Pot Roast Chicken - With a Slight Twist

Tasty chicken and quickly prepared for 2 hungry boys. Chicken beautifully baked or roasted and healthly. Plain protein dish. Serve with rice or patotoes or salads.

Few lessons here for the kids:
1. when you are hungry - you can have a tasty dish within minutes
2. don't let them eat out, particularly fast food. this is fast food!
3. estimates - get them to estimate how much they need to prepare the food. no need to fuss about exacts.

Ingridients

2 chicken thighs
1 onion
3 pips of garlic
1 inch ginger
salt
pepper
olive oil

How to prepare

Roasted chicken in aluminium foil

1.  ground onion, garlic and ginger
2.  mix all the ingridients over the chicken
3.  you can leave about 20 minutes, if you have time, otherwise go right to the baking
4.  wrap in aluminium foil
5.  bake for 1/2 hour at 180 Celcious

I hope your kids love this recipe. Simple and quick, yet healthy and beautiful if you need to entertain.

Happy Cooking and Teaching!

What Kids and Cooking and Teaching Means? And How to Do it?

I  found this wonderful video on UTube. It shows how 2 very young children (5 years and a toddler) prepare a wonderful smootie! See how they do it. An execellant example of kids and cooking and teaching while cooking.

Watch the kids confidence and the fun they are having. There is a lot of encouragement and guidance. They need to mix and think and move - there is muscle movement. And they have their own preparation building pride for their work.

Kids and Cooking and How and What They Learn

Happy Cooking and Teaching!

Freezing and Boiling Points? What has the Kitchen Got to Do with It?

If substance A has a freezing point of 20° and boiling point of 120°, what is its state at 85°? The kitchen has the answer!


Children learn about freezing and boiling points from different perspectives as they progress:

Hot and cold

Heat

Different states of matter

What are freezing and boiling points?

What is the state of matter at these points?

What happens to the molecules?

Children sometimes cannot imagine how this can happen.

The best and easiest is of course to boil some ice!

Place some ice – freezing point is 0°

Explain that how bringing the ice out of the freezer slowly turns it into liquid or water, for easier understanding

Next is give it some heat and see what happens.

The ice turns to water and then stim

We can explain that different matters have different boiling and freezing points.

Happy Cooking and Happy Teaching!

Why do plants wilt? A science lesson in the kitchen

How do we teach kids science issues related to plants such as evaporation, osmosis, cells and absorption?

The kitchen provides a great opportunity to teach our kids about plants, their need for water and bringing them back to live within a few minutes. Did you know that the wilted vegetables from your refrigerator offers tremendous amount of teaching lessons?

I did not think about it too much until I saw some wilted leave vegetables in my refrigerator.

I told my kids I will show them some magic.

I said that I would magically make the vegetable come to live!

Make your kids place the vegetables in a bowl of water.

Walla! After just a few minutes, the leaves have regained their freshness

What happened?

The way you explain to your kids depends on your kids’ ages, understanding and keenness. Apply your best judgment in explaining. I personally think, we should not transform it into a classroom type scenario. It would not work in getting their interest. The explanation needs to stick in their minds.

You may wish to use these explanations:

Plants lose water through evaporation – like how we sweat. Can you see the sweat when you play?

Plants are made of cells – just like how we build a building with bricks. There is water in the cells, which is lost through evaporation. Evaporation is where water is lost into the air. It leaves the plant.

The water will not be replaced if you don’t give your plant or vegetables water.

They will start to lose their shape and strength and become floopy.

Water your plant or keep your vegetable in water for a while, and it will regain its shape.

Plants takes in water by a process called osmosis. (Figure out something funny for them to remember the word – particularly for the older kids)

This is why a wilted plant or even a wilted stalk of celery will become firm again if given water.

Water is the most essential thing for life.


Parents, I hope this little tip will help you.

Happy cooking and teaching!

Baked Eggs Tom and Jerry Style - 3 -6 year olds

Parents,

I found a great breakfast recipe, where your kids can easily make. This recipe is suitable for children aged between 3 to 6 years - they can work on their own with little adult supervision. The recipe below is simple and easy to read and follow. You can increase the print size if you like.

Why would we ask our kids to prepare a meal?

1. Our kids will need to read the recipe

2. Our kids learn to follow instructions

3. Let them be creative with the recipe

4. Measuring and counting and estimating all in less than 15 minutes or so

5. Builds their self esteem and confidence, which is perhaps the strongest reason

I don’t bother asking my kids to clean up too much. It would take the fun out of the exercise for them. It must be gradual and with help, I think. That way, they will keep coming back!

