Kids Cooking and Cookbook Blog Site

Do you need a quick meal that is filling, nutritious, and doesn’t take long to make? I want to share a soup I made for a large group at my house recently. We had a mix of older folks and younger ones. They all wanted recipes so that is always a good sign. I hope you will enjoy it, too.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
1 tablespoons minced garlic
3 cups chicken broth
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup mild picante sauce
1 (15-ounce) can ranch-style beans, undrained
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon dried oregano leaves
½ teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon paprika
2 cups chopped cooked skinless chicken breast
¼ cup chopped cilantro
Tortilla chips, optional
Shredded Cheddar cheese, optional
Sour cream, optional

Heat olive oil in large pan like a soup kettle or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, carrots, and garlic. Cook until onion is tender, about 7 minutes.

Add broth, tomatoes, picante sauce, beans and spices. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes.

Add chicken and cilantro and heat thoroughly.

Ladle into soup bowls. Top with tortilla chips, cheese, and sour cream if desired. Serves 8.

We served crackers, Dilly bread, and cornmeal muffins with it, as well as a relish assortment.

Tomorrow I’ll post the other soup we served – totally different and totally good!

If you want pecan pie for Thanksgiving but hate the hassle of making a pie crust, try these Pecan Bars from Amy Houts’ new cookbook, Cooking Around the Country With Kids: USA Regional Recipes and Fun Activities. Yes, you can buy ready prepared pie crust, but here is a recipe the children will enjoy making with you from start to finish.

This recipe features a delicious product, pecans,  from this great land of ours, the USA. We are thankful, especially at this season, for the rich abundance of food available.

In her book, Cooking Around the Country with Kids, Amy Houts tells about the time she went pecan picking with her friend in Memphis, Tennessee. She was surprised at how the pecan trees’ branches covered the whole area. Her friend said that pecan trees are an added bonus to have in one’s yard. “They are great for swings and offer lots of nice shade,” she said.

Here is the recipe for Pecan Bars:

1 ½ cups flour
¾ cup butter, or margarine, softened
1/3 cup powdered sugar
2 eggs
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350º F.

Mix flour, butter, and powdered sugar with spoon or electric mixer. With floured fingers, using quick, light motions press dough into a 9-by-13-2-inch baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, children can help measure and mix filling. In a medium-sized bowl, beat eggs with a fork or wire whisk. Add brown sugar, baking powder, salt, vanilla, and pecans. Pour over hot crust. Return to oven and bake 20 minutes more. Cool; cut into bars.

Makes about 32 bars.

To read more about the cookbook from which this recipe is taken, go to www.imagesunlimitedpub.com. Order your own copy or one for your favorite child.

Lee Jackson

Snaptail Books

http://www.ImagesUnlimitedPublishing.com

Image via Wikipedia

As much of our country’s early history dates back to the New England states, I wanted to share a recipe from this area taken from Amy Houts’ new book, Cooking Around the Country With Kids: USA Regional Recipes and Fun Activities. Her new book just came back from design and layout and it’s looking fabulous!

I think you will believe this recipe is fabulous, too!

Boston Creme Pie

1 yellow cake mix
1 (3 oz.) box instant vanilla pudding

Chocolate Glaze:
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons hot water,
approximately

Grease and flour two 9-inch round pans. Children can help measure, mix, and bake yellow cake according to package directions. Cool.
Mix vanilla pudding according to package directions. Children can spread pudding on one cake, then top with second cake.

For glaze:
Melt butter in a pan’ stir in sugar, cocoa, and vanilla. Add 1 tablespoon water, then one teaspoon at a time until the proper consistency. Spread glaze on top, letting it drip down the sides. Traditionally, the top is glazed, not the sides. Store in refrigerator.

Makes 1 two-layer cake

Enjoy the 4th!

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Are you celebrating 4th of July with hot dogs, apple pie, and fireworks? I think we should add in a few parades, a baseball game, concerts, and some political speeches.That is about as American as it gets on the 4th!

Americans love to celebrate the day. We sometimes forget why we are celebrating – we tend to forget that we are commemorating the anniversity of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain.

Many children have to memorize the beginning of the Declaration of Independence which begins “When in the course of human event it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have…”.

Perhaps as adults we still remember this paragraph:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

Do we sometimes take these rights too far? Does the “pursuit of happiness” mean we can do anything we please as long as it makes us happy? Do certain unalienable rights mean the right of women to end the life of their babies in the uterus? Is the right to life taken away through the courts?

Certainly it was not our founding fathers intent to go to these extremes. They believed that the foundation of a nation should begin with the freedom from oppressive government, tyrany, and persecution. Every person was to be able to have freedom of speech, of assembly, freedom from religious oppression,  and the right to bear arms. Their work to establish this groundwork has made our country a symbol of freedom throughout the world.

