Pumpkin Drop Cookies
One quick and easy baked good for the week of Halloween is Pumpkin Cookies. These are a drop cookie and easy to whip up, bake and serve. All you need in addition to the usual baking ingredients is a small can of pumpkin. Anyone who can read, follow safety procedures and be able to reach the counter can easily make these cookies.
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup Pumpkin Puree 1 cup Butter, softened
3 cups All-Purpose Flour 2 cups Brown Sugar
1 tsp. Salt ½ tbsp. Vanilla
2 tsps. Baking Powder 2 Eggs
1 tsp. ground Cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground Cloves 1 cup Seedless Raisins (optional)
¼ tsp. ground Ginger
DIRECTIONS:
- Adjust the oven racks to the 2nd and 4th positions and preheat to 375 degrees.
- Combine the Flour, Salt, Baking Powder, Cinnamon and Cloves in a medium size bowl. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the Butter with the Brown Sugar.
- Beat in the Vanilla and Eggs until very well mixed.
- Add the Flour mixture and mix thoroughly.
- Stir in the Pumpkin Puree and the Raisins.
- Drop by the tablespoon (or use a # 60 food scoop) to shape the Cookies.
- Place them on a greased cookie sheet, approximately 2 inches apart.
- Bake the Cookies for 20-25 minutes or until a deep golden brown.
- When the Cookies are done, place the pans on cooling racks; when the Cookies are cool, use a spatula to remove them from the pan.
- Store in an airtight container.
Categories: Baking, Cookies, Cooking for Everyone, Halloween, Main Tags: baking, Cookie Recipes, cooking with children, kids cooking
VALENTINE POPS TO MAKE WITH YOUR CHILDREN
Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and the weather is wintry – rainy, snowy or windy! What better way to spend an indoor afternoon or morning making Valentine Lollipops with your Children. Children very often make paper Valentine’s to give to their friends, but Chocolate ones are even better. They taste good and Chocolate is good for you!
What you will need to make these treats is:
Candy (Heart-shaped Lollipop Molds) – available at your local Cake Decorating Store or Craft Shop such as Michael’s or JoAnn’s.
Lollipop Molds and Sticks
Pre-tempered Chocolates (Wilton’s)
Candy Melts
A sheet of waxed paper or a flat pan to put the molds on.
A melting pot or double boiler If you don’t have either you can make a double boiler by placing a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water.
Melting Pot
To make the Pops first set up your molds. Make sure they are clean and dry. Water and chocolate do not mix and your pops will not set up properly. The best thing to do is to wash and dry them 24 hours before you are going to use them. When you are finished with them, wash (DO NOT USE SOAP) just hot tap water and dry and then after 24 hours place them in a sealed plastic bag so that the next you need them they will be ready to go.
Lollipop Molds and Sticks
Place the molds on the waxed paper or sheet pan. Place the sticks in the molds (make sure that at least one inch of the stick is in the candy portion ) If you are using a Melting Pot place the Candy (the melting pots will hold a 12 oz. bag of candy) in the Melting Pot and set it to MELT. Once the Candy has thoroughly melted turn the setting down to WARM.
Melted Chocolate
Once the Candy has melted you can then spoon it into the molds. Be sure and completely cover the Lollipop Sticks. DO NOT fill the mold to the top. Once they are about 3/4 full, stop and tap the molds to get rid of the Air Bubbles. If there is still space left in the mold slowly add additional candy until the mold is full.
Allow at least an hour for the candy to set at room temperature or about 20-30 minutes in the refrigerator or 15-20 in the freezer.
Melted Candy in Molds
Once the Candy has set up turn the molds over onto a sheet of waxed or parchment paper and gently press on the backs to un-mold. If they are not going to be eaten right away place into bags (lollipop bags can be purchased at Cake Decorating Stores, Party Stores or Craft Stores). Tie with red curling ribbon. These lollipops are a great replacement for Valentines.
For heat loving Valentine recipients you can add a little bit of Chili Flakes (Old Boney Mountain Grotto Dust) available at http://www.oldboneymountainhotsaucecorp.com/
Bagged & Tied Valentine Pops
NATIONAL APPLE MONTH
October is ‘National Apple Month’ so I decided to look up and see how many different kinds of Apples there are. Wow, I did not expect to find the number I did – there are literally dozens and maybe hundreds – the only letter in the Alphabet that does not bear the name of an Apple is ”X”. There are numerous kinds of Apples for each and every letter, however most of us are familiar with only a small number of them.
