Kids Cooking and Cookbook Blog Site

The last two posts have concentrated on the deep-fried indulging world of fair and festival food. Today I want to consider how to have safe eating and drinking experiences at those events.

Remember that food safety practices should be followed at fairs just as they are at home.

Practice cleanliness.

Keep raw food from contaminating other food.
Don’t cut fresh vegetables or fruits on the same cutting surface as you prepare raw meat.

Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold.

What should you consider before buying food from a food stand or other vendor?

Does the workstation look clean?
Is there a sink for employees to wash hands?
Do the workers look clean? Are they wearing hair nets and gloves?
Is there refrigeration on-site?
How are they keeping insects away from the food?

What are healthy food alternatives to consider at fairs and festivals?

* Fresh fruits — Apples and bananas are great choices, but they are often dipped in chocolate or caramel. Any pineapple or kiwi fruit? Do they have any fruit drinks, even some “exotic” fruit drinks? These would be a better choice than any of the regular or diet pop or sodas.

* Fresh vegetables — you probably won’t find any of these except for French fried potatoes, potato chips, and other high-fat items.

* Calcium-rich foods — Are there any low-fat yogurts without added sugars? You will probably find lots of ice cream combinations – all with a high sugar content. Other foods rich in calcium include cheese, whole fish, leafy green vegetables and broccoli, which you probably won’t find available.

* There will be lots of protein foods – hot-dogs, hamburgers, turkey legs, fried chicken, and other variations. Here again you should keep in mind  sanitation and the way it is prepared. Does it look like a healthy choice?

Are you bringing food from home?

You can prepare foods to bring from home which will be healthier and cheaper than any at the fair. Here again keep in mind food handling and storage times. Wash hands before handling any food. Bring hand sanitizers or disposable wipes in case there isn’t any place to wash hands. All perishable foods should be in a cooler or insulated bag. Food should not be set out of the cooler for longer than two hours. If it is a very hot day, cut this time down to one hour or less. You can still enjoy the festive atmosphere while eating with your family.

However you choose to eat at these events, make sure you have a food-safe summer by reducing your risk of foodborne illnesses.

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Lee Jackson
Home and Family Living Coach
http://www.imagesunlimitedpub.com

Image via Wikipedia

Funnel Cakes are those light, crispy, deep-fat fried masses of novelty type confections served at country and state fairs, usually served warm and sprinkled with powdered sugar. (They are served warm because there’s usually a crowd waiting in line for the next cake to come out of the fryer). They are made by pouring batter through a funnel into hot cooking oil in a circular pattern and deep frying until golden-brown. Usually associated with the Pennsylvania Dutch, they are now served widely and have become a fair-going favorite.

Here is a Funnel Cake recipe we made in our family and consumer sciences class one day when many of the students were gone on a field trip and only a few remained. We had been studying quick breads and I thought this was an easy recipe that fit loosely into this category, didn’t make a large batch, and was fun to make.

You can make these in the traditional round swirls, or make Funnel Cake Sticks, as does Café Renee, a new stand near the World of Disney store and the theme park entrances in Orlando, Florida.

Funnel Cakes

2 cups flour
2 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk

Oil for frying

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl with wire whisk. In another bowl, beat egg and milk. Add sugar, stir to dissolve. Add dry ingredients and (using egg beater or mixer) beat until smooth.

Heat at least 1 inch of oil to 375 degrees F. in either a deep fryer or a skillet. To form each funnel cake, place one finger over hole in bottom of funnel. Carefully fill funnel with batter. Over hot oil remove finger and make circular or other shapes with batter, making cake as large as you desire. Cook for 1 minute and using tongs or two spatulas turn funnel cake. Cook until golden brown, about another minute or so. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or use other toppings. Serve warm.

Makes about 4 smaller funnel cakes or 2 large ones.

Check out other fun and special treats in Amy Houts new book for kids and grown-ups, Cooking Around the Country with Kids: USA Regional Recipes and Food Activities. Click here to look around.

Lee Jackson
Home and Family Living Coach
Books for kids, families, and parenting professionals

http://www.ImagesUnlimitedPub.com

Image via Wikipedia

People are lured to county and state fairs for all sorts of reasons – carnival rides, clowns, petting zoos, tractor pulls, and 4-H exhibits. Others come for the stunts, races, music, parades, and of course fair food!

