The Homeschool Mom of 2 - Homeschool Friday Newsletter: Cooking with Children

The Homeschool Mom of 2

Get a Free Online Diet

3/10/2006

Homeschool Friday Newsletter: Cooking with Children - Enter CONTEST

From Our Home:

Good day! I hope everyone had a wonderful week. We were at Wal*Mart yesterday for the specific purpose of purchasing the new Harry Potter movie. They had the single DVD on sale for $13.47. We were happy to save a few dollars.

This weeks Homeschool Friday Newsletter theme is Cooking with Children. I love cooking with children, and did a lot of it with my daughters when they were younger. They are very good cooks now. I have written an article for this theme which includes a few recipes.

Don't forget to enter our weekly contest!

Have a nice weekend.

Shannon, The Homeschool Mom of 2

thehsmomof2@aol.com

http://www.freewebs.com/thehomeschoolmomof2/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/thehomeschoolmomof2booklist/

***

Homeschool Website of the Week:

Homeschool World is the official site of Practical Homeschooling Magazine. Visit the site at http://www.home-school.com/.

Each week I would like to feature a different homeschool website in this spot. If you would like for me to feature your website in this space, please send me a link so I can check it out. Send an e-mail to me at thehsmomof2@aol.com.

***

Homeschool Blog of the Week:

Please visit A Mom's Search for Answers.

The description on her blog says, "As a mother of three, the wife of a Navy pilot and a wide-eyed optimist, this life has left me with a lot of questions. Some deal with raising three distinct personalities, some with the traveling required by my husband's job and some on just what is right and wrong anymore."

I like the blog. There is a question in one of the entries about buying your 16 year old a car.

Each week I would like to feature a different homeschool blog in this space. If you would like your blog featured here, please e-mail the link to me at thehsmomof2@aol.com.

***

Secrets to Successful Homeschooling! Buy the book now at http://thehsmom.tosmag1.hop.clickbank.net

A great book for beginners and veterans alike!

***

Weekly Article:

Cooking with Children by Shannon L. Buck - Copyright March 2006

I love cooking with children. It is so much fun! When my nephews are here, they put on Skye's and Zowie's aprons, I put on mine, and we "Get cookin'." Sometimes Skye and Zowie will decide to cook with us.

We make many things. Zachary loves to make french toast and they all like to decorate cookies. Zachary and Isaiah even helped me make the cookies-in-a-jar gifts to give out as Chrsitmas gifts. We had a ball!

Cooking with children is not only fun, it can also be educational. It provides children with reading practice. They learn fractions and measurement for math. You can talk to them about vitamins and other nutrients to cover health. And they will work on their motor skills.

Below are some fun things to make with children. It is up to you to decide which steps your children are ready to do on their own.

Fruit Cups

banana

grapes

cherries

whipped topping

Cut up the bananas and grapes, and cut the cherries in half. Put everything in a bowl and toss lightly. Spoon the mixture into sundae cups and top with whipped topping.

Trail Mix

I usually triple or quadruple this to keep it on hand. I also use generic brands of everything to cut costs.

snack size plastic zipper bags

1 c. corn chex

1 c. rice chex

1 c. raisin bran

1 c. pretzels

3/4 c. small candies

1 c. animal crackers

3/4 c. seeds or nuts, or a cobination of the two

Mix everything together in a bowl, and fill the plastic bags. Each is 1 serving.

Smoothies

Measurements will depend on each persons preferences.

Put into a blender and liquify:

1 c. lowfat vanilla yogurt

1 banana

1 c. skim milk

1 tbsp wheat germ

3 or 4 large strawberries

Not Quite Homemade Muffins

Add fruit according to what kind of mix you buy.

Examples:

Apple cinnamon mix = 1 large apple, diced

Banana mix = 1 medium banana, mashed

strawberry mix = a few large strawberries, diced

blueberry mix = a handful of berries, halved if they are large ones

1 muffin mix, and whatever ingredients are mentioned on the box.

fruit

Mix up according to the box directions, then fold in the fruit. Put baking cups in the muffin tin. Fill 1/2 to 2/3 of the way. Be aware that this mixture will make extra. If you cannot fill all of the cups with batter, take the unfilled cups out of the tin, and fill the empty ones about 1/3 of the way with water. This will prevent them from burning.

***

Weekly Contest:

Congratulations to writmm who won last weeks contest. She received a well-loved copy of Lost on a Mountain in Maine.

What gift will this weeks winner choose?

