Growing strawberries is so satisfying. They’re super sweet and red throughout. They come back every year after being buried in snow. And - they produce new shoots for extra plants several times a season. Try it. It’s not too late.
NYTimes article on how to make sure your child is eating a healthy lunch. Even if you’re not packing a lunch, you can still advise your kids about the best options to choose. A little encouragement and knowledge does wonders.
If they know what is good or bad for them, they’lI be able to make healthy choices on their own. Plus, I love hearing my daughter read the nutrition labels when she’s unfamiliar with an ingredient. “If you can’t read it, don’t eat it”, works every time.
Please make your own ricotta cheese this weekend. It couldn’t be any easier if it made it itself. The experience of making your own cheese is best enjoyed with a group. Kids are especially enthusiastic about it, but any friend or family member will do just fine.
Here is what you need:
1/2 gallon of the best organic milk you can find,
2 cups of buttermilk (ditto on the quality),
salt, and
cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer.
Heat the milk over medium high heat under bubbles start to form along the edges. Not quite at the boiling stage.
At this point, add the buttermilk and 1-2 tbsp of salt and gently stir to combine. Lower the heat to medium and wait. No stirring after this point or it will become grainy. Once the milk really begins to boil, adjust the heat so it is at a gentle boil.
You will see clouds of cheese begin to form. They will separate from the whey (almost looks like a clear liquid). Make a reference to Little Miss Muffet, while the cheese forms this way for about 5-10 minutes.
(see the clouds?)
Turn off the heat and start scooping out your cheese with a slotted spoon or small strainer and gently place into a cheesecloth lined strainer (or just a very fine mesh strainer).
If using cloth, gather the cheese in it forming a pouch and twist to remove excess water. Otherwise just let the water drain for about a half hour.
That’s it. It’s ready to eat.
Here we used it in pasta with fresh basil and tomato and a clove or two of minced garlic. Just dump the hot pasta on top of the basil and tomatoes seasoned with olive oil, salt and pepper. Let the heat from the hop pasta soften the tomatoes and basil. Add pieces of the cheese. They will break up as you stir it together.
(delicious!!!)
Yes - there is definitely cooking going on. But, since it’s a party, there should be some fun activities too.
We came up with some challenges that involved food, but not actually cooking.
A fantastic ice breaker which gets everyone going is to put stickers with food items (mac and cheese, brownies, etc.) on the guests’ backs when they arrive. They must immediately start talking to the other guests to ask yes/no questions and figure out who they are. When they correctly guess, the sticker is moved to the front of their shirts and they can start again if they like (most do).
This is a contest where the guests were split into two groups. The first group had to peel as many oranges as they could within 3 minutes, while the second group watched and vice versa. To determine the winner, we counted the oranges and disqualified any that had peels remaining.
Another fun activity involved blindfolding the guests and asking them to guess the ingredient that was placed in their mouth. To avoid putting anyone on the spot, two people from each team were fed the same ingredient and were allowed to quietly discuss their answer. Not as easy as it seems…
The best part about a cooking party is that all of the guests are contained in one spot. All that is necessary is a large table to fit everyone standing or sitting (recommended for ages 6 and under). Everyone participates in preparing their own meal, snacks on really good food throughout the party and sits down to share their creations with friends.
(can you guess what they are making?)
What could be better for someone who loves to cook?
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With all of the problems that eggs purchased in grocery stores pose, it’s a safe bet to get them directly from small farms. The eggs are fresh and tastier. This place in upstate New York, asks you to take a dozen eggs and drop $2 in the slot as payment. What a luxury! If you see a farm like this - go for it. You’ll be glad you did.
Tasty Wehani Rice, Leek and Corn Salad
(This recipe was first published here -> http://momtrends.blogspot.com/2010/05/tasty-rice-salad.html)
This healthy and nutritious salad has a fixed place on our dinner table starting in the Spring – remaining throughout the last days of corn season. I serve it as a side with family meals, for parties and even put it in my daughter’s lunch box. It can be made ahead of time and everyone loves it, especially my students.
Wehani rice is a type of brown jasmine rice. If you can’t find it, substitute long-grain brown rice, red or wild rice or even wheat berries. I prefer the Wehani rice for its nutty taste and chewy texture. To achieve the proper texture, cook the rice like you cook pasta. Ignore the recipes that advise you to cook this rice as you would a basic white rice – essentially using double the amount of water as rice and cooking until all of the water is absorbed. It results in the rice splitting open and getting mushy, whereas the pasta method of straining the rice from the water keeps the rice whole, allowing it to remain chewy and flavorful.
Ingredients
2 cups Wehani rice
6 cups water
2 ears of corn - sliced off of the cob
1 medium leek - green part discarded, white part cut into ¼ inch slices
1 cup shelled edamame – frozen
¼ cup minced fresh herbs – cilantro, chives, parsley or any combination you have on hand
6 tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Bring the water to a boil in a large pot and add the rice. Once the water comes back to a boil, lower the heat to medium. After 10-15 minutes, begin tasting the rice to determine if it is done. It should be cooked through, yet remain whole and chewy. The rice kernels should not start splitting open. Once the rice is finished, strain and rinse it with cold water.
