Archive for the 'cooking with kids' Category

A Christmas Treat: Sugar on Snow

December 24th, 2008

by Caroline
Usually by Christmas Eve, I’ve baked at least half a dozen batches of cookies, but this year for a change, the kids and I made candy for their teachers: salted chocolate pecan toffee, spiced chocolate bark with dried cherries and pumpkin seeds, and, now that we’re in snowy Connecticut, a kind of maple candy [...]

Wonderballs (because it’s a bit too early for holiday baking)

December 8th, 2008

by Caroline
It’s an in-between time right now. We have some Christmas decorations up (paper-glitter snowflakes, a wreath on the door) but not all (no tree, no stockings). The boys are opening up windows on the Advent calendar and counting down the days till Christmas, while I am counting down the (fewer) days till I can [...]

Pasta Puttanesca, 2 Ways

November 25th, 2008

by Caroline
Thanksgiving prep is starting early this year as preliminary reports from my brother-in-law indicate that the rental house has an Inadequate Kitchen. So Tony and I have each made one kind of cranberry sauce, my mom’s brown and serve wheat germ rolls are rising, and the wild rice is cooking for the vegetarian entree. [...]

ButterScience, with recipe

November 24th, 2008

by Lisa
Like many of my spontaneous ideas, this one began with a question.
After Finn’s long fever, he broke his fast with a brunch of green eggs and toast.  For some reason, I was inpsired to butter his bread. Taking a bite, he said, “I got big bite of butter on toast.”
“Yes,” I said, “I put [...]

Dessert, (urban) homestead style

November 18th, 2008

by Lisa
Unlike Caroline, I don’t bake a lot. We were joking the other day about our families and how although we have many things in common, there are some major differences. The fact that we eat meat for one. The fact–as she joked–that I’m going “going urban homestead.”  I demurred, but she’s not entirely wrong.
This [...]

Peppers, The Prequel

November 7th, 2008

By Lisa

The padrone-eating incident (now updated with pictures) was not without precedent.
One of our family staples, especially when it’s high pepper season, is dish of roasted red peppers bathed in olive oil, with capers, garlic, and anchovies.
Before you stop reading at “anchovy,” please consider this: a mysterious alchemy occurs when the peppers meet anchovies and [...]

‘Tis the season… Pumpkin Bread

November 3rd, 2008

by Caroline
This time of year, I start baking even more than usual  and Eli doesn’t want to eat anything but another quick bread, be it apple, pear, banana or pumpkin. So I get him to bake with me, which he is happy to do, wielding his whisk with great care. I also try to adjust [...]

You Say Griddle-, I Say Pan-…

October 25th, 2008

By Lisa
My offer was innocent enough, and both kids leapt at it, but there was a semantic conflict that nearly brought down the house.
“I want pancakes,” Finn shouted.
“I want griddle cakes,” Ella countered.
“No,” he protested. “Pan. Cakes.”
“They’re Griddle Cakes,” she insisted.
“I. Want. Pancakes.” Finn stomped.
“Finn! They are the same thing!. They are GRIDDLE CAKES!”
“NOT I [...]

Lemonade for Change

September 29th, 2008

By Lisa

Ella is much more a child of Silicon Valley than either Kory or I.
As soon as the weather turns warm, she begs for a lemonade stand.
She’d be outside three days a week if someone would sit with her, and while she’s constantly got a plan to buy a Barbie Peek-a-boo or some such Pony-&-Rainbow-pink-bespangled-toy, [...]

Snickerdoodle Muffins

September 24th, 2008

posted by Caroline

If you settle Eli for a nap, he’ll want to read a book first.
So you’ll bring out one of his best-loved books.
When you’re finished reading the book, he’ll want another.
And another.
When you say they’re all gone, he’ll ask you for a sip of water before sleeping.
So you refill his water bottle and he [...]