The most common Apples are the Red and Golden Delicious, Gala, Fuji, Pippins and Granny Smith. The best for eating are the Delicious, of course and the Gala and Fuji. The best for baking are Granny Smith and Pippins. The last two are not terribly sweet and have a firm flesh which lends them well to baked goods such as pies and pastries. For cooking and Applesauce the Winesap and Gravensteins are excellent.
My favorite use for Apples is to make Pie and of course, there is nothing as American as ‘Apple Pie’. I also love Apple Turnovers made with Puff Pastry. Puff Pastry is a pain to make but you can purchase frozen Puff Pastry Sheets which work very well. You can also use Pie Crust or even Yeast Dough for your Turnovers Shells.
There are also many other ways in which we can use Apples and so I am going to explore some of them here and reference several really great recipes. The first one is for Apple Bread – what a good way to use up those Apples from your tree or even the ones you bought. You can even use Applesauce. Try the referenced recipe. This recipe makes two to three loaves, depending on the size of the pans you use. You can also make Muffins from the same recipe. If there is too much for your family to consume at one time, these loaves freeze well or you can share them with your friends. www.sylveeeskitchen.com/recipes/baked-goods/breads/apple-bread/
Apple Pie can be made in various ways – there are French Apple Pies with a streusel topping and then there are the traditional ‘American’ type Apple Pies with both a bottom and a top crust. The referenced recipe is for a French Apple Pie which always easy to make because there is only a bottom crust and you don’t have to worry about getting the top crust to fit and look beautiful. www.sylveeeskitchen.com/recipes/baked-goods/pies-pastry/
Apple Turnovers are absolutely my favorite way to go! You can eat them out of hand without utensils; they are good for Breakfasts on the Go or for snacks or Desserts. You can use Puff Pastry or Pie Crust or any of your favorite pastry doughs.
www.sylveeeskitchen.com/recipes/baked-goods/pies-pastry/apple-turnovers/
Apple Brown Betty is an old fashioned dish which can also be used for dessert or for Breakfast. There is no Pie Crust to worry about, just a cumbly topping. It is fast and easy to make and is great with Vanilla Ice Cream or Whipped Cream on top. www.sylveeeskitchen.com/recipes/deserts/apple-brown-betty/
Caramel Apples are one of my favorite ways to eat Apples. I love Apples and I love Caramel and nothing goes better together than Apples and Caramel. And since Halloween is this Month what better treat than Caramel Apples to share with the kids. This recipe is simple to make and the Apples are fun to eat. The best Apples to use for Caramel Apples are Granny Smith or Golden Delicious. Pippins are also good, but make sure that they are somewhat ripe or they will be to tart to eat, even with the Caramel. www.sylveeeskitchen.com/recipes/halloween-recipes/caramel-apples/
Remember, October is ‘National Apple Month’ and there is no better time to buy and eat Apples than now. Even better is if you can pick your own, either from your own trees or nearby orchards. Play around and experiment – Apples are a wondrous fruit and don’t forget ‘An Apple A Day Keeps the Doctor Away’. Try a different Apple Recipe for the Month of October – ‘National Apple Month’. And another reason for eating and using them now is that later on, the Apples you buy will all have been in cold storage which makes them mealy and less tasty. So take advantage of ‘National Apple Month.
Categories: Baking, Baking Tidbits, Bread, Main, Pastry Tags: Apple Pie, Apples, baking, Caramel, Children's Cooking, cooking with children, Dessert Ideas, Fruit, holiday recipes, kids cooking, kids recipes
BREAKFAST
September is ‘National Breakfast Month’ and this is a particularly good time for it. With the kids back in school, it is a good time for parents to emphasize the fact that Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. The word Breakfast literally means to break a fast. That Fast is the time between when you eat your last meal of the day and the first meal of the next day. This usually is a period of 10-12 hours. This is the reason that your body needs to replenish its fuel supply to run and to feed your brain. Automobiles can’t run without fuel and neither can the human body. Therefore, skipping breakfast is not good for your body or your brain.
