Happy New Year!

Happy New Year from the Price Chopper Kids Cooking Club!

Look forward to cooking up more fun in 2010...

YIKES....

A little winter fun in the kitchen with an experimental explosion!  We were using corn starch and water to re-create a little science experiment from school and well....let's just say that the sponge & paper towels were our friend in the end...

Price Chopper Kids Cooking Club in total toy fashion...

My sister-in-law purchased this for my daughter for Christmas.  We set it all up & while I was cooking dinner I found my little one in the corner playing Price Chopper Kids Cooking Club:) 

Filming for Valentine's Already...

We just slid the tree to the side, hid a few holiday decorations, pulled out the Valentine's platter and filmed for Valentine's today!  Here's what we made;

A QUICK and EASY heart cookies for home or to share as a classroom treat!

Great aftershool snacks that are easy and tasty to squeeze in a few fruits & veggies along the way!

Volcanic Pancakes erupting with great flavors....

And of course, one of my favorite parts of filming day...catching everyone behind the scenes eating what we have made....

Stay tunned at http://www2.pricechopper.com/kids/ for upcoming recipes and video's.  January's clips should be up next week and what we filmed today will make its debut early February!

Merry...Merry...Merry Christmas

Simple Cookies for Santa

It's a busy time of year and making cookies for Santa does NOT have to be complicated.  The treat you leave can be simple, creative and allow you to sneak a few minutes in together to make one more magical Christmas memory.

Supplies Needed;

Price Chopper sugar cookies

Price Chopper vanilla frosting

Price Chopper sugar, granulated

Food Coloring

Cookie Cutters

1. In a bowl or cup, place one tablespoon of sugar.

2.  Add a drop or two of food coloring to the sugar and stir; set aside.

3.  Frost the top of the cookie.

4.  Place a cookie cutter on top of the cookie.

5.  Sprinkle the colored sugar in the center of the cookie cutter.  Using a spoon, gently press the sugar down before releasing the cookie cutter from it's position.

Whola!  Cookies for Santa done without the use of the oven.

From my kitchen to yours, Happy Holidays!

Reindeer Food...

Of course Santa's flying reindeer enjoy a treat too & at the Price Chopper Kids Cooking Club we were mixing them up a little snack to go along with Santa's cookies and milk.  You can do it at home too!

Supplies;

Price Chopper Chex Cereal
Price Chopper Oat Cereal
Glitter
Price Chopper Snap & Seal Sandwich Bags

1. In each bag, place a 1/4 cup of chex cereal, seal the bag and let the children crush the mixture with their hands.
2. Re-open the bag and add a 1/4 cup of oat cereal and a tablespoon of magical glitter.

Remind the children that Reindeer Food is not edible for humans, only for reindeer!!!!

Place the sandwich bag of Reindeer Food into the Reindeer Holder, empty the contents of the sandwich bag into the holder to sprinkle out onto the lawn on Christmas Eve.

Simple, Magical Fun is what it's all about!  Enjoy!

Reindeer Food Holder...

Supplies needed:

Price Chopper brown paper bag

Black marker

Black craft foam or poster board

Red duct tape

Stapler

Ruler

Using the marker, brown paper bag and ruler; draw two lines that are 7" long creating a 'V' shapped and then create an arch at the top like such;

Roll your 'V' shaped creation to make a cone and staple it in place;

Cut a holder approximately 9 inches long and approximately 3/4 inch in width.  Loop it around the top and staple into place; see top photograph.

Cut two antlers approximately 3 inches long, see the picture at the top, and staple into place.

Use the marker to add eyes and last, but not least, the red duct tape to create a nose!

What goes inside?  Reindeer food...of course...Read the next blog to learn how to fill your Reindeer holder with more simple holiday fun!

Breakfast on Christmas or Anytime...

Cinnamon Pancakes are a fabulously festive touch for the holidays or anytime throughout the year.  They make for a great warm breakfast in the midst of the blustery winter days and with just a little added twist, whola, your kitchen is a hit for the holidays, a weekend , a snow day, winter break or sleep over fun.  It's not just the cinnamon that makes these pancakes popular.  Take a peek at the cinnamon pancake video to find out what is the specialty twist on this recipe by visiting;

http://www2.pricechopper.com/kids/video/index.shtml

And, don't forget to grab the recipe at the end by following this link;

http://www.pricechopper.com/Recipes/Detail/6830/Cinnamon_Pancakes/

Happy Holidays!

