Fun Kids Recipes!

Super fun kids recipes here!

Kid's Size Loaf of Yummy Bread

Here's a recipe for a kid's size loaf of delicious, wholesome bread. It's perfect for little hands to knead and mold.

In a small bowl, mix together:

• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1/2 tsp. yeast
• 1/2 tsp. honey

Stir together and then let mixture sit for five minutes. The yeast will start to bubble and rise. Then add:

• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/8 cup all-purpose flour
• pinch of salt

Knead the mixture for ten minutes, adding sprinkles of flour as needed so little hands don't get too sticky.

When the dough is smooth and like elastic, place it in a bowl and let it rise until it is twice the original size. Make sure it is warm and free from drafts.

Spray vegetable cooking spray on the sides and bottom of a small loaf pan.

Punch the dough down. Form it into a loaf. Place the dough into the prepared loaf pan.

Let the loaf rise until double the size.

Bake the loaf in the oven at 350 degrees F. for 20 - 25 minutes.

@MyCozyKitchen2011

In the Childhood Memories

"In the childhood memories of every good cook, there's a large kitchen, a warm stove, a simmering pot, and a mom."

Barbara Costikyan

Quote: Sermon in a Loaf of Bread

"In a sermon on the feeding of the five thousand by our Lord, a minister lately spoke of the lad who brought the barley loaves and the woman who made them. Little did she think as she pounded the grain, and mixed the dough, and tempered the heat of the oven, that her loaves were to feed the gathered companies, who sat down in orderly ranks on the green grass, and were refreshed by a meal presided over by Christ. As little do we know whereunto one small act of ours may grow. The obscure agents in this world are oftener stronger than those which are seen."

~

Signs 5/29/1884

The Kitchen, an Interesting Room

Edith Schaeffer shares insights from her experience as a homemaker and mom in her book "The Hidden Art of Homemaking". Her goal is to share creative ideas for enriching everyday life. I love how she expresses herself and shares what sounds to be a very delightful time in the kitchen with her children.  See what you think.

"For growing children at play, there is nothing so interesting as really 'doing things'. To 'help cook' is one of the most enjoyable things of childhood --- to say nothing of being a sure way of producing good cooks.  A child can cut up carrots at a very early age, with no more risk of injury than from falling down outside at play! A child can mix and stir, knead the dough and be given a piece to make a roll man, cat or rabbit with raisin eyes. A child can fry eggs or make scrambled eggs ---- one of mine did every morning from the age of three! The kitchen should be an interesting room in which communication takes place between child and mother and also among adults. It should be interesting in the same way as in an artist's studio, as well as being a cosy spot in which to have a cup of tea while something is being watched or stirred, or while waiting to take something out of the oven."

Now, doesn't that just create the most pleasant word picture in your mind? I hope it inspires you to make your kitchen such a place! It inspired me!

Cooking up Math & Science Concepts

Cooking experiences are a great way to teach math and science concepts. Quantity, temperature, time, size, and shape can all be taught and reinforced during food preparation. Here are some terms to assist the teacher-parent as they teach their child these concepts.

• QUANTITY:  degrees, package, pint, a few, dozen, tablespoon, both, cupful, quart, square, less, long, some, pound, a dash, enough, pinch, double, slice, approximate, short, more, ounce, teaspoon, whole, cup, half, bunch
• TEMPERATURE:  hot, degrees, chill, cold, heat, lukewarm, cool, preheat, frozen, warm, boiling, steaming
• TIME:  instant, gradually, timer, overnight, slowly, alternately, next day, hour, second, minute, a little while, quickly
• SIZE:  large, huge, small, miniature, little, bite-size, tiny, chunks
• SHAPE:  round, cube, square, rectangle, circle, oval, oblong, fluted

More about Tasting Games

Tasting games are an ideal way to encourage children to note how foods taste, look, smell, feel, grow, identify what part of a plant they are from, and how they are used. It is good to ask your child "do you know what you are tasting without peeking?" or to extend the game by using a blind fold to keep them from seeing the food they are trying. Ask them "can you tell what you are tasting when you can't see it?" Or "try holding your nose when tasting".