Put the rice in a bowl large enough to hold the corn as well.
While the rice is cooking prepare the corn. Add 4 tablespoons of oil to a large skillet set to high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the leeks and stir well, cooking for about a minute until the leeks have wilted. Reduce the heat to medium and add the corn. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir together, distributing the corn/leek mixture over the entire bottom of the pan and cook undisturbed for about 5 minutes. This will allow the corn to release its natural sugar and develop some tasty brown spots. Once the corn is partially colored, stir and cook again undisturbed for another 5 minutes. Do not allow it to burn.
Once the corn is 3/4s browned, add the edamame and herbs. Stir and scrape up any browned bits that may have formed on the bottom of the pan. The frozen edamame will release some water, which will aid in scraping up these tasty bits. Taste for seasoning and remove from the heat after the edamame are just heated through.
Combine the corn mixture with the rice, stir well and allow it to cool.
Once the rice salad is cool, add the remaining two tablespoons of oil. Stir to combine and test again for seasoning.
Salad is best at room temperature and can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
If you register early for kids cooking classes, a discount applies till Monday the 23rd. Go to http://www.doughremekids.com/classes.htm. Ground cherries, basil and grape tomatoes ready to harvest the first week back.
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For those of you who want your children to try out a cooking class, we now have our Workshop schedule posted. There are holiday classes and monthly Friday night classes to choose from - take your pick. Bring a friend, come with a group or celebrate a special occasion. Registration is now underway at http://www.doughremekids.com. Don’t get closed out of your favorite class.
Here are your options:
Parent’s Night Out Workshop Series
Friday, 10/1, 11/5, 12/3
6-8PM
Ages 5 and up
Cost: $60 each or $160 for all three classes
It’s a win-win situation. Students will join Dough Re Me Kids for a fantastic Friday Night preparing good food while making new friends. Meanwhile, parents will get to enjoy themselves…kid-free.
Fall Harvest
Saturday, 9/25/10
11AM - 1PM
Ages 5 and Up
Cost: $50
Celebrate the bounty of the wonderful fall season with Dough Re Me Kids. Join us to prepare seasonal favorites, featuring favorites such as apples and fall squash!
Halloween
Saturday, 10/30/10
11AM-1PM
Ages 5 and Up
Cost: $50
Join Dough Re Me Kids for a spooky good time! We will be preparing Halloween treats and sharing spook tales. It’s sure to be an unforgettable Halloween.
Thanksgiving
Friday, 11/19/10
6 - 9PM
Ages 8 and Up
Cost: $75
It’s a shame that Thanksgiving comes only once a year…but it doesn’t have to! Join Dough Re Me Kids special Thanksgiving workshop, where we will prepare an entire Thanksgiving meal from beginning to end. Starting with setting the table, food preparation and sitting down to a fun meal with new friends! Thanksgiving is an amazing holiday; why not celebrate it twice?
Warm up to Winter
Sunday, 12/19/10
11AM - 1PM
Ages 4 and Up
Cost: $60
Escape the harsh winter weather with Dough Re Me Kids. We will be preparing fresh sugar cookies, homemade chocolate marshmallows and even hot chocolate from scratch, featuring premium Jacques Torres chocolate! Sounds like the perfect treat for a cold winter day!
Father’s Day Menu. What does yours look like?
The Greek yogurt Fage that has a separate cup with fruit to mix in it is a popular snack in my home. So popular that there was none left when I wanted it yesterday. Luckily, we had a container of plain yogurt and some frozen blueberries. So I decided to make my own sauce.
I cooked 1 cup of blueberries with 2 tbsp of raw sugar and the juice of half a small lemon for about 10 minutes.
Once the sauce was cool, I spooned it over my plain yogurt. Needless to say, it was waaaay better than the store-bought sauce. And a lot less expensive too. My daughter tasted mine and decided to have her own bowl. Actually, it was me who had to get another bowl. She took mine.
It is fantastic with just about any fruit. What kid could resist a snack that looks like this?
DOUGH RE ME KIDS is proud to announce that we will be holding a class at the Dylan’s Candy Bar Camp this summer on July 28, 2010.
I visited there recently and was in awe at the candy-themed decor. It truly feels like a candy wonderland. We will make a wholesome treat - using fresh organic ingredients - that they can take home to proudly share with their loved ones.
Plus, Dylan’s is offering some amazing activities all week from many renowned NYC kid’s programs. It is the ultimate camp experience.
This drop-off program allows parents visiting NYC during the summer some free time to themselves. Your children will remember this special camp at a NYC institution forever.
The link for the camp is here ——> http://www.dylanscandybar.com/Camp_lp
Hope to see you all there.
Romy