Freedom comes at a price. This price is often sacrifice, hardship, and even the loss of life. We thank those who make sacrifices to protect our freedom and defend our country.

May God continue to bless America!

Happy 4th of July!

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I want to share with you my absolute favorite strawberry shortcake recipe. This is not one of those individually wrapped bland cakes always found in the strawberry aisle of your grocery store. No, yours will be a piping hot, melt in your mouth treat, heaped with juicy, luscious strawberries.

Your Dad will want you to make this dessert again and again – until the strawberries run out…

Strawberry Shortcake

2 pints fresh strawberries

2 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup shortening
1 cup milk

Wash strawberries in cold water with a dash of vinegar. Swish and drain. Children can help remove stems by using a plastic knife and cutting each in half. Add about 1/2 cup sugar over berries and let stand at room temperature about an hour.

Grease 1 – 8 x 1 1/2 inch cake pan. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a large bowl, measure flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in shortening using two knives or a pastry blender until shortening pieces are the size of peas. Stir in milk and stir with fork until just blended. Spread batter into prepared cake pans. Dot with butter.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly brown and crusty.

Cut into 6 or 8 pieces. Split each piece in half on serving plate. Have butter available at table so each can spread butter on hot shortcake according to individual wishes. Then pass the strawberries that have oozed some of their juice upon standing.

Enjoy, and wish your Father a Happy Day!

Lee Jackson
Books for children, families, and parenting professionals
http://www.SnaptailPress.com
Check out a FR ee Recipe Sampler at:
http://snaptailbooks.com

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This is the dessert I served for my women’s group yesterday. It was the day after my birthday – the reason for the flowers. I was happy to share flowers, and dessert, with company.

The recipe is very easy and young cooks will enjoy the crunching and rolling needed for making crumbs.

Oreo™ Ice Cream Dessert

24 Oreo™ cookies,crushed

1/2 stick butter, melted

1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream

1 (15-ounce) can Eagle Brand™ condensed milk

1 stick butter 1 (8-ounce) can Hershey™ chocolate syrup

1 (8-ounce) carton whipped topping

Place 24 cookies into a plastic bag. Use a rolling pin or wooden masher to crush the cookies into rather fine crumbs. Place them in a 9×13-inch pan.

Melt 1/2 stick butter and pour this over the crushed cookies. Stir a little to distribute the butter throughout. Place in freezer for about 30 minutes.

Soften ice cream and place over the crumbs, smoothing the top. Return to freezer for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the sauce: Combine the condensed milk, 1 stick butter, and chocolate syrup in a saucepan. Bring to a low boil and then simmer for 5 minutes, stirring often to prevent it from burning at the bottom.

Pour sauce over hardened ice cream and pop back into freezer. Except the pan keeps getting heavier and heavier each time so handle with care. Freeze again for about 30 minutes.

Top with whipped topping and sprinkle a few of the crumbs from the bag over the top of the dessert. Cover with foil.

When you are ready to serve, take it out of the freezer for about 20 minutes before cutting and serving. You will have a very elegant dessert.

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Get Mom’s day going in the right direction by baking her some A & B Muffins for breakfast. These are muffins without any sugar – your Mom has probably reminded you many times not to eat so much sugar. These still taste good even though they contain no sugar. Other good points: they are low in calories and you will get some nutrients from the fruits and nuts. Now you can tell her that you listen when she talks about good nutrition and the importance of the food you eat.

Can you guess what food the A and B stands for?

A & B Muffins

2 bananas mashed to equal 3/4 cup
2 large eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened apple juice concentrate, canned or frozen
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon water
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/3 cup chopped nuts
2 teaspoons baking soda

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Place paper liners in 18-20 muffin cups.

If using frozen apple juice concentrate, take out of freezer and open can.

Mash 2 bananas with a fork on a plate or in a pie pan. This should equal about 3/4 cup.

In a small bowl, beat eggs with hand egg beater, add mashed bananas, oil, water, and mix.

In a larger bowl, add flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and nuts. Stir. Make a little dip or well in the middle.

Pour banana, egg mixture into well and mix lightly.

If using frozen apple juice, scrap juice out of can to equal 1/2 cup. Slowly add a little of this frozen juice to big bowl mixture, stirring well before adding more. In this way you will avoid having frozen eggs and bananas.

Stir in baking soda quickly and then mix about 30 beats.

Spoon batter immediately into prepared cups to prevent the baking soda from losing its rising power. Bake about 18 minutes, until nicely browned and toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center.

Close lid on the frozen juice, place in a resealable bag, and return to freezer to be used another time.

When muffins are done, cool them on a wire rack. Serve them warm – muffins are always best served warm. However, if you have some left over, cool them completely and store in an airtight bag on your counter or in the freezer.