Cookies for Santa and Reindeer Food

Great morning at a local library making cookies for santa and reindeer food for Rudolph with both parents and children!  I'll post the 'how-to's' later.  But, I will say, big Thumbs Up from parents about how simple ideas can create quality family time.

Sugar Cookie Sequel

Last week my kids juggled and molded and tried to eat the sugar cookie dough!  If you didn't get a chance to read about it, here is the link to their rendition of cookie dough making; http://yikestherearekidsinmykitchen.blogspot.com/2009/12/baking-in-kid-style.html

In the end, the dough finally made it to the frig, then under the roller and cut into trees, stars and bells. Here is the secret to our sugar cookie decorating;

1. Melt white chocolate morsels in a glass bowl for one minute.
2. Stir the white chocolate until all of the morsels are melted.
3. Add in a drop or two of food coloring and stir.
4. Drizzle the colored chocolate on to the cookies.
5. sprinkle with colored sugar.


(This is not my hand...I only wish my nails
looked like that!  They belong to my
intern Jenna!

Who took a Bite of the Cookies???

Tray One

Tray Two

Grandma (mema) came to visit and continued the holiday fun by bringing gingerbread cookies to decorate

with the kids.  Tray one is a display of my daughter's cookie designs and

tray two are my son's creative endeavors.

If you look closely at tray one you might notice a bite out of each cookie.  My daughter took the old

adage, if you touched it it's yours, to a new level and decided to take a bite out of each one.  When Grandma (mema) asked why she bit each one she responded, "So that everyone will know their mine!  They can share with my brother."

My Chocomel Peanut Butter Crunch Balls...YUM!

It’s a festive, but crazy time of year and as a working mother of three I find fitting quality time in a challenge. Over time, bringing my kids in to the kitchen became a natural fit. I’m already prepping meals, we already have our list of favorite holiday treats to make and a list of baked goods to share as gifts so the time in the kitchen is an easy way to steal time you already have, build a memory and check something off the gift giving list. Recipes don’t have to be complex or time consuming to fit the bill; I’m all about keeping it simple, keeping it tasty and trying to keep it fun! I’ve included one of our old favorites with a new twist for your holiday kitchen prep; it’s a non-bake option with plenty of opportunity for kids to get their hands in the batter!


Chocomel Peanut Butter Crunch Balls
by Jodie Fitz

¾ cups Price Chopper butter, softened
3 cups Price Chopper confectioner’s sugar
1 ½ cups Price Chopper peanut butter, smooth
1 tablespoon Price Chopper milk
½ teaspoon Price Chopper vanilla extract
7 oz. Price Chopper vanilla caramel cubes, unwrapped
1/8 cup Price Chopper Milk
12 oz. milk chocolate morsels
Price Chopper Mini Pretzel Sticks

Cream together the butter and confectioner’s sugar until smooth. Add in the peanut butter, 1 tablespoon of milk and vanilla extract; mix.

In a food processor, chop enough pretzels to create 1 cup and add them to the mixture, stir. Place the batter in the refrigerator while preparing the caramel center.

Place the caramels and 1/8 cup of milk into a glass bowl and place in the microwave for one minute on high. Remove the bowl from the microwave and stir the caramels and milk together until everything is fully melted and mixed well. Let the caramel mixture set to room temperature.

Line baking sheets with waxed paper. Create approximately a two inch ball of the dough and flatten it. Place a small amount of the caramel, approximately a half to three quarters of a teaspoon in the middle and wrap the dough around it, continue until all of the dough has been used. Place the cookie sheets into the refrigerator and let the dough set for several hours or overnight.