A healthy Breakfast should contain some Protein and some Carbohydrates. If you eat wholesome nutritious foods they will also contain the vitamins you need along with essential fatty acids.
All cultures have a breakfast menu, although some do not call it as such. Breakfast foods as we know them in the West are not necessarily what people in the Asian and Middle Eastern Cultures eat. The typical American Breakfast is actually based on the English Breakfast which traditionally consists of Eggs, some kind meat such as sausage or bacon and maybe potatoes plus fruit and a beverage. And don’t forget the toast!
In Asia most breakfasts include rice of some kind. In China, it is Congee, a porridge made with rice but in other Asian countries rice is just used as one of the ingredients for the breakfast.
Since we could elaborate for miles and miles on the different breakfasts around the world I am going to stick with the Western Variety. This would include, of course European Countries as well as North America.
In Spain and Germany, the first meal of the day is usually just a cup of coffee and a pastry and a larger more elaborate breakfast is eaten a couple of hours later.
In American, many families have opted to have dry cereal for breakfast along with milk poured onto it. This is certainly faster for people in a hurry, but it is not necessarily the best or tastiest way to go.
My favorite breakfast stems back to my childhood when my parents and my brother and I usually had eggs for breakfast. To this day, Eggs are still my favorite food for breakfast.
Since this is ‘National Breakfast Month’ we will devote one blog a week to Breakfasts around the world. This month will be American Breakfasts such as we know them. The traditional American Breakfast at least as I knew it was Fruit Juice or Fresh Fruit, Eggs, Toast and Milk or Coffee for the Adults. Of course, there are many other variations such as Pancakes, Waffles, Crepes (one of my favorite filled with fruit), cooked Oatmeal (with Raisins! or dried Apples!) and the proverbial dried Cereal with Milk and fruit such as Bananas added.
Whatever your favorite Breakfast, just don’t forget to eat it! Remember, Breakfast is the most important meal of the Day! Especially for children who go to school and need the fuel and brain power that a good breakfast provides!
To give you some ideas and recipes for Breakfast Items check out the Breakfast/Recipe section of this Blog: recipes/breakfast-items/
Categories: Breakfast Ideas, Cooking for Everyone, Cooking for Kids, Main Tags: Breakfast, Children's Cooking, cooking with children, Fruit, holiday recipes, Pumpkin, Waffles
ADVENTURES IN CHEESE MAKING – CHEESE BLINTZ
Now that I had a batch of fresh homemade Ricotta Cheese the next step was to make something with it. I decided to make a batch of Cheese Blintz to serve for Sunday Brunch with fresh Strawberries. The crepes for the Blintz are easiest to work with if the Batter is made at least 1 hour ahead of time and then allowed to rest in the refrigerator. If you try to make the Crepes right after making the Batter there will be too much air in the batter for the pancakes to form properly. Now as far as I am concerned, the thinner the crepes the better, but of course you do need to have them thick enough to hold the filling without tearing. You can use the Sweet Crepe Batter Recipe under the Recipe/Dessert Section of this Blog. deserts/sweet-crepe-shells/ Just reduce the Sugar in the recipe from 1 Tbsp. to 1 tsp.
I made the Crepe Batter with the residual Whey from the production of the Ricotta. This reduces the waste that normally would result from making the Cheese. To make the Crepes, the Filling and the topping just follow the procedure below.
#1 – Make the Batter and refrigerate for at least one hour.
#2 – Rinse, dry, slice and sugar the Berries. If using Blackberries, Boysenberries or Raspberries eliminate the slicing procedure. Place the Berries in a bowl and squeeze the juice of 1/2 of a lime (for every pint of berries) over the Berries and then toss with 1/4 cup of Superfine Sugar. Taste and add more Lime Juice and/or Sugar as desired.
#3 – Make the Cheese Filling for the Blintz. /deserts/cheese-filling/
4. Make the Crepes –
Heat the crepe pan until a drop of water splashed on it sizzles; melt the Butter and stir into the Batter.
- Use approximately ¼ cup of Batter (the exact amount depends on the size of the pan)
- While you are pouring in the Batter, tilt the pan with your other hand to cover the bottom of the pan.
