What's Cooking With Kids

Nov 2Mmmm! Easy and Tasty Fall Family Dinner

The weather here has finally turned. It is hard to imagine that we were hot in shorts only a week ago, and now we have the wool blanket on our bed and a presto-log in the fireplace! My family enjoyed this simple dinner last night - it was delicious and very easy to prepare. Kids can help with nearly every step along the way. Light Chicken Parmesan The secret is in the breading: Only one side of the chicken has it; plus, whole-wheat bread subs in for white, and an egg white replaces a whole...

Oct 31Halloween Appetizer: Ghoulish Garden Dip

I made this delicious dip recipe with my cooking students yesterday and will be making it again with a different group of students this afternoon. The green, ghoulish color makes it perfect for Halloween! But there is no food coloring here - our green comes right from the ingredients themselves! Ghoulish Garden Dip 1/2 onion, small white 1 clove garlic 2 tbs oregano leaves, fresh 10 oz thawed frozen spinach 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1/2 cup sour cream, light 1/2 cup feta cheese 1 tbs lemon juice Dippers:...

Oct 30How to make your kitchen more eco-friendly

I came across a new blog today and loved one of their articles - it gives 100 ways to make your kitchen more earth-friendly. Some are super simple and others take a bit of time, money or effort. Either way, it is a great series of suggestions! I'll tease you with a few of my favorites, but I hope you will visit the article and read the rest. Which ones do you like best? Cover foods and liquids in your refrigerator: Uncovered foods will release moisture into the air and make your refrigerator's...

Oct 29KIWI Magazine – Young Chef Contest

I just learned about this contest and thought I would pass it along in case your Great Young Chef would like to enter! KIWI, a national family magazine focusing on natural and organic living, is looking for kids who love to cook for their Next Great Young Chef Contest. The contest, which runs until February 20, 2009, will award two talented, young chefs with a feature article in KIWI Magazine, as well as webcasts on KiwiTV. Winners will receive a 4 day/3 night trip for two to New York for a photo...

Oct 26Getting Food to the Needy

On Blog Action Day, I wrote about how wonderful it would be if there were an organization that picked up leftover food from weddings and other special events and delivered it to the needy. Lo and behold, I found one called Food Runners that operates in San Francisco. Food Runners picks up excess perishable and prepared food from businesses such as restaurants, caterers, bakeries, event planners and hotels and delivers it directly to shelters and neighborhood programs that feed the hungry. It...

Oct 15Blog Action Day: Fighting Poverty (our way - wit...

The theme for Blog Action Day this year is Poverty. As the date approaches for bloggers all around the world to share their ideas, opinions and action plans to fight poverty, I have been thinking about what I can do...about What's Cooking can do...about what people everywhere can do... As the state of our government and economy crumbles around us, I find consolation in the fact that I have been a good role model for my children, and that my company, What's Cooking, has been a good role model for...

Oct 11Crockpot Ribs – Eat Local Challenge

Now that Fall is officially here, the days are getting cooler and nights are coming earlier. Getting dinner on the table is becoming more of a challenge now that my children are involved in more after school activities. Our piano lesson on Tuesdays finishes up right before dinner time, so by the time we get home, the kids are usually starving. I have found that the crock pot is a fantastic tool on days like these - in just a few moments I can get dinner started early in the day and then our...

Oct 9Fantastic Farm Celebration – Hoe's Down Festiv...

This weekend, my family and I went to our second Hoe's Down Festival in the Capay Valley, east of Davis, California. It was the 21st annual Hoe's Down Festival at Full Belly Farm - and my cooking with kids workshop was just one of over 60 fun activities and presentations to choose from. People laugh when I tell them that my cooking school for children is "mobile." Instead of being tied to paying rent for a specialized retail and cooking space, I find it easier to travel to my customers. We...

Oct 7Eat Local Challenge

October is the Eat Local Challenge month - and I know that if I make my goals public, I will be more inclined to follow through... Before I tell you why I am going to make the effort, maybe I should give y'all a few reasons why this is a good idea. Eating locally grown and produced foods supports our local economy. These days, I feel compelled to do all I can to help in that arena! Eating locally grown produce comes right from the farm, which means it is fresher and contains more nutrients...