Melt the milk chocolate morsels in the microwave in a glass dish on high for one minute. Stir the chocolates after a minute; they will not look fully melted until you stir them together. Dip the cookie peanut butter caramel cookies into the chocolate, returning them back to the cookie sheet. Once you have completed the dipping process, return the cookies back to the refrigerator to set the chocolate; approximately 20-30 minutes. Enjoy and Happy Holidays from my kitchen to yours…

Chocolate Caramel Pretzels

This holiday we are baking, but we are also focusing on the quick, easy, no bake options.  These pretzels are delicious and make a great treat for your family or a gift that you can make together and share

with family and friends. 

There is a video clip at the Price Chopper website so that your kids can watch other kids making the Chocolate Caramel Pretzels.  I just visited the Price Chopper in Colonie, NY and made these with kids in the middle of a store; it's a great recipe to mess it up, have a little fun and spend some time together

during this busy season!

Recipe Link:

http://www.pricechopper.com/Recipes/Detail/6829/Chocolate_Caramel_Pretzels/

Video Link:

http://www2.pricechopper.com/kids/video/index.shtml

Happy Hanukah

Happy Hanukah....

Making our Lists and Checking them Twice!

There was once upon a time that I used to make 12 different types of cookies (not just one batch, more like triple) and then we would package them up and give them as gifts.  You would find tubs of cookies in cool storage at my house...it was CRAZY!  They were always a big hit, but with child number three and the activity schedule of the older two on the up swing, I have scaled it way back!  In fact, I love the no bake options. 

As we were doing the usual experiments in the kitchen I came up with the idea to bring the snowball fun into the kitchen!   Here is one of my latest recipes; they even got the 'thumbs up' from the teenage crowd!

Snowballs

http://www.pricechopper.com/Recipes/Detail/6828/Snowballs/_SS_43FT9R61B3E1d98P715127C7HgGN6L53E70798%7C2762%7C0912110757%7C%7C%7C

Baking in Kid Style....

It's a snow day here!  So, we decided to start our sugar cookies for the holidays, but my kids decided to make them their way.  After the dough was mixed, this is what they recommended;

STEP ONE: Juggle the dough.

STEP TWO: Juggle the dough some more.

STEP THREE:  Mold the dough.

STEP FOUR: Eat the dough.

STEP FIVE: Scream for more dough when mom takes it away.

Gingerbread Fun!

I have to admit, as much as I bake, I had not actually ever made gingerbread cookies until yesterday when another mom and I made cookies for our children's first grade class to decorate as part of a lesson about holidays around the world.

While the kids learned about other traditions, I was quickly becoming educated in lessons of gingerbread making. I was warned about rolling the dough, cutting the design and then using a spatula to transfer it from the counter top to the pan, which can cause design distortion! So, I found a way to avoid the problems that come with the transferring process. I simply rolled the dough in-between two pieces of waxed paper, cut my design and then flipped it on to the pan. There were no spatula problems, no design distortion and no disappointed first graders. This process will also work for any rolled dough, cookie cutting type of recipes.

A delicious lesson indeed!

This Week...

This week I will be in Colonie making Chocolate-Caramel Dipped Pretzels with kids

for some more holiday fun.

http://www2.pricechopper.com/kids/video/index.shtml

Saturday, December 12

10 am to 1 pm

Colonie Price Chopper

1892 Central Ave.

Albany, NY

Cooking in New Hampshire...

This weekend I am up in New Hampshire promoting the Price Chopper Kids Cooking Club in West Lebanon, NH and Lebanon, NH.  We're still gobbling it up with Gobble Ups!

http://www.pricechopper.com/Recipes/Detail/6790/Gobble_Ups/

The website should have December posted soon with Cinnamon Pancakes with holiday designs, Caramel-Chocolate Dipped Pretzels and Snowball cookies just in time for your holiday cooking plans!

Peek back next week for more holiday cooking fun!

Quick and Easy Holiday Fun...

It’s a CRAZY time of year for everyone and the To Do List seems like it multiplies itself with the added shopping, wrapping and making; the baking, organizing and school functions, work functions and all of the other holiday functions that go along with the normal chaos of kids, laundry, house, work, dog, etc, etc, etc


I’m always trying to look for the balance and add in a little fun along the way, striving to keep my kids hands in some of the gift giving activities. If by chance you are looking for something quick and easy that makes for a homemade gift in the kitchen, but doesn’t require a lot of time, patience and a whole list of ingredients; then I have a quick fix solution that might just satisfy. It’s simple, yet festive and kids can be a part of the process.