Here are some sample tasting experiences:

Bitter - baking powder or orange rind

Salty - potato chips or peanuts

Sour - lemon or pickles

Sweet - brown sugar or sweet chocolate

• Variety of fresh fruits like apple, banana, peach, pineapple, grape, or strawberry
• Variety of cheeses like cheddar, Swiss, Jack, Roquefort, cottage cheese (or vegan alternatives)
• Variety of raw vegetables like tomato, carrot, peas, celery, cauliflower, spinach
• Variety of melons like watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, or cranshaw
• Variety of milks like soy, rice, whole dairy, skim milk, buttermilk
• Variety of white creamy foods like mayonnaise, Veganaise, sour cream, sweetened whipped cream, unsweetened whipped cream

Tasting Parties and Language Arts

Tasting parties are a fun way to expand a child's food experiences and to reinforce verbal skills. They also assist the child in developing problem-solving skills. To conduct a tasting party, the parent-teacher selects a variety of foods, both familiar and new. Care should be taken to select foods that have varying qualities and flavors. Variety is key! Generally, it is best to stick to sliced, whole foods rather than mixtures and blends. To participate, the child is blind-folded and then given a food to taste. From their bite of food, they guess what it is and then use as many ADJECTIVES as they can to describe it. Have them describe flavors and textures. It is fun for them to rate each food on a scale of 1 - 10. The teacher-parent can place the items in order (or make a list) so that the child can see and evaluate how they rated the food tasted after the tasting party. They might be surprised which food(s) they liked best! 

Here are words that the teacher-parent can use to guide the child with their descriptions:

• Flavor:  tart, bitter, spicy, bland, sweet, salty, mild, tangy, blend, mellow, sour
• Texture:  mealy, smooth, tender, crisp, rough, wet, stiff, hard, lumpy, tough, stringy, dry, compressed, mushy, soft, creamy, firm, crunchy, moist, granular, sticky
• Mixtures:  batter, dough, sauce, gel

Peanut Butter

Expand Vocabulary through Cooking Experiences

Ingredients used in cooking frequently consist of terms that children may not be familiar with.  By using the correct names for things, a child's vocabulary can be expanded naturally as they participate in food experiences. Here is a listing of some ingredients that you might consider when preparing food and talking about it with your child.

• ginger
• parsley
• sage
• rosemary
• thyme
• salt
• cinnamon
• cornstarch
• brown sugar
• honey
• molasses
• shortening
• margarine
• butter
• nuts
• nut meats
• coconut
• cheeses
• beans
• rind
• stem
• leaves
• stalk
• vanilla
• whole wheat flour
• white flour
• rye flour
• baking powder
• yeast
• cream of tartar
• grains
• legumes
• lentils
• grated peel
• seeds 
• fruits
• vegetables
• rolled oats
• juices
• evaporated milk
• soy milk
• powdered milk
• sour milk
• whole milk
• skimmed milk
• homogenized milk
• pasteurized milk
• eggs
• oil
• peanut butter
• baking soda
• wheat germ
• kale
• carrots

Orange Julius

Language Arts in the Kitchen

Language skills can be learned during food preparation. When a teacher-parent uses the correct term for food, utensils, and equipment, both listening and speaking are developed. The process becomes a valuable learning experience.  Here are examples of ACTION WORDS that can be used throughout any cooking experience. Purposefully use them to help expand your child's understanding and vocabulary. Older children can benefit by learning to spell these words as well.

• combine
• scrape
• beat
• pop
• crack
• ice
• whip
• refrigerate
• grate 
• grind
• boil
• simmer
• bake
• broil
• divide
• brown
• cool
• digest
• nut
• toss
• spread
• stuff
• sprinkle
• butter
• skin
• sizzle
• bubble
• store
• heat
• sift
• chop
• dice
• slice
• strain
• steam
• freeze
• melt
• coat
• cover
• dredge
• squeeze
• peel
• pit
• stem
• pare
• core
• let rise
• grease
• soften
• compress
• knead
• half
• quarter
• toast
• roll
• shape
• mix
• smell
• scrape
• crack
• pour
• dissolve
• cool
• measure
• warm
• chill
• yields
• drop 
• bite
• cut
• chip
• add 
• melt
• press
• preheat
• chew
• swallow
• drizzle
• fold
• dip

Share Soup: Story

Sharing stories that involve food are a great way to tie other subjects to cooking experiences. Here is a story that can be used to teach cooperation, sharing, and self-reliance. It can also be used as a topic starter on problem solving. 

Once upon a time there was a small village.  The sun was going down and it was dinner time. As usual, everyone was in his or her own little house thinking about the same thing --- what shall we have for dinner tonight?  But on this particular night everyone thought and thought for a very long time. There was a problem, and it was a problem that everyone shared. No one had enough food in his or her house to make a dinner. Everyone had the same problem!