Kids,

Here is a neat recipe to help you surprise your mum and dad. Its breakfast – easy to do.

What you will need:

1. 1 Slice of ham/bacon/roast chicken/or any meat

2. 8 small spinach leaves (but you can change it if you want – you can use sweet corn, frozen peas, spring onion or any vegetable that you or your parents fancy)

3. 8 cherry tomatoes

4. 4 eggs

5. About a matchbox size of cheese

6. 4 slices of bread, toasted, buttered – for eating with your dish.

7. 1 adult to help you with the oven

Equipment

Ramekins (little porcelain bowls)

Children’s scissors – any plastic one will do

Grater (but you need an adult for this) If not use your hands to get the cheese into little pieces

Steps

1. Switch the oven on

Ask an adult to switch the oven to 180°


2. Place 4 ramekins in front of you

Look at the picture for how ramekins look like

3. Squash 2 cherry tomatoes into each ramekin. T

4. Break one egg

Break the egg into a bowl. Scoop out the shells.

Pour out the egg into the ramekin

Do the same with the other 3 eggs

5. Get the cheese into smaller pieces

Ask an adult to help you grate. Or you could use your hands and knuckles to break the cheese into smaller pieces. Hey, Why not!

6. Sprinkle the Cheese on top of each egg in the ramekin

7. Put in the oven

Ask an adult to help you. After 15 minutes you are done.

Happy Cooking little ones! Hope you enjoy the baked eggs Tom and Jerry Style

What Cooking Does For Me – Chapter 2

My boy wrote this piece in Chapters. Chapter 1 was about how he felt about cooking. For the second Chapter he wrote about ‘Cooking Technology’. See Chapter 1 on this blog.

Again I have reproduced Chapter 2 here – except for spelling and perhaps some grammar, this is my son’s original piece.

Cooking Technology

If you don’t know how to cook, watch the Asian Food Channel on TV. My favorite show is Restaurant Makeover. It’s very interesting because it turns a bad restaurant into a good restaurant. A Bad Chef to a Good Chef.

You need to learn a few things in school to be a chef. You need to learn math, science, and English. Math is to help you know how to measure like how much water you need to add to your cooking. English is to understand cooking and read recipes. Science is to know about what is happening in cooking.

We learn things from cooking like knowing the right ingredients and making food delicious. You can also make drinks.

The end

P.S. My son's musings got me thinking, about children having ambitions to become chefs. I found some books. I reading  the Chef's story - its about their passion and what got them into the kitchen. Interesting read. There are others, if you are interested. 

Our children are angles, with dreams, creatively and imagination. If adults did not forget these child thoughts, the world would probably be a better place.

“What Do I Feel About Cooking” – A Child’s Experience

My elder son loves the idea of cooking. He is nine. He gets into the kitchen with me more frequently compared to my younger son. He says that cooking is all about making someone happy. People should be happy eating the food we prepare and serve.

He loves writing too! And perhaps cooking has over the years injected the idea of writing and the power of the pen. I have noticed that he tends to express himself through the written word.

I found this mussing in one of his note books. He let me read it and said that I should share it with others. I have reproduced his piece here – except for spelling and perhaps some grammar, this is my son’s original piece.

What I feel about cooking:
Chapter 1: How I Feel

I feel great when I cook. I might be a kid but am great at cooking and when I grow up I’ll be a chef. They’ll call me Chef K! The most famous chef in the galaxy!

You have to pick the right ingredients. Otherwise your food will smell like a dumpster – Ewww, gross!

I cook soup while I am a kid, which I am. But I will cook all sorts of food when I grow up.

I also think cooking is the best way to earn money. I might even be rich. I could help lots of people then.

The end

Cooking with Children: 15 Lessons for Children, Age 7 and Up, Who Really Want to Learn to Cook

slI found a fantastic book on Amazon.com, on Cooking with Children It is written by Marion Cunningham who is probably best known for her work on the Fannie Farmer books. In Cooking with Children she shares her experience on teaching both children and parents the basic skills for the kitchen.

The book is really for children age seven and older, the books is designed partly to instruct and partly to provide an opportunity for parents and children to share in preparing and eating meals--an element of family life that is quickly vanishing in this age of busy schedules and microwave meals consumed on the run.