Chocolate Dipped Peppermint

Milk chocolate morsels
Peppermint candy canes
Holiday sprinkles
Waxed paper
Cellophane
Ribbon

Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Place the milk chocolate morsels into a glass bowl and microwave on high for one minute. Stir so that all of the chocolate morsels melt together. Dip the candy canes (hook side first) into the chocolate so that all, but two inches is covered in chocolate. Set the chocolate covered candy cane on to the waxed paper surface and sprinkle with holiday sprinkles and let the chocolate set in the refrigerator or in a cool temperature setting. Once the chocolate has set, wrap the candy canes, individually, in cellophane, tying the top with a festive ribbon.

Another Reason to WHY Kids in the Kitchen...

Tuesday's filming was such a great reminder to why I love to get kids in the kitchen! Not only is cooking over the holidays pure fun, it’s also pretty much pure sugar. So with the New Year episode I wanted to incorporate some healthier choices into our Price Chopper Kids Cooking Club menu even though we were cooking Super Bowl fun, which is like a holiday! When the boys came into the kitchen to prep for the shoot, one of the first things they asked was "What are we cooking?" When I told them about the three recipes at first they were a little skeptical...most kids are whenever you introduce something to them, which is why I'm all about experimenting, challenging and getting them into the creative process. They weren't certain, but they really enjoyed cooking and mixing it up and in the end not one nose turned up to what was served. They all admitted it wasn't something they thought they would like, but at the end of the day I got the response that I was looking for, two thumbs up for new tastes and new flavors and they didn't care one bit that they were eating healthier choices all the way through!


So, my point...get your kids in the kitchen and make them part of the process! It makes a BIG difference in what they will try over the long haul and of course, watch for more of my recipes to share!

Filming Updates...

Jonathan prepping flat breads...

Josh & everyone zooming in for a mini bite taste test as soon as the segment was wrapped up!

A Thumbs Up from everyone in the kitchen!!!

We were in the kitchen whipping up a showdown of flavor for the upcoming Super Bowl Showdown! Stay tuned to check out the webisode which will feature a group of pre-teens cooking up a Barbecue Turkey Flat Bread, Chicken Wing Flat Bread, Apple-Pear Mini Bites and of course, Lava Juice!

What's Lava Juice you ask?  You have to tune in next month to find out....

Heading to NH to cook with kids...

Saturday, December 5

10 am -1 pm

West Lebanon Price Chopper

285 Plainfield Rd.

West Lebanon, NH

What's Happening in Our Kitchen....

This weekend, shuffling around the leftovers, we have been tweaking recipes for Tuesday's filming.  We're already moving on to Super Bowl prep. We're having fun and tomorrow the final taste testers are coming over for the thumbs up, thumbs down vote that takes place in my kitchen.  The visiting taste testers for this set of recipes are a bunch of fun loving, tweenagers who aren't afraid to speak their mind letting me know what taste combinations make it and what needs improving!

 Shhhh!  Truth be told, I think they love the opportunity to sit and eat and eat and eat!!!! What growing tweenagers don't?  And, I'm glad to oblige their growing tummies....

More on the outcomes to be released this week!

Black Friday Left Overs...

I cannot believe that I ventured out on BLACK FRIDAY!  I only went out to get a wreath for the holidays and let my kids do their holiday shopping.  The crowded parking lots and long lines reminded me why I am a Black Friday Avoider.  However, going out without my own agenda, focusing on what the kids wanted

to do and only going to two stores made for an entirely low pressure experience! 

Not only did I not have to cook the entire meal yesterday, because I went to my parents and got to come home with left over turkey, I also get today off from cooking.  Today, like most, it's all about the leftovers.  However, my crew is not a big left over loving bunch unless you disguise it.  So, now that I think about it, my one day of not cooking really did turn into cooking because I experimented and created a  Baked Cranberry Turkey Special!