- When the edges begin to dry and bubbles appear on the crepe surface, turn it over with a heat-proof spatula and cook a few seconds more on the turned side. (Cook one side to a light brown and the other just enough to set the batter. This side should still be almost white when you remove it from the pan.)
- You will be browning the Blintz in Butter before serving them so you do not want the second side to be cooked too long.
5. Filling the Blintz –
- Lay the Crepe Shells on a flat plate or work surface
- Place a scoop of the Cheese Filling in the middle
- Fold in the sides and then fold over the top and bottom. You should have a square package.
Filled Blintz
6. To Serve –
- Melt enough Butter to make a thin sizzling layer in the bottom of a medium to large frying pan. When the Butter starts to sizzle add the Blintz, leaving about 1/4 – 1/2″ between each one.
- When the bottoms brown gently turn and cook the other side.
Browned Cheese Blintz
- Serve while hot with the sliced Strawberries and Sour Cream or Whipped Cream as a Garnish.
Cheese Blintz with Strawberries and Sour Cream
Categories: Breakfast Ideas, Cheese, Cooking for Everyone, Cooking for Kids, Dairy, Dessert Ideas, Lunch Ideas, Main Tags: Cheese, Children's Cooking, cooking with children, Dessert Ideas, Eggs, Fruit
ADVENTURES IN CHEESE MAKING
One of my sons who lives in a country where Cheese is not a commonly found product has experimented with making his own. His adventures have inspired me to try my hand at Cheese Making even though Cheese is readily available where we live. So the first Cheese that I tried making is Ricotta. Ricotta or Cottage Cheese is probably the simplest of all Cheese to make. It took about an hour and a quarter and that includes draining time.
The products you need are readily available at your local grocer and you probably have the cooking vessels and containers that you need at home. Listed below are the groceries that you need and the equipment you should have.
Let’s start with the Equipment so that when you go out to buy the groceries, if you don’t have all the equipment, you can purchase it at the same time you purchase your groceries.
5-6 Quart Cooking Vessel
Large Colander or Sieve (Strainer)
Cheesecloth on Colander
Cheese Cloth
5-6 Quart Bowl
The Groceries that you will need are:
1/2 Gallon of Milk (preferably from a local dairy and is not over-pastureized
1 cup of Heavy Cream
Heavy Cream
1/2 tsp. Salt
3 Tbsps. Lemon Juice
Start by combining the Milk, Cream and Salt in your large cooking vessel. Place it over high heat and bring to a rapid boil, stirring continuously to prevent burning.
Once the mixture comes to a rapid boil, stir in the Lemon Juice, lower the heat and cook (again stirring continuously until the mixture curdles completely. (About 2 minutes)
Curdling
Remove from the heat and pour into the Cheese Cloth lined colander. Allow to drain for one hour.
Draining in Colander
Wrap in the Cheese Cloth and plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. This Cheese will keep for only 2 days, so plan on using it as quickly as you can.
Completely Drained
You can see that the drained Cheese has taken on the shape of the colander and is formed into a perfectly round parcel. This is not so important with Ricotta Cheese as it usually gets mixed with other ingredients to form a filling for Ravioli, Lasagna or Blilntz, but if you are making semi-hard or hard cheeses this is a bonus.
After the Ricotta had completely drained I had about a quart of the residual whey (the portion of milk that does not form the curd) Some people feed this to their chickens ( if you have them), their cats or dogs (again if you have them). I no longer have pets but I did find uses for the Whey. I made a loaf of Wheat Bread with some of it and used another portion to make Crepe Shells for Blintz which I will show in my next blog.
This was the best Ricotta Cheese I have ever eaten and I usually buy an expensive brand that is made from whole milk and is very good. This at least matched it, but I think it was better. It costs no less to make it at home than it does to buy, but it is good and it is fun.
Check my next blog to see what I did with this Ricotta.
Categories: Baking, Bread, Dairy, Main Tags: Bread, Cheese, cooking with children, Dairy, kids cooking
PARENT/CHILD PIZZA CLASS AT LGC
Saturday, June 2nd was the day of our Parent/Chlid Pizza Class at Let’s Get Cookin’. Four Teams of 2 parents each made Piizza Dough, their own indivual pizzas and pizzas to share. Everyone was very involved and had a good time. The class ended with everyone enjoying a lunch of Pizza, Salad, Italian Sodas and Dessert.