There are community groups hosting food stands all over the fairgrounds. They offer a smorgasbord of fair treats, from brats and turkey legs to ice cream and root beer floats. Fair-goers can see and enjoy funnel cakes being made as well as cotton candy.

It is reported that the Iowa State Fair will have five new foods on a stick this year. “Fair Squares” will have squares of crispy rice cereal and marshmallows in plain or peanut butter flavor on a stick. An “Octodog”, will make its first appearance at the fair. It is a mini-sausage shaped like an octopus. Octodogs are not only fun, but may be a safer way to serve and eat hotdogs. The hotdog is among the top ten items found on many lists concerning choking occurrences in young children. This is especially true when the hotdog is cut crosswise. When they are cut the long way, or linear, they are less likely to cause choking in children.

Octodogs can be made at home. There are tools for cutting the hot dogs, but they can be hand sliced as well, cutting the dog up to about an inch from one end. The trick to getting good results is to briefly freeze the sausage for 20 minutes to firm things up before cutting. Using a cooking spray like Pam on the cutting blade and then boiling or frying briefly helps to fan out the hotdog creating the octopus effect. If you’re feeling super-ambitious, you can decorate octodogs with little eyes and mouths. Stick sesame or other seeds onto the head with a little honey, or use cream cheese or another sticky spread to affix little round cutouts of sliced cheese for the facial features.

Another food on a stick to be featured will be “Twinkie Logs”. These are frozen Twinkies dipped in white chocolate and rolled in nuts and dipped in white chocolate. Other new frozen confections will include tiramisu, turtle mousse and strawberry-cream flavored bars.

I can almost taste the chocolate, nuts, and caramel sauce in the turtle mousse. What’s a fair-goer to do?  Is this the one exception to eating healthy?  Where are the fruits and vegetables and other low-fat, low/no sugar foods? Only in the 4-H garden produce exhibit areas, I suppose.

What are your favorite foods when you go to the fair?

I’d love to hear your comments on how you handle festivals, children, and healthy foods.

Lee Jackson
Home and Family Living Coach

I’m proud to be an American. For all our faults and shortcomings, I feel blessed to live in a country free from tyranny and persecution. I value the freedoms we hold dear. May God continue to bless America, the home of the brave and the land of the free.

Lee Jackson, CFCS
Home and family living coach

Make a bunny salad with your kids this Easter. They will love making it and the way it looks and tastes.

Bunny Salad

1 can pear halves
Raisins
Red cherries, candied or maraschino
Shredded cheese
Marshmallows
Lettuce

Drain juice from pears. Wash lettuce and put a lettuce leaf on individual plate.

To make bunny:
Place pear halve face down on lettuce leaf.
Put 2 raisins on the pear for the eyes.
Use a red cherry for the nose.
Put several pieces of shredded cheese on each side of face for whiskers.
Cut two marshmallows in half and use for ears of bunny.
Add a marshmallow for the bunny’s tail.

There you have it – one sweet bunny. These salads multiply well for any number of guests. Recipe taken from Amy Houts first book in the Food and Fun series, Cooking Around the Calendar With Kids: Holiday and Seasonal Food and Fun. See more at Cooking/Calendar.

Need chocolate? Here is a delightful combination of chocolate and strawberries for Valentine’s Day from Amy Houts new book, Cooking Around the Country With Kids: USA Regional Recipes and Fun Activities. Her new book encourages children re-engage with the history of the United States by preparing foods typical of different regions of the country.

The following recipe, Chocolate Dipped Strawberries, comes from the Pacific coast region. This region’s climate is influenced by the surrounding mountains. Because of its fertile area and rainfall, the Pacific Coast States produce more vegetables and fruits than any other region of the United States.

It’s a little early yet for strawberries, but this recipe just made my mouth water and I had to share it. It’s a very good recipe to make with children.

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

1 (6 oz.) package semisweet chocolate chips
1 pint fresh strawberries

Place chocolate chips in a microwave safe dish or in a double boiler on the stove. Melt on low power or over low heat to prevent burning. Meanwhile, children can help rinse strawberries. Dry completely. Leave strawberries whole with the stem intact.
Pour melted chocolate into a bowl. Children can help dip strawberries by grasping stem and dipping half of strawberry in melted chocolate, so that part of the pretty red color of the fruit is still showing. Place on a cookie sheet lines with wax paper. Refrigerate to help chocolate set and to keep strawberries fresh. Store covered in refrigerator. Eat within two days. Enjoy!