Cunningham bases her book on her experiences teaching youngsters both privately and in community center programs. What she learned about a child's capabilities, likes, and dislikes has been distilled into 15 basic lessons, all centered around a particular recipe. The first chapter, for example, entitled "Vegetable Soup," teaches how to peel and chop vegetables, how to sauté, how to be organized in the kitchen, and the difference between boiling and simmering. Chapter 6, "Pancakes and Popovers," teaches how to mix a batter, test the heat of a skillet, grease baking cups, and more. The instructions for each recipe are clear, detailed, and easy to follow. The recipes are easy enough for older children to follow on their own. Cooking with Children is a terrific introduction to the culinary arts for kids--and makes a pretty nice refresher course for adults as well.

There are 35 favorite recipes, from vegetable soup to a birthday cake in color.

I like the the book because it is easy to follow and we can get our kids to read it. It provides great guidance in the kitchen and to prepare nice and delicious meals. And it keeps it simple. And the book is not very expensive - it used one is going for less than US3.00. A new one about US16 but i think you can get it at USD6 or USD7 if you buy within a certain time period. A few of our friends bought the book and they really loved it and asked me to get it. I got one for myself rather than borrowing. And books you gonna use in the kitchen will definately get stains and drips of this and that. Best to get one of your own which you can keep and refer all the time.

Have a look. Click on the picture or any of the the links
on the article.

I hope you will let me know what you think.

Love Cookies

Valentine is coming and I thought I spend some quality time with my kids. I spent yesterday baking cookies with my 2 boys. We made some butter bookies – my intention was to have love shaped cookies but instead my boys had different ideas – there were shapes of birds and bears and stars.

But there is definitely LOVE in the air. My boys enjoyed the whole process. They was butter and flour splattered all over. We (or should I say they) changed the recipe a bit and there was a lot of learning and teaching for both my kids and myself included. Sometimes, we adults need reminders too and kids can teach us a thing or two too!

The kids learnt how to beat and mix. My younger one asked questions – Why was the yolk yellow, why this flour and not that and so on. There was a bit of math but most of all there was a lot of imagination and fund. And the best part about the whole cooking process was everybody loved the cookies! They tasted really good.

This recipe, I think is great. It is a basic butter cookie recipe which you can improvise. You can raisins, or almonds, chocolate chips or decorations

It’s up to the imagination of your kids and you!

Shopping List

125 grams of butter (or about a cup)
Learning Tips
1. How do you measure 125 grams (what is one cup?)
2. 1 kg makes a 1000grams – 125 must be 1/8 of a kilogram
3. Where does butter come from? (No, not the supermarket!)

100 grams icing sugar (or about ¾ of a cup)
Learning Tips
1.Where does sugar come from?
2. What’s 3/4 ? What’s ½? Which is more? Which is less?

1 egg yolk
Learning Tips
1. Egg yolk and egg white – what are they – see how they look like
2. Where do eggs come from?
3. Why is egg good for you?
4. What do eggs have?-What is protein

1 tsp vanilla essence
Learning Tips
It smells really good but taste horrible. Introduce the senses. Vanilla is a flavoring from orchids and is actually a Spanish word "vainilla"or little pods. Here’s how it looks.

150 grams to 200 grams of flour (or 2 cups flour)

Learning Tips

1. What is flour’s texture
2. How do you get 200grams of flour?
3. Where does flour come from?

½ tsp baking powder

Learning Tips

Baking powder is to help the cake rise. How does it work? Baking powder is a dry chemical leavening agent used to increase the volume and lighten the texture of muffins, cakes, scones and biscuits. Baking powder works by releasing carbon dioxide gas into a batter or dough through an acid-base reaction, causing bubbles in the wet mixture to expand and thus leavening the mixture.

Instructions
1. Beat the butter and sugar till fluffy
2. Mix in egg yolk and essence
3. Sift flour and baking powder
4. Add the dry ingredients to form a soft dough
5. Let your kids enjoy shaping the cookies
6. Bake in preheated oven at 180 C for 12 to 15 minutes
7. Allow to cool and serve
8. If you like you can make some cream to decorate the cookies – beat some icing sugar and butter and add color of your choice and cream the cookies

And that’s it. HAPPY VALENTINE!

If you are looking for some homemade cookies for valentine, there are some great shops offering discounts for the season. Try this link, I thought it offers great offers and makes beautiful gifts 15% Off All Items for Valentine’s Day at David’s Cookies! Use Coupon Code VDAYLS at Checkout. Valid Thru February 28, 2010. Click Here.