Set the table nicely. Cut up some fruit for a mixed-fruit cup and serve in a pretty dish. Offer a hot beverage of your Mother’s choice. Now you have the perfect start to her special day.

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Pineapples grow in warm climates and are native to South America. In their natural form, they have rough, prickly exteriors.  Early tribal natives called this “anan” or “excellent fruit”. Later it was called “pineapple” for its resemblance to a pine cone. It is known for its intense sweetness. juiciness, and excellent flavor.

Historians tell us Christopher Columbus discovered pineapple on one of his journeys to new lands and brought it back to Europe. Here the people were largely without any common sweet foods. Most of the sweets came from fruits grown, but each had a limited growing season. Sugar refined from cane was imported from the Middle East and the Orient but this, too, was very expensive.

Later pineapple was introduced to the New World. It was still very rare and high priced. Only the upper class could afford to have this adorn their tables. The whole pineapple was as exquisite as was the inside ripe, yellow, juicy pulp.

Now we continue to prize this fruit for its excellent flavor and nutritional value, largely vitamin C and potassium. Many grocery stores have the pineapples cut up, although this can be done at home by an adult. The outside is very hard and rough but the flavor on the inside is well worth the trouble of cutting and slicing.

The pineapple can be cut into wedges or chunks. Then insert a toothpick into each. Now you are ready for an instant treat in the manner of the early nobility.

To your good health,

Chef Crombie

Image via Wikipedia

Aren’t you glad you know your way around the kitchen and can prepare good food for yourself and others?  Hopefully the recipes in this blog have helped you come up with some tasty dishes to set before the king (I mean, friends or family).

The media tells us we are in a new era of thrift. There is a suggestion we may not be able to eat out as often as we would like. Perhaps the days are gone when everyone can go out for pizza or hamburger after a game.

This is not all bad. Think of the money you are saving. You can still invite your friends over for snacks. These late winter days continue to call for some popcorn popping time or quick and easy snacks like the following:

Bagel Pizzas

2 bagel halves
About 4 tablespoons or more
of tomato sauce
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 cup grated cheese
Toppings of your choice

Place bagel halves on a cookie sheet with cut side up. Spread with tomato sauce and oregano. Sprinkle grated cheese on top. Add any toppings such as pepperoni, cooked hamburger or sausage, olives, extra cheese, or what is available. You or an adult helper can put the pan in a hot oven (375 degrees) until cheese melts.

Should be yummy, especially eating with your friends or family.

Here’s to your happy “cooking at home” days,

Chef Crombie

OK, let’s practice some of your good baking skills by making something sweet today. These cupcakes are so light and fluffy you can see why they are called Fairy cakes in Britain! Cupcakes are great for taking to a friend’s house for tea, taking to your class bake sale, making for birthday parties or just baking for fun on the weekend.

The great thing about this recipe is that you can easily mix it all up in the food processor, so it is really quick to make. So it’s perfect for those times when you remember a school bake sale only just before bedtime the day before.

You can have fun with the frosting on these too. If there is some food coloring in the pantry, try experimenting with colors … you’ll find you don’t need very many drops of red color to get bright Barbie pink. Make one bowl of white frosting and one of pink and get creative with two tone patterns. If you don’t have any food coloring in the house you can add a tablespoon of cocoa to the powdered sugar to make chocolate frosting.

Light and Fluffy Cupcake Recipe

1 cup cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch salt
½ cup / one stick soft butter
½ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 tablespoons milk

Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Collect together these things: the food processor, 12 cup muffin tray, paper muffin cases, measuring cups.

Put all the ingredients except the milk into the food processor and blitz it.

Add 2 tablespoon of the milk and blitz again. It should be smooth and drop easily off a spoon when you tip it. If it is still too thick, add the last spoon of milk.

Put a paper muffin case in each cup of the muffin tin.

Use a dessert spoon to dollop the mixture into each of the cases.

Bake in the pre-heated oven for 15-20 minutes. Check after 15 minutes – they should be a light golden brown when cooked and if you gently touch the top of one it should be springy and not leave a dent in it.

Cool them on a rack.

When they are cool it is time to play with the frosting. The simplest frosting is just powdered sugar mixed with a little water. For this amount of cakes use 2 cups of powdered sugar and add 1 tablespoon of water at a time – you’ll be surprised how little water you need to make it into a thick but smooth paste. Add coloring a few drops at a time and mix well to see what color you’ve got to.

Put about one teaspoon of icing onto each cupcake, let it drizzle down the sides and then add sprinkles or make letters with silver balls.

If your Mom has a piping bag for frosting, ask her to let you experiment with it on your cupcakes. With the smallest nozzle fitted you can try drawing simple shapes and patterns with a contrasting color frosting, for totally cool personalized cupcakes!