Image via Wikipedia

How are these tied in with St. Valentine’s Day? Was there really someone named “Valentine”? What did he do to have a holiday named after him?

There are many stories about the origin of St. Valentine’s day. We do know there was a man by the name of Valentine, that he was killed for being a Christian during the time of the persecutions, and that he died around the year 270 A.D. Other than that, stories about his life are pure speculation.

The version of the story I like has to do with a bitter, mean Emperor named Claudius. He was the leader of a large army, but his soldiers were getting tired of fighting. They wanted to go home to their wives, sweethearts, and families. So Claudius devised a plan that he thought would keep the soldiers focused on fighting battles. He sent out a decree over all his lands that the soldiers were not to get married or become engaged to be married. He thought, “Heh, heh, this will really keep them focused on wiping out the enemy and we will be winners!”

But his plan didn’t work well at all. He failed to realize that love is stronger than any decree.

The soldiers were able to go behind the back of the Emperor and find a priest who would marry them in secret, still very legally. His name was Valentine. Couples came from all over to be married by him. However, the Emperor discovered this little scheme and had him thrown in prison and sentenced to die. While in prison, Valentine become friends with the jailer’s daughter. It is said that she was healed through his prayers. On the day he was to be put to death, on February 14, he left a message for the jailer’s daughter, signed “From your Valentine.”

So St. Valentine’s legacy lives on. It is a special day of showing even more love and affection than usual to those around us. This may include sending cards and flowers and candy to those we love.

We in the Midwest have had a lot of snow days recently. This is the time you want to huddle up by the fireplace with a cup of hot cider and a cookie. I know it’s the New Years and we want to cut down on sugar intake and think very seriously about healthy living. However, done in moderation, most foods are good for us. Moderation and portion size are the key words.

Here is a cookie recipe I’d like to share with you from Amy Houts new cookbook, Cooking Around the Country With Kids: USA Regional Recipes and Fun Activities. This is from the section of her cookbook highlighting Midwest ingredients and food products. Her comment about this recipe says: “Minnesota is the leading oat-growing state in the United States. Besides eating oats as a breakfast cereal, oats give baked goods a wonderful texture and taste.”

Can you identify the ingredients that come from this grain in the following recipe?

Whole-Grain Goodie Bars

1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup oil
2 eggs
2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal
3/4 cup white flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons cloves
1 cup raisins
1 cup coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Children can grease a jelly roll pan, 15-by-10-by 1-inch or use a 9-by-13-by-2-inch pan.
Children can help measure sugar, oil, and eggs into a large bowl; stir with a wooden spoon until smooth. Add oatmeal, white flour, wheat flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, raisins, and coconut. Mix well. Pour and spread into prepared pan.

Bake about 15 minutes for jelly roll pan, 15-20 minutes for 9-by-13-inch pan, just until center is set. Cool; cut into bars.

Again, portion amount is very important. They are nice and chewy and it may be difficult to eat only one, but they stay so moist they will still be very good tomorrow and the next day and the next…

Enjoy those snow days!

Lee Jackson
Books for home and family living

I had a note from a reader of Amy Houts’ new book, Cooking Around the Country with Kids: USA Regional Recipes and Fun Activities that said: “This book is an excellent way to introduce children to new tastes and new cultures.” It’s always good to hear from satisfied customers!

Amy is doing a book signing at Maryville Public Library on Saturday, December 19 from 1 -3 p.m. Refreshments from her book will be served.

There is still time to order her new book at www.ImagesUnlimitedPub.com

Lee Jackson, publisher
Books for children, families, and parenting professionals

We think cats rule, in the dog-cat showdown. That does not mean we don’t like dogs, quite the contrary – I have a family member with 5 cocker spaniels that I think are most loving and adorable, and certainly rule their house!

But I have liked cats from an early age. Is that why I wrote the book, The Littlest Christmas Kitten? One reason, yes, another: I wanted to remember the joy and majesty of the Holy Night.

There is still time to order this book for Christmas at kitten book.  I would be happy to autograph upon request.

Best to you,

Lee Jackson