This afternoon my daughter and I were disappointed to learn that we would have to wait nearly an hour to pick up a prescription.  The pharmacy was inside one of our local chain grocery stores – so we decided to explore a little while we were waiting.  My daughter thought it would be fun to look at some of the foods that looked good on the outside, but might be fairly unhealthy on the inside.  With the help of the camera on my iPhone, we did some sleuthing and took a few photos.  I thought you might want to hear some of my 9 year old daughter’s thoughts…

9 year old daughter: I like Ritz Crackers, but I know they aren’t good for me because they have all kinds of chemicals in them.  I thought it was funny that these were covered with chocolate.  I think it would be better to eat chocolate covered graham crackers instead.  Or to spread Nutella on almost anything.

Me:  These have a bonus (insert sarcasm here) – there are two kinds of partially hydrogenated oils in this product, not just one!

9 year old daughter:  Dad is always telling me how lucky I am that Mom makes me and my brother a healthy lunch every day.  He said that she could buy us Lunchables instead.  But look at how long the list of ingredients is.  I can’t even say most of them.  Even though mom thinks it’s a pain to make my lunch, I bet it will make me feel healthier than eating this.

Me:  What is a “cheese product” anyway?

9 year old daughter:  It is hard to see the cartoon characters on the packages of these frozen kids meals.  Mom liked that  these were high up on the top shelf in the freezer so they were harder for kids to see.

Me:  These sure do look fun.  They even have the Smart Choices checkmark on their packaging, so they must be good.

p.s.  the Smart Choices label is now defunct…go figure.

Another p.s.:  Writing this post makes me nervous.  I am just expressing my opinion and sharing the thoughts of my 9 year old daughter.  I am not trying to slander anyone, I am merely trying to point out that people should think about what they are eating…and that they should let their children in on some of the decision making.

What do YOU think about posts like this?  Are they too risky?  I wonder if I’ll chicken out and delete it later…

Okay, I’ll admit it:  I am nosy.  I like to see what other people are up to, how they manage their day-to-day lives, what they eat, and how well they are organized (or not.)  It is for those reasons that I adore reading about Other People’s Pantries on my friend Lydia’s blog.  The best part, perhaps, is that people voluntarily send in photos of their pantries, along with personal stories and comments.  I find these stories entertaining, and I love how people are eager to participate.  It has been so successful, in fact, that it has run weekly for almost 2 years!  Lydia has inspired me to think of ways to draw more people to my own blog and actively engage them.  Fortunately, the topic of my blog (cooking with kids)  lends itself to experimentation.  I would love to host my own version of Other People’s Pantries.  For now, I’ll call it “What’s Cooking with YOUR kids?”

Here is how I imagine it would work:

• Call your kids into the kitchen and cook up some fun together.
• You could use one of the recipes I have included on my blog or you could pick one of your own.
• Or, you could try doing one of the food-related community service activities that I get so darned excited about
• Take a few photos, write down the funny things your kids say or jot down some notes about how well the recipe or service project worked…or didn’t
• And then send me an e-mail (michelle (at) whatscooking (dot) info) with
  * your story
  * some photos
  * and a link to your website or blog, if you want me to mention it
• Stay tuned:  I’ll post these stories on the blog – and hopefully your enthusiasm will encourage other families to cook or do service with their kids, too.

Gina's Sand Art Brownies

Let’s give it a try with a e-mail that I got yesterday…

Gina has become a good friend over the past few months and was eager to have her little chefs create some homemade gifts for their teachers this year.  They decided to make the Sand Art Brownies from my blog because they were fun, pretty, and simple enough for the kids to do (almost) independently!  Even though they embarked on this project right before bedtime, the kids really enjoyed the process and worked hard to make their teachers proud.  It was interesting to see her kids’ personalities come out during the process – her “number-obsessed” son kept them on track, helping to measure each ingredient and making sure that the layers were ship shape.  Her daughter got to pour each layer into the jar – and together they created these masterpieces!  Feel free to take advantage of Gina’s adorable Printable Labels for the Sand Art Brownie Jars, which you can print and use for yours too.  They look especially pretty when you cut them out and paste them onto colored construction paper.

I can’t wait to see What’s Cooking with YOUR kids… Who’s going to be next?

About two months ago, I was asked to write an article for iVillage about great cookbooks for kids.  Now that we are in the home stretch of holiday gift buying, you might need some great ideas for the young chefs in your lives.

Here is a link to the article – it contains information about why I loved these books along with some nifty tips for you and your kids in the kitchen.

What’s your favorite Kid’s Cookbook?  Or do you prefer to use your favorite cookbooks with the kids?

When my daughter’s 3rd grade teacher asked me to come in and make holiday cookies with the kids, I immediately knew which recipes we would make.  But before we get started, I have to make a confession:  I am a lazy cookie maker.  Yes – I actually do make my own dough (most of the time).  But  I don’t have the patience for cookie recipes that make me refrigerate the dough for several hours before we can play with it again.  That’s why I fell in love with these cookies.  The dough acts just like play dough – we could make it and can then shape it right away!

These recipes for Cookie Sculpture were given to me by one of my oldest girlfriends.  They were recorded on some scraps of paper by her mother, who recently passed away.   My daughter’s favorite is the one below, for Honey Lemon cookies.  My son prefers the one for Gingerbread cookies.  Either way, you can’t go wrong – you will have fun in the kitchen and will create some sweet memories with your children.  I think that would have made my friend’s mom proud.