The items that were made were:
PIZZA DOUGH: Basic, Gurmet and Thin Crust
Chinese BBQ Chicken Pizza with Bell Peppers, Shitake Mushrooms, etc.
Baked BBQ Chicken Pizza Slice
Hawaiian Pizza with Portuguese Sausage & Pineapple, etc.
Derek & Sabrina with their Hawaiian Pizza
Hawaiian Pizza
Argentine Pizza with Smoked Spanish Chorizo, Red & Green Bell Peppers, etc.
Artisan Greens Salad with Zest Lemon Dressing
Chocolate Chip Cookie Pizza & Italian Sodas
Chocolate Chip Cookie Pizza
Making Pizza
Amy & Daughter
Holly & Ryder
Celene with her Pizza
Upside Down Pizza
The Upside Down Pizza shown below was made with a new pan, made especially for making a ‘Deep Dish Pizza’ which is made ‘upside down’. It was fun to do. The pan can be purchased at Let’s Get Cookin’ in Westlake Village, CA.
Enjoying Pizza for Lunch Enjoying Lunch
Enjoying Lunch
Everyone enjoyed making and eating their pizza and also had items to take home as there was just too much to eat all at one time. Our next Parent/Child Class is July 14th and will include various items from Europe such as Arrabbiata Pasta from Italy, Roman Salad, Monte Carlo Tea Cookies and Circus Snow Cones.
Categories: Baking, Beverages, Cooking for Everyone, Cooking for Kids, Dessert Ideas, Dinner Ideas, Italian, Lunch Ideas, Main, Parent Child Classes, Pizza, Salads Tags: baking, Cheese, Chicken, cooking with children, kids cooking, kids recipes, Pizza, Tomatoes
NATIONAL RAISIN DAY
April 30th – National Raisin Day
A Celebration of that little, dried up piece of fruit with which we would be hard put to do without. This tiny morsel packs more flavor than could be imagined in something its size.
Raisins are nothing more than dried Grapes and just as there are many different types of grapes, there are many type of raisins. As a child growing up I never would have been able to eat my breakfast cereal without raisins. Raisins can be eaten out of hand and are often put into many types of baked goods, such as Raisin/Cinnamon Bread, Cinnamon Rolls, Danish Pastry, Cookies, Muffins, Cakes and even Pies.
A Raisin is packed full of nutrition with Iron leading the way. One serving of Raisins (165 g or 5.8 oz) will provide an adult with 17% of his/her daily Iron needs, 8% of Calcium and 6% of Vitamin C.
The Grapes that are most commonly dried to produce Raisins are Thompson Seedless, but many others are also used including the Muscat Grape. In Markets and Produce Stands you can find Raisins, Granola with Raisins, Chocolate Covered Raisins and Yogurt Covered Raisins. On the Cereal Shelves you can find Dried Cereal with Raisins, although you are better off If you just buy the cereal and add your own raisins as the Raisin/Cereal combinations seldom have enough Raisins in them, at least as far as I am concerned, since I love lots of Raisins. To produce the darker Raisin, Thompson Seedless (or Sultanas as they are known outside the United States) are Sun-Dried. To produce the golden variety, the grapes are treated with Sulfur Dioxide and then Flame Dried, which upon learning, makes me not want to use the Golden Variety anymore, although I do like their color in certain baked goods.
In addition to Raisins, there are Currants which are actually Raisins that are made from a smaller variety of Grape. Currants are good to use in recipes that call for chopped Raisins in that they are small enough so that they don’t need to be chopped and taste the same as Raisins.
One of my favorite ‘Movie Snacks’ is Chocolate Covered Raisins, which can be had with Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate or White Chocolate. There are even Yogurt Covered Raisins.
