you want to have the kids use spatulas... skip the mixer and show them how to scrape the sides of the bowl as the go and whip up the cake mix by hand!

Fill the cupcake paper by using a measuring cup with a spout so the kids can pour equal amounts in each cupcake paper, filling them about 2/3 full. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes and check. Bake a couple minutes longer if center doesn't pop back when you put your finger on it.

Please, the adult helper Sous Chef ALWAYS should put things IN the oven and REMOVE them from the oven. Cool on the wire rack for about 15 minutes (or whenever the cupcakes are cool enough to remove from the pan). Place the cupcakes individually on the wire rack until completely cool.

Using a small bowl, scrap the vanilla frosting into the bowl and add the orange food coloring. If the kids want a brighter orange... add more food coloring! Now comes the really fun part... let the kids use a small, icing spatula and frost the cupcakes... they don't have to be "perfect," okay?

After all the cupcakes have been frosted decorate them with candy corn and licorice... let the kids use their imagination and make pumpkin faces with the candy corn and the licorice for a mouth. Or they might want to use the licorice for the eyes... this is where the creativity and real fun comes in... try really hard not to "interrupt" their creativity! Most of all, have a dandy, candy corny Halloween!

Jan McCracken, Culinary Coach & Adult Helper Sous Chef

Mud Pie to Celebrate Earth Day!

About Earth Day according to Wikipedia:

Earth Day, celebrated April 22, is a day designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's environment. It is held annually during both spring in the northern hemisphere and autumn in the southern hemisphere. It was founded by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in in 1970 and is celebrated in many countries every year.

Awareness is key to learning about anything and everything for children. So let's make Earth Day this year a day of "America the Beautiful - Let's Keep it that Way!" Here's a great opportunity to talk to the kids in the kitchen about Earth Day and how they can help with something very simple like by not being a litter bug. If you want to go into more detail, have at it!

Meanwhile, the kids can stir up this delicious Mud Pie treat as a symbol of the "mud of the earth!" Anything this yummy will make an impression and in the future they might just associate "Mud Pie" with Earth Day and give a bit more thought about it.

Here's the ingredients list for our Earth Day Mud Pie:

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup baking cocoa

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

1/4 cup hot fudge sauce or topping

1 small container frozen whipped topping (thawed in the fridge)

2 to 3 "more" tablespoons hot fudge topping (optional)

2 to 3 tablespoons caramel topping

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Have the kids grease bottom and sides of a 9 x 1 1/4-inch pie plate. (They love smearing butter around a pie plate)!

Let the kids measure out the following ingredients and dump them into a mixing bowl: sugar, butter, flour, cocoa, vanilla, salt. Now, stir until well combined.

Have them break the eggs in a separate bowl (just in case there's a little eggshell in there) and beat the eggs with a fork. Add the eggs to the dry mixture and stir some more! Stir in the nuts.

As an adult helper, how about you hold the pan and hand the kids the spatula? Let them scrape the mixture into the pie pan.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until edge appears dry and toothpick inserted halfway between center and edge comes out clean (center will be moist). Immediately prick holes in pie with toothpick. Let the kids watch while you do this as the pie pan is too hot for them to work with!

Spread 1/4 cup fudge sauce over top. Set aside to cool completely, about an hour.

While cooling, clean up the kitchen and then reward the kids with some fun Earth Day coloring pages. Go here and print them out for free: http://www.dltk-kids.com/crafts/earth/mearthposter.htm

When the crust is cool it's time for the yummy part! Place the thawed whipped topping into a bowl and show the kids how to "whip it up!" Spread over fudge sauce.

Drizzle with 2 to 3 tablespoons fudge sauce. Muddy the pie up really good and add a drizzle of caramel topping with the fudge topping as the crowning "mud" on top of the pie! Cover and refrigerate for a short time before indulging... the kids are gonna love it!

Have a Yummy Earth Day!

Jan McCracken, Culinary Coach for Kids

Easy Shamrock Cake!

It doesn't get much easier to create a party atmosphere with a special cake than this easy "Shamrock Cake" for St. Patrick's Day!

The picture to the left is of a lucky 4-leaf clover so you have a choice... will it be the real luck of the Irish with a lucky 4-leaf clover or a shamrock?

Whatever you and the kids decide, you'll need either 3 or 4 heart-shaped pans... 3 for a shamrock cake or 4 for the clover cake. I've seen small heart-shaped pans at the dollar stores... so have a look... don't make this an expensive activity... that's not our goal. And, the pans can't be too big or you won't have enough cake batter! The ones I've seen are smaller and the new silicone ones. The perfect size for this project!

You can choose your favorite homemade cake recipe or buy a white cake mix... OR, for a special treat, the kids really like the "confetti cake" mix. If you haven't tried the confetti mix, watch your grocery ads as they go on sale a lot so you could pick up a couple... and, it's a very moist cake.

All righty... so here's the road map to your St. Patrick's Day cake... Let the kids prepare the cake mix (or their favorite cake recipe). Note:  Wally World has gotten into the "specialty cake mixes lately and I picked up a "green" Confetti Cake mix with matching icing... very cool for a St. Paddy's Day "cake project" :-)

Equally divide the batter into 3 (or 4) heart-shaped pans... Bake according to the directions and let the little heart cakes cool. Meanwhile, let the kids be stirring up make their favorite (and easiest) icing recipe. Tint it with green food coloring, of course (unless you're using a specialty cake mix)!

Now, join the heart cakes together at their tips, forming a shamrock or the lucky 4-leaf clover! How easy was that? Let the kids get icing all over them and lick it off and frost the cake green... the shade is only left to the kids' imagination!

Add to the fun and decorate the cake with little gold coins scattered across it or little store-bought shamrocks. There's tons of ideas for decorations and if you just turn the kids loose in the dollar store, I'm sure they'll find more than enough decorations.

Get ready for rave reviews on your St. Patrick's Day creation! Most of all, have fun!

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

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

Merry Christmas!

And God bless you every one!

I'm off to spend Christmas with my son's family and we'll be in the kitchen in the morning before nap time whipping up a Red Velvet Christmas birthday cake for Jesus! The kids are so looking forward to it and so am I!

It's my wish for you and yours that you'll be spending some fun and great time in the kitchen together during this blessed time of year... great memories are made in the kitchen... not only at Christmas time but all through the year!

I'm looking forward to 2009 and bringing you all kinds of fun things to create in your kitchen and helping you "get kids in the kitchen!" I'll be kicking off my new Blog Talk Radio Show some time in February... so check back often and see what's happening at "Kids Cooking 411!"

Oh, I got a very special Christmas gift from my Lil' Sis... I received a new link to my website last night... www.janmccracken.com and she has totally changed the look and feel of the brand new site! So drop by and have a look and let me know what you think and download a free e-book!

And don't forget... I love hearing from you all... so please send me the news of what's going on in your kitchen and any special recipes that you create.

And as I drive out of sight for now... Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!
Blessings,
Jan McCracken, Culinary Coach