Excerpts from our November 2006 meeting with Pam Clarke and her wonderful presentation of cooking with children ideas.

 
A few ideas from the meeting:
 
  • Use juice containers to pre-measure pancake mix so you can just add wet ingredients and pour to make pancakes or crepes. 
  • Use disposable containers for children to take their food creations home.  Disposable containers are also useful for putting ingredients and supplies that children will need to create the meal.  Ex. Place apples and a small cup for p-nut butter plus a spreader.  
  • Use disposable liners or paper boxes, French fry, paper cartons etc
  •  Use mixed veggies such as carrots, cauliflower, green beans, broccoli etc.  Boil (blanch) in a pot with a strainer. Drain and keep on hand in your refrigerator in a zip lock bag.  Make a big batch for convenient ready to serve veggies at mealtimes.  Serve with ranch.
  •  Ask children to bring veggies from home for stone soup to involve the children. (Recipe below)

 

  •  Use the flimsy cutting boards for children to have their own work station. 
  • No stick silicone muffin pans are great for making child sized servings.  They can also be used for ice, jello, etc. 
  • Use celery to make a tic tac toe game. Use gummy bears, mints etc. 
  • Cut out a tortilla with a cookie cutter and sprinkle with ranch dressing toast in oven. 
  • Use colorful plates to spark interest in mealtimes. 
  • Stained glass cookies – use parchment paper, crush lifesavers for the insides.

 

  • Use frozen bread dough to make shaped loaves. 
  • Use parchment to divide and mark sections for children to place their cooking creations.  
  • Make pizza or pot pies with refrigerator biscuits in a muffin tin.  Use refrigerator biscuits to make doughnuts, check Pillsbury website for more ideas. 
  • Use cookie cutters to cut sandwiches into interesting shapes.
  • Use waffles or crepes to make mini sandwiches. 

 

Reindeer poop

A fun gag gift to make. Give someone a bag of reindeer poop along with this poem.

Materials Needed:

  • Zip-Top Sandwich Bag
  • Malted Milk Ball Candies
  • Paper

Instructions:
Simply put a handfull of malted milk ball candies in the zip-top sandwich bag to be the "poop". If you want a little bit of color, add some Christmas colored sprinkles or some edible glitter.

Print out the poem below, cut it out, folded the page in half, and stapled it to the top of the sandwich bag ... (Click on the link for a printable version of the poem.

http://familycrafts.about.com/library/projects/blreindpoop1.htm

 

 

PROJECT: Feed the Birds this Winter!

Pinecone Bird Feeder

What You Need

1 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup shortening
Spoon
2 bowls
Pinecones
Seeds
String 18" long
Scissors

What To Do

  1. Tie the ends together and attach to the base of a pinecone. Fit the string around the scales to hold it securely in place.
  2. In one bowl mix peanut butter and shortening together.
  3. Spoon the mixture onto the scales of the pine cones.
  4. Pour the seeds in the other bowl and roll the pine cone in them, covering well.
  5. Hang your bird feeder near your window sill. Have fun watching the birds eat their meals.

http://www.canr.uconn.edu/ces/child/newsarticles/FCC535.html

Mimi's Cafe's Carrot Bread
Source: Mimi's Cafe

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup canned crushed pineapple, with juice, drained
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup finely shredded carrots

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 9-inch square pan or four mini-loaf pans.

Sift first five ingredients into a mixing bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, and eggs. Stir the liquid mixture into the flour mixture; mix well.

Add the next four ingredients; stir again. Fill the prepared pans 2/3 full with batter.

Bake at 350F for about 40 minutes for 9-inch pan or about 30 minutes for minin-loaves.

Yield: one 9-inch square, or four 3x6-inch mini-loaves

http://www.recipelink.com/mf/14/17631 Pumpkin roll
Serves 6

For cake:
3 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
Powdered sugar

For filling:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 (3-ounce) packages cream cheese
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

For cake: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease and flour
15-by-10-by-1-inch jelly roll pan. Beat eggs on high speed for 5
minutes; gradually beat in granulated sugar. Stir in pumpkin and
lemon juice. Sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger,
nutmeg and salt. Fold into pumpkin mixture. Spread in prepared pan.
Top with walnuts. Bake for 15 minutes. Sprinkle powdered sugar onto
fresh dishcloth and turn cake out onto cloth. Starting at narrow end,
roll towel and cake together; cool and unroll.

For filling: Combine 1 cup powdered sugar, cream cheese, butter and
vanilla. Beat until smooth. Spread over cake, roll up and chill.

Roll will be 10 inches long. Dust with sifted powdered sugar, then
cut into 6 slices and serve.

http://www.food-lists.com/lists/archives/home-bakery/2003/09/1064544981.php

 

Chicken & Rice

 

            In a casserole dish put 2 cups rice, 2t soy sauce , 41/2 cups chicken broth.  Lay chicken pieces on top.  Cover tight with foil.  Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.  Remove foil.  Continue cooking till chicken temp is 165 degrees.

 

Roast Chicken

 

            In a casserole dish put 6 carrots, 6 celery, 2 onion (sliced).  Rinse and pat dry 2 chickens (whole or parts) on top.  Salt & pepper, cover with foil tent.  Bake 30 minutes.  Uncover, add 8 potatoes and continue to cook 30 minutes and to temp of 165 degrees. 

 

Chicken Stock

 

            After roasting 2 chickens (see above) remove all the meat reserve.  Dump all the leftover vegetables, skin, bones, and drippings in a stock pot.  Add any fresh carrots, celery, onion, or other vegetables “scraps” you have.  Bring to a boil.  Skim and reduce to simmer for a couple of hours- strain – season with bullion soy sauce, salt, pepper or herbs.  Cool, refrigerate, skim fat from top. 

 

Stone Soup

 

Brown meat & onion in aq stock pot add broth.  Bring to boil.  Reduce heaqt.  Check seasoning.  Add bullion or soy sauce as needed.  Have each child prepare and add a vegetable, bean, or pasta.  Simmer until cooked through.

Add: potato, celery, peas, corn, carrot, squash, beans, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, turnip.

 

Sandwiches

  1. Use cutters to make shapes
  2. Have kids match & pattern shapes
  3. Use interesting insides – PB&J – Tuna – Chicken Salad – Cheese – Meat – Vegetables – Potato Chips – Grind leftover meat, Ham, Turkey, Egg…mix with mayo for spreads.
  4. Use interesting outsides – Bread – Crackers – Tortillas – Pita – Waffles – Biscuits – Bagels – Crepes – Flattened bread spread and rolled.
  5. Let kids assemble their own sandwiches from little cups.
  6. Bake sandwiches for a new texture.
  7. Use little cups for spreads.

 

Spreaders

Peanut Butter – Cream cheese – Ranch Dressing – Cottage cheese – Yogurt – Cheese spread – Jelly – Whip cream – Butter

 

Spreadees

Crackers – Banana rounds – Cucumber rounds – Toast (bread) – Baguettes – Pretzels – Cookies – Waffles

 

Others

Mini marshmallows – Chocolate chips – Candies – Cold cereal – Raisens – Green Beans – Veg & Fruit – Mini Crackers – Mini cookies – Pretzels – Cheese Chunks – Meat chunks