Honey Lemon Cookie Sculpture

5 ½ cup flour
3 tsp baking soda
1 ¾ cup sugar
¼ tsp salt
¼ cup honey
2 tsp vanilla
3 tsp grated lemon or orange zest
1 cup melted butter (2 sticks)
½ cup boiling water
1 egg, beaten

1. Combine flour and soda.  Set aside.
2. In large bowl mix sugar, honey, vanilla, zest, and salt.
3. Add butter, egg and water.
4. Beat until sugar dissolves.
5. Gradually stir in flour mixture.
6. Mix to form stiff dough.
7. If you aren’t sculpting the dough right away, cover it so that it doesn’t dry out.
8. You may refrigerate for up to two days or freeze.
9. Bring dough to room temperature before shaping.
10. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-20 minutes depending on thickness of cookies.

What are your favorite holiday cookies?  Do you like to make ones that are fancy? or colorful? or topped with gooey frosting?  I can’t wait to hear what goes on in your kitchen!

It is my honor to be a co-host of the 12 Days of Sharing campaign with Share our Strength.  A virtual cookie swap and fundraising extravaganza felt like the ideal way to honor this Season of Sharing.  While we are fortunate enough to be able to cook & eat (and blog about it!), 1 in 5 children aren’t so lucky.  It is with these children in mind that I encourage you to click on the badge to the left and make your donation to end childhood hunger in America.

Even if you are unable to make a financial contribution, perhaps the recipes in the virtual cookie jar will inspire you to bake with your loved ones and share cookies with people who could use a little lift this season.  And now…the cookies!

Today was my very first attempt at making one of my grandmother’s signature cookie recipes.  I have been thinking about her a lot lately, especially now that my daughter is obsessed with playing my grandma’s favorite card game, Gin Rummy.  While my cookies turned out a bit bulkier and less attractive than what my grandma used to make, I was thrilled that the flavor was spot on.

Ground Almond Cookies
Recipe By: My Grandma, Helen Berliner

While many people consider cookies for the holidays, they think of pretty cookies topped with colored crystallized sugar.  But I immediately think of these.  My grandmother’s Ground Almond cookies are light, crunchy and coated with a light dusting of powdered sugar.  They remind me of Mexican wedding cookies, but the flavor is unmistakably “grandma.”  And for me, that’s what make these extra special during the holiday season.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, creamed
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2/3 cup ground almonds, blanched
1.5 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream butter in a stand mixer.
3. Add all remaining ingredients and mix well.
4. Scoop approximately 1-2 Tbs of dough, and roll into a crescent shape.
5. Repeat until you have used all of the dough.
6. Bake for approximately 20 minutes.
7. Roll each cookie in powdered sugar while still warm warm.

Please don’t forget to click on the 12 Days of Sharing badge to make your donation to help end childhood hunger.  Your generosity may be rewarded!  By donating, you will earn a chance to win some fantastic gifts!  And if you have a cookie recipe that you would like to share, visit the virtual cookie jar.  I can’t wait to see all of the sweetness that has been shared!

I am deeply honored that this post is featured in the Holiday Roundup at Oprah.com.  Welcome, Oprah.com readers!  Happy Holidays to you

Do you remember the song from Sound of Music called “My Favorite Things”?  It reminds me of the wintery holiday season, especially these phrases: snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes, brown paper packages tied up with string and crisp apple streudels - sigh.  They make me think of cold weather, exchanging gifts and enjoying sweet seasonal desserts.

I am the first to admit that my family is lucky.  We have a warm place to live, family and friends that we can count on, and food to fill our bellies.  It is difficult for our children to understand that not everyone is so fortunate.  How would they know that one of their classmates is living in a one-room emergency family shelter with his mom and 4 brothers and sisters?  Childhood hunger is often silent.

I have made it a priority to teach my children and students that not everyone is as blessed as we are.  Recently, we collaborated with a children’s art studio on an event that would bring families together and would help local families in crisis.  Over the course of two months, children made and glazed soup bowls and I worked with children and their families to make hearty soups.  Our efforts culminated in a fantastic event where over one hundred people came together to choose hand made bowls and have them filled with soup.  We raised over $1500, all of which was donated to the Emergency Family Shelter run by Homeward Bound of Marin.  And after the event, we were able to deliver soup to the residents, along with some beautifully decorated paper placemats that families created together.

May this soup recipe bring your family comfort during the holidays.  And if you are able, maybe you and your children might make a batch to share with those who could use it. Keep reading →

To me the holiday season is one of sharing:  sharing gifts with loved ones, sharing a meal with people we care about, and lending a hand to those in need.

I am excited to tell you about the 12 Days of Sharing fundraising campaign and virtual cookie swap hosted by In Jennie’s Kitchen from December 7 through December 18th.

The virtual cookie jar will include links from cookie recipes from participating bloggers.  In addition, many bloggers (including me!) will be daily co-hosts, and will help spread the word about how you can make a difference.

But wait, there’s more!  If you make a donation by clicking on the badge above, you will earn a ticket that will enter you for a chance to win one of many fantastic prizes.  Yes – giving has its privileges!

Would you like to participate in our virtual cookie swap?  Simply post a recipe on your blog with the badge above (and its link too!) and send an email to: injennieskitchen (at) gmail.com.  Include a link to your post and a recipe photo if you would like to be a Featured Pick.

Let me know if you plan to participate.  I can’t wait to see how we all plan to share some sweetness this holiday season.

Happy  Holidays!