Chocolate Covered Raisins
For a recipe for Apple/Raisin Cookies please see the Recipe Section of this blog. ( /cookies/apple-cookies/)
Apple/Raisin Cookies Fresh Out of the Oven
For a ‘Child Friendly’ Recipe for Oatmeal/Raisin Cookies, please see the Recipe Section of this blog. cookies/mix-mash-oatmeal-cookies/
Raisins may be used in place of Blueberries in Scones or Muffins. Raisins are a great snack food to eat out of hand and even though they are high in Fructose and Glucose, recent research shows that raisins fight bacteria in the mouth that cause cavities and gum disease.
Celebrate National Raisin Day and eat some Raisins or bake some goodies with Raisins today!
Categories: Baking, Breakfast Ideas, Cooking for Everyone, Cooking for Kids, Dessert Ideas, Fruit, Main Tags: Apples, baking, Breakfast Cereal, Cookie Recipes, cooking with children, Fruit, kids recipes, National Raisin Day, Raisins
SHARING CULTURES THROUGH HOLIDAYS & FOOD – MARCH HOLIDAYS
There is a Holiday in every month some place in the world and March is no exception. During the month of March we have Peanut Butter Lovers Day, which is not actually a Holiday but is a day of recognition. In addition we have Purim and St. Patrick’s Day. Holidays always provide us with a food reason to prepare special foods. Read the following paragraphs and try the recipes in our recipe section to share with your family and friends.
March 1st – Peanut Butter Lovers Day – Almost every American child has gone to school with Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches packed in their lunch boxes. Almost everybody loves Peanut Butter but what most people don’t know is that Peanut Butter has many uses other than as a sandwich filling. It can be used in baked goods (not just for cookies), as a sauce https://www.sylveeeskitchen.com/recipes/appetizers/chicken-satay-with-peanut-butter-sauce/or in snacks such as Peanut Butter Rice Krispies Treats https://www.sylveeeskitchen.com/recipes/snacks/peanut-butter-rice-krispy-candies/. Peanut Butter muffins, Peanut Butter frosting and on and on. You can buy Peanut Butter and Chocolate Candies and Peanut Butter filled Pretzels. Peanut Butter can be purchased in jars in homogenized form or from a Heath Food Store where you can grind your own, fresh to order. Peanut Butter comes in creamy smooth form or crunchy. Crunchy is great for cookies if you like to have texture and crunch in your treats. The Peanut Butter /Rice Cereal Treats below are made with creamy peanut butter and chocoalte chips were put into half the batch. Chocolate and Peanut Butter go very well together.
Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Snacks
Purim is a Holiday celebrated by Jews the world over. Like Chanukah, it is a time for rejoicing and fun rather than serious religious observance. Purim celebrates the deliverance of the Jews from the death decree issued by Haman as orchestrated by Mordecai. During the Purim Service, the Megillah from the Book of Esther is usually read.
Purim is also sometimes celebrated with carnivals, costume wearing and a general good time. Sweets in the form of little cakes or cookies are made and eaten. Hamentaschen (Haman’s Hat) are three cornered pastries, either made from cookie dough/and or yeast dough are filled with apricot, prune or almond filling. The reason they are called Hamentaschen, is because the Hat that Haman wore was a 3 cornered hat and Hamentaschen are made to be 3 cornered. Another sweet that is sometimes made during Purim is called Haman’s ear. These are pastry that is fried and sprinkled with sugar. Hamaentaschen are more commonly made though.
Baked Hamentaschen (Cookie Dough)
Hamentaschen in the oven - just before removal
It is also common to give parcels of food to the poor and give charity in general. Purim always falls during the Hebrew Month of Adar which is usually in March on the Western or Gregorian Calendar.
This year, Purim begins at sundown on March 8th. Try your hand at making some Hamentaschen. They have always been a favorite treat of mine and my family. I especially like an apricot filling and yeast dough, but most Hamentaschen are usually made with the cookie dough. Follow the Hamantaschen recipe in our recipe section https://www.sylveeeskitchen.com/recipes/baked-goods/cookies/hamantaschen/ and give us your opinion as to which filling you like best. Canned fillings which are quite good can be purchased in the Kosher section of most markets.