This weeks contest goes with our theme. Everyone who reponds to this post and gives me a tip or recipe having to do with cooking with Children, will be entered into Mondays drawing. Deadline is Monda March 13th at 12:00 noon. Enter now for your chance to win a small gift from out family.

I will have Skye or Zowie draw a name from a basket on Monday, so you have all weekend to get your entries in. Put your e-mail in the post (your name at ___ . ___), or post your entry then e-mail me at thehsmomof2@aol.com with your e-mail address. I will post the winner here on this blog, and contact the winner by e-mail. At that time, I will provide a list of gifts for you to choose from.

***

Theme related Link:

http://www.homeandfamilynetwork.com/food/kids.html

***

Freebie Link:

http://www.handsofachild.com/2/freebies/

***

• Post A Comment! • Send to a Friend!

Comments

3/10/2006 - Contest

Posted by writmm

We can't wait to get our book and your recipes look yummy! Thanks!

• Permanent Link

3/10/2006 - Monkey Bread

Posted by preschoolmommy

This recipe is a favorite of mine from when I was a girl and I make it at least once a month. My kids love it too and really love helping make it. I think it has something to do with the name!

MONKEY BREAD

You will need:
1 stick of butter
1/2 c water
1 C. brown sugar
3 cans biscuits
2 Tbl cinnamon
4 Tbl sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. THE ADULT: boil butter, water and brown sugar (you can let your child dump all of this in the pot and then put it on to boil, but it is hot and they should stand away as it comes to a boil). KIDS: mix cinnamon and sugar into a gallon sized bag or pie plate with edges. BIGGER KIDS: With scissors, cut the biscuts into 4 pieces. KIDS: drop a handful of pieces at a time into the cinnamon/sugar mixture and shake till well coated. Grease a Bundt pan. KIDS: layer 1 can coated biscuits. ADULT: Pour 1/3 syrup over biscuits. Rpeat with remaining bisucits and syrup. Bake 30-40 minutes. ADULT: Invert on serving plate.
You can make this the night before, cover and refridgerate overnight. Then the next morning, you can bake it 40-45 minutes, covering with tin foil if it gets too brown.

PreschoolMommy (aka. Megan)
johnmceuen@hotmail.com

• Permanent Link

3/12/2006 - Cooking Pizza with Kids

Posted by

I love cooking with my children and they love it too. One of our favorite things to make is homemade pizza.

Easy Pizza Dough
1 1/2 t. yeast
3 c. flour
1 1/2 t. oregano
1 t. salt
1 T. olive oil
1 c. water
Microwave the water for 1 minute. Put ingredients in a large mixing bowl in the order listed. Stir with a fork until mixed, dump on counter to knead. Knead 5 - 8 minutes. You may need to add a little flour. I have used whole grain flour, all-purplose flour and a mixture of the two and it always turns out great. Oil bowl, place dough in bowl, cover with a damp cloth and leave in a warm place for 1 hour. You can actually let it rise as little as 15 minutes, the crust may not be as thick and fluffy. I've let it rise anywhere from 15 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes, depending on when I need supper ready. Spray pan or baking stone with Pam, place dough on pan and roll out with a rolling pin. Top with spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce sprinkled with Italian seasoning or pizza sauce. Top with your choice of toppings. We incorporate this with different regions we are studying. If we are studying Greece or Italy, we will use ingredients from that region (capers, Kalamata olives, pepperoncini peppers, etc.). This is a very flexible recipe. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. I've also used string cheese, that I've quartered lengthwise and roll the edges of the crust around it for stuff crust pizza. I have also used this for breadsticks. Children from toddlers up can help with this, whether it be kneading the dough, chopping toppings or choosing toppings. I also let my KitchenAid mixer knead the dough sometimes, I use the kneading hook on Stir for 5 - 8 Minutes. This recipe has absolutely spoiled my family - they would much rather have this than any other pizza. Happy cooking!

BlessedbyGrace
purplesunshine34@yahoo.com

Edited by BlessedbyGrace on 3/13/2006 at 5:19 PM

• Permanent Link

3/17/2006 - Untitled Comment

Posted by OreoSouza

This newsletter looks great. I'd like a reminder to pop in every Friday and see what you have. My email is tsouza at centurytel.net

• Permanent Link

My name is Shannon, homeschool mom to Skye and Zowie who are doing 12th and 11th grade work. This blog will be used to help new and veteran homeschoolers, and to record what we are up to. It will also be used to inform people of our website updates. I am a proud member of themompack.com, where moms help promote other moms businesses. A must for any mom who has her own business. It is free to join.