Because this was a friendly little town where everyone knew everyone else, the word soon got around. Neighbors were talking about their problems with each other in the street, on front porches, and over back yard fences. They all agreed that something had to be done soon because everyone was getting very hungry.

There was a man in the town who happened to be a very good cook, and as he was thinking about this problem with his wife, she came up with the answer. "We will make a new and different kind of soup called Share Soup, and you will direct the cooking," she said. Her husband thought this was a wonderful idea that his wife had, and as the townspeople in the village found out about the idea they became more and more excited and happy. But what was Share Soup, they asked? The man's wife explained, "Share Soup is a soup you make with a big pot of water and everyone's share of food.  If everyone brings their little share of food from home, we can make one big delicious soup for everyone. I call it Share Soup." 

"First we'll need a large pot," he said. The people brought the largest pot they could find. "And now," the man said, "water to fill the pot and a fire to heat it." It took many buckets of water to fill the pot. A fire was built on the main street of the town and the pot was set to boil.

"Soup needs salt and dried herbs," said the man. He began to stir and the children ran to get salt and dried herbs.

"Salt and dried herbs make good soup, but if there were carrots it would taste much better."

"I think I have some carrots," said one woman, and she ran home. She came back with a handful of carrots and put them in the pot.

"Share Soup should really have some cabbage," said one man, and he returned soon with a big head of cabbage which he cut up and put in his pot.

"How I wish we had some potatoes and onions; then this soup would be the most delicious soup ever," the man said. Some children remembered where they'd seen some and hurried home to get them.

A delicious soup --- and all from some water and everyone's share of food. It seemed like magic! As the man stirred the soup he thought, "If we had a little rice and a cup of milk, this soup would be the best soup in the whole world." More people ran home to get a little milk and rice. Soon everyone from the town had put in his or her share of food. 

The man who was such a good cook stirred and stirred the soup while everyone watched happily. And then the soup was ready.

"Everyone gets a taste," said the man. "But first, let's set the tables." Great big tables were place in the main street. All around were lighted candles. Such a soup! How good it smelled! It really was the best soup anyone in the town had ever tasted!

*Adapted from Stone Soup, by Marcia Brown

Mini Picnic

Planning for the Cooking Experience

At first, cooking projects should have few steps such as taking peas out of a pod (children 3 - 5), making a pudding, popping corn, or making cranberry sauce in order to give the children the experience of working with food. The careful washing and preparing of vegetables and fruits is another single activity.

Gradually, the experience should become more complex by incorporating more steps.

Always be receptive to children's suggestions if they are within reason as to what they would like to make.

Be alert to many ideas for food preparation which arise spontaneously out of other activities and experiences.

Star House Story

Once upon a time a young boy named Johnny was searching for something interesting to do. His mother suggested that he go outside and play with his toys. His train was fun as it chugged in and out of his garage. "Clank! Clank!" went the fire bell as his fire engine zoomed down the sidewalk. But Johnny was tired of his toys.

"Please, Mother, tell me about something interesting that I can do," begged Johnny. His Mother then suggested that he go outside and find a little red house that had no doors or windows, but had a star inside of it.

Johnny looked and looked but he couldn't find the little red house with no doors, no windows, and a star inside of it. When he became tired of looking he went to Grandmother's. Grandmother was always ready to listen and she was wise. She thought and thought. Finally she told Johnny that when she had a problem which she couldn't solve, she always went over to visit Farmer Brown.

Away went Johnny to Farmer Brown's home. "Please sir, can you help me? My mother asked me to find a little red, round house with no doors and no windows and a star inside of it. I asked my Grandmother to help me, but she said that when she has a problem she comes to you"

Farmer Brown thought and thought. He looked at the apple tree at the top of the hill. "When I have a problem and I don't know the answer, I go and listen to the wind. Why don't you go to the top of the hill and stand under the apple tree and listen to the wind."

"Swish. . .Swish. . .Swish. . .went the wind and an apple fell right near Johnny's feet. Johnny picked it up and looked at it. It was little. It was round. It was red! "A  little red, round house," thought Johnny. "Maybe with a star inside of it? Who ever heard of a star inside of an apple? I'll just open it and see."

"There it is! There it is! A little red, round house with no doors and no windows and a star inside of it."

