Monthly Archives: November 2009

Nov 26Happy Thanksgiving

My family visited the Little Farm in Tilden Park last weekend, and I couldn't tear myself away from this tom. He clearly ruled the roost. He walked around, cool as a cucumber...until he had to put a chicken or duck in its place. What caught my attention was his comb - it was constantly in flux. When he was relaxed, it would droop down over the side of his beak. But when he was acting as the enforcer, it would shrink up and stand like a unicorn's horn. Who knew? Happy Thanksgiving to...

Nov 25Stone Soup: A Thanksgiving Lesson for Kids

I am deeply honored that this post is featured in the Holiday Roundup at Oprah.com. During the past few weeks, my son's class has been reading various versions of Stone Soup. In case you don't know the story, it is an old French tale about three hungry soldiers who use trickery to convince the inhabitants of a village to provide them with the ingredients for a feast. At first, the villagers were afraid, but they were intrigued by the soldiers, who told them that they were going to prepare...

Nov 22Sand Art Brownies: A Great Gift From The Kitchen...

I got a blast from the past this morning when I opened my email. I was surprised to see a note from a mom in my daughter's playgroup 9 years ago! She was writing to ask me about a holiday gift that I had given her way back then...a layered brownie mix I made for friends that year. With the economy in the tank, I am guessing that more and more people will lure their families into the kitchen to make their own gifts this year. Why not give this one a try. After all, it must have been memorable,...

Nov 19Making Homemade Gifts From The Kitchen With The ...

I am sure that my friends will be relieved to know that I am fully aware of my Type-A personality. But even they would be surprised that I started to think our holiday gifts from the kitchen waaaay back in October. But for once, I had a good reason to be prepared so early. A few weeks ago, I went to a gift exchange party with my long-standing Cooking Teachers group (SIG) with the San Francisco Professional Food Society. If I didn't have my act in gear, I wouldn't have had enough time to...

Nov 17I'm a Guest Blogger on a Great Adoption Net...

Hi y'all. Just a quick announcement that I'll be doing a bit of guest blogging at Grown In My Heart, a great adoption network. It was an honor to be asked to contribute, particularly since my own son is adopted from Guatemala. My first post is about getting kids to branch out and try new foods. Take a peek!

Nov 12Cooking with Toddlers: E is for Enchiladas

The first session of my Mommy & Me cooking classes is over, and won't resume until after the holidays. In the meantime, though, I thought I'd share our most recent class with you. With the recent swine flu epidemic, most of my students stayed home - but my favorite little guy showed up, and we had loads of fun together! This week's lesson is brought to you by the letter E. Easy Chicken Enchiladas These enchiladas are a great way to use up any leftover chicken or turkey you might have. ...

Nov 9Cookies Make People Happy

Just ask any child about the top 5 things that make them smile. Aside from puppies, I would be willing to bet that Cookies are on that list. Kids aren't unique when it comes to enjoying tasty treats. I bet that many adults would include something sweet or indulgent on their list, too! If eating cookies makes you or your kids happy, imagine how it would feel to receive cookies if you were sick, homeless, or a veteran home from battle. That's what Lydia had in mind when she founded Drop In...

Nov 5Kids Cook to Raise $ for Families in Crisis

As you probably know by now, our SOUP fundraiser with Studio 4 Art is quickly approaching. Hopefully we have inspired you with lots of photos of kids cooking and making soup bowls - but just in case, here are a few more! These were taken with my son's second grade class, as we made a big batch of Minestrone Soup in my rice cooker. If you enjoy the idea of cooking with kids and the concept that these kids are helping local families in crisis, please consider coming to our event. Tickets for...