9 inch pie crust
Turkey, cooked and diced
Whole cranberry sauce
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup orange juice

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. 
2. In a saucepan combine the whole cranberry sauce, cinnamon and orange juice.  Heat the mixture on medium to low heat, stirring all of the ingredients together. 
3.  Spread 1/2 of cranberry mixture onto the pie crust leaving room around the edges. 
4.  Top the cranberry sauce with diced turkey. 
5.  Wrap up the sides and seal the edges all around.
6.  Place onto a non-stick baking dish.
7.  Bake for 35 minutes.  Until crust is golden brown.
8.  Slice and serve with the remaining cranberry sauce on top.

Thumbs up from our kitchen!

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving

from our kitchen to yours....

This year I did not host the feast and got out easy on the Thanksgiving prep.  Instead, I got the chance to focus on one of my favorites; making desserts!  YUM!

We experimented and mixed and stirred and made a big mess in the kitchen.  In the end we had created;

Mud Pie (all edible of course!)

Apple Caramel Pie

Caramel Cream Pumpkin Pie

Plain Pumpkin Pie for Dad

And, of course Gobble Ups!

As I was cooking with my kids I realized how thankful I was for their help.  And, when I looked around at the flour covered counters, the particles that hit the floor (which is inevitable when cooking with kids) and the mile high pile of dirty dishes, I realized how thankful I was for my Dish Washer!

Thanksgiving Trivia

Thanksgiving reminds me of the first feast with Pilgrims and Native Americans coming together to celebrate. There is an extensive history with this holiday. Did You Know?!?!
* That the first Thanksgiving lasted for three days! Wow, that was some kind of feast ...

* Although the first Thanksgiving took place in 1621 with the Pilgrims in Plymouth, it wasn't until 200 years later that Thanksgiving became a national holiday!

* Before President Lincoln declared Thanksgiving to be held annually on a specific day that Presidents before him called a national Thanksgiving whenever it was necessary and that sometimes there could be more than one Thanksgiving celebration in a year.

If you like fun facts and a little investigative fun, see if you and your family can find three states that have a city named Turkey in it. Or, to share fun facts as part of your holiday fun, hide a Thanksgiving fact underneath everyone's Gobble Up Dessert for family members to share.

Chef Snoopy Inspired!

We took the lead from Chef Snoopy & celebrated Thanksgiving a little early.  We rented Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving, invited friends and served up nothing other than popcorn, pretzels, jelly beans and toast.  It was a big hit with the kids and they loved it.  It was a simple, but fun celebration that definitely was memorable for all. 

It's on our 'to do' list for next year.

Gobble Up, Gobble Ups!

Gobble Ups! You are going to love these little treats!  Not only do they taste great, but they are so quick and easy; always one of my favorite combinations....

Gobble Ups really got their name, because you want to do just that...gobble them up!  You really can't stop at one & since they're such a small treat in size; you don't have to.  They actually remind me of a Boston Cream Donut kind of taste.  This little treat is small in size, but big in taste and is always a crowd pleaser.  The can be made simply or you can festive them up by using chocolate to create a turkey, which kids love! 

Simply use a waxed paper to draw three feathers & a turkey head.  Flip the waxed paper over onto a baking sheet.  Drizzle melted chocolate within the lines.  Set the chocolate into the refrigerator to set and add to your Gobble Up to create a turkey dessert for your Thanksgiving dinner.  Here is a link for the full recipe and more information on melting chocolate;

http://www.pricechopper.com/Recipes/Detail/6790/Gobble_Ups/

Mmmm! Apricot Honey Cornbread with a twist!

Apricot Honey Cornbread is a delicious addition to any Thanksgiving table and it's a great recipe for kids to help make. Add a little twist, and this recipe becomes an artist pallet for kids to create an added special memory in your kitchen this holiday season!

Simply search on line for some festive fall symbols and let your children paint a design and/or tell a story by using gel frosting tubes that you can find in the baking aisle at your grocery store.

To try the Apricot Honey Cornbread visit; http://www.pricechopper.com/Recipes/Detail/6789/Honey_Apricot_Cornbread/




 

Gobble Ups! in Watertown

Saturday, November 21

12 - 3

Watertown Price Chopper

1283 Arsenal St.

Watertown, NY