*Reprinted from "Food for Little People", a booklet developed by the Berkeley Department of Health and the Berkeley School District.

This story is easily adapted to include God's gifts and how he gives us yummy fruits to enjoy and make us healthy.
It is recommended that you use an apple as an object lesson in this story, cutting it crosswise to reveal the star inside.

Kids Cooking Goals and Objectives

Cooking is a lot of fun, especially when things are in the correct sizes and proportions for small hands! The recipes we will be using for "Cooking with Kids in the Kitchen!" are designed to provide children with the opportunity to experience the taste, feel, and smell of their very own cooking. Each project is designed for young children and has been tested by eater, young cooks.

The objective is to provide hands-on, independent cooking experiences for young children.

Through individualized cooking experiences your child will learn to:

• read a recipe
• measure ingredients correctly
• combine and mix ingredients according to recipe instructions
• clean up the kitchen area according to parental standards
• identify healthful foods and develop a taste for nutritious foods

The role of the teacher-parent is important. Provide only as much help as is necessary, allowing the child to be as independent as possible. Make recipe adjustments to allow for the child's ability (for example, color code measuring spoons to assist in size identification or draw pictures beside recipe instructions to help them know what to do if they are still learning to read). Be there for your child to answer questions and to provide stimulating discussion as your child works. Encourage them to think about nutrition and why certain foods are healthy or unhealthy. Children will try foods they wouldn't usually eat if they prepared them on their own.

Story Starters

Story starters can be helpful to children when learning to organize their thoughts into a story that they tell or an essay that they write. Thinking up things on their own can be challenging, but sometimes something as simple as a picture can help them get started. Pictures that show action, emotion, objects of interest, and involve the senses are good at creating a spark that helps the child create an entire story! 

Use this picture with your child and see what kind of story results. Have your child use all their senses as they tell about what they think is happening in this picture. In keeping with our "Kids in the Kitchen" theme, this picture involves FOOD!

Apple Pie

Finger Play

Young kinesthetic and audio learners especially benefit from teaching activities like finger plays. Here is a fun finger play to use when making cookies.

I am making cookie dough
Round and round the beaters go
   (make circular motion like stirring for both lines)
Add some flour from a cup
   (pretend to pour from a cup)
Stir and stir the batter up
   (make circular motion in opposite direction)
Roll them, cut them nice and neat
   (pretend to use a rolling pin; side side of hand as a knife and 
    pretend to cut)
Put them on a cookie sheet
   (use hand as a spatula; pick up and move cookies)
Bake the, count them 1, 2, 3
   (pretend to open an oven door; hold up one, two, three fingers)
Serve them to my friends and me.
   (pretend to offer one to a friend and then pop one in their mouths)

Autumn Adventure Day

 

The school year starts in September for most families. The days are beautifully filled with autumn splendor. The sun is bright, but the shadows long on many autumn mornings. It is a great time of year. Every year our family would start studies with much anticipation and energy. After a few weeks the newness would wear off and the children would need a boost (and so would mom!). Every October or November we implemented something that we called “Autumn Adventure Day” — a day whose events were always a surprise for the children. On that morning I would wake the children up, telling them to hurry and get dressed because I had a surprise for them. A backpack for each of them was packed and ready to go, including a packed breakfast and a journal.  It was usually one I made and it was shaped like an apple or pumpkin with a colorful cover on it. We would hit the road, stopping at all sorts of planned adventures along the way. Usually we would usually include a visit to the children’s grandparents. Along the way we would do things like: pick a bucket of apples in the neighbor’s orchard; stop at a bakery to watch them make bagels; go to a park and identify trees and gather nuts and seeds; jog a lap or two around a running track; go to Grandma’s house for a story she would read; go to a tea room for lunch and learn manners; to the other grandma’s house for cookies and a nature lesson; and so on. The time line was scheduled and filled with many fun, short activities. The children would record events in their journal in the car between events. Zip lock bags were included in their backpack for collecting nature objects. And a camera was given as well, for recording things that weren’t easy to draw or write about. The journals became more sophisticated over the years — being age-appropriate as the children grew.  Our autumn adventures were chock full of learning activities and events, all mixed with a great deal of fun.  Each autumn the children would look forward to this ‘surprise’ day with much anticipation.

I highly recommend thinking outside of the box! It’s how memories are made! What a blessing it is to be the teacher of one’s own children. Having an autumn adventure day is just one way of making it a fun and happy experience.