Apricot Jam and Poppy Seed Filling for Hamantaschen
St. Patrick’s Day is another March Holiday and always falls on March 17th. It is sometimes known as the ‘Wearing of the Green’ and is celebrated the world over, even though it is really an Irish Holiday. It commemorates Saint Patrick (c. AD 387–461), the most commonly recognized of the patron saints of Ireland, and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. The day is generally characterized by the attendance of church services, wearing of green attire (especially shamrocks). The Shamrock has become a symbol of St. Patrick’s Day because it is said that St. Patrick used the Shamrock (3 leaf clover) to explain the Holy Trinity to his converts.
Foods that you can make for or with your children for St. Patrick’s Day are Shamrock Sugar Cookies, Green Pizza Bagels (our local Bagel Bakery makes green bagels for St. Patrick’s Day). With the Pizza Bagels you are sharing the Day with Italian and Jewish Cultures. A Cheesy Broccoli Casserole https://www.sylveeeskitchen.com/recipes/vegetables/cheesy-broccoli-casserole/ is also a good dish to go with your St. Patrick’s Day meal. It is green, has great nutritional value and contains cheese which is loved by most everyone. You can also serve Vanilla Milkshakes which have had a drop or two of green food color added to fit the Holiday.
Shamrock Sugar Cookie
FEBRUARY HOLIDAYS – Celebrated with Food – VALENTINE’S DAY TREATS
Valentine’s Day is known as a Day for Lovers, a Day for Romance and special evenings. Children also look forward to Valentine’s Day and usually exchange Valentine’s in their classrooms. Mother’s often bring treats to their children’s classrooms or offer some at home to their children and their friends.
Party or luncheon treats can be Heart-shaped Sandwiches which are fairly simple to do. Just follow the simple directions below. For Valentine’s Day it is possible to have your local bakery bake you bread that is tinted pink*. Perfect for this event. Making Heart-shaped Sandwiches can also be an activity in which children can participate.
HEART-SHAPED COOKIES:
INGREDIENTS:
Thinly sliced Sandwich Bread: White, Wheat or White Tinted Pastel Colors*
2-3 Filings of your choice.
FINGER SANDWICH FILLINGS
CREAMY FILLINGS: MEAT FILLINGS:
1 lb. Soft Cream Cheese 1 cup minced Ham
4-6 Tbsps. minced Herbs 1 Tbsp. Pickle Relish
1 tsp. Onion Salt 1 rib finely diced Celery
1 tsp. prepared Horseradish 3 Tbsps. Mayonnaise
½ tsp. dried Mustard
2 Tbsps. chopped Spicy Olives (optional)
*** ***
1 lb. Soft Cream Cheese 1 cup diced Chicken
6 Tbsps. minced Sun Dried Tomatoes 1 Tbsp. diced Pimiento
1 Tbsp. minced Chives 3 Tbsps. Mayonnaise
1 tsp. Onion Salt
*** ***
1/2 cup soft unsalted Butter 6 oz. Tuna
1 1/2 cups Sugar 1 chopped hard-cooked Egg
4 Tbsps. Cinnamon 2 chopped Sweet Gherkins
4 Tbsps. Mayonnaise
***
½ cup Creamy Peanut Butter
2 Tbsps. Honey
HEART SANDWICHES:
- Use Heart-shaped cookie cutters to cut out Heart Shapes from either of the thinly sliced Sandwich Breads above.
- Use a sandwich spreader to spread any of the Fillings on one side of each the Heart-shaped Bread Pieces.
- Top with a Cucumber or Lemon Slice/ Twist or a sprig of Herbs.
- Place on serving platters; Garnish and serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to use.
Cut out Sugar Cookies are also another Valentine Treat that are fun to make and fun to receive and even more fun to eat. Get your children in the kitchen and let them have fun and learn something at the same time.
Valentine’s Day Cookies:
- Try one of the Sugar Cookie recipes in the Baking Section of this blog. Roll the Dough out and cut out with heart-shaped cookie cutters.
- Paint the cookies with thinned-out white or pink Royal Frosting; https://www.sylveeeskitchen.com/recipes/baked-goods/cakes-frostings/royal-frosting-for-cookie-painting/ let the frosting dry then using thicker Royal Frosting and a pastry bag fitted with a #3 writing tip, write your chlidren’s names, your children’s friends names or cute little Valentine Expressions on them.
- Wrap the Cookies up in clear plastic bags and pass out to friends or just put them on a pretty plate and serve them at home to your family and friends.
