Nutrition Month! Time to Get Kids in the Kitchen! (Opp to win a pair of cooking class tickets too…)

This nutritious post was provided by The Chester County Hospital and Health System.  To learn more about nutrition services, visit us online. >>

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March is National Nutrition Month – what better time to get your kiddos helping out in the kitchen? They’ll learn how to help prepare their own foods while you teach them healthy habits in the process. Your children’s efforts may even turn into a new love of healthier foods that they help create. Read on for age-appropriate tips, interactive food fun and a chance to win a pair of tickets to a healthy cooking class (this one’s just for you, mom!).

Get Cooking

Even the youngest of tots can start learning in the kitchen by naming different foods or counting fruits and veggies. The sooner you get your kids in the kitchen, the sooner they’ll move into the more advanced tasks (saving you some precious food prep time). Who knows, maybe they’ll cook dinners for you when they reach their teen years?  Well…let’s not be too hopeful. 

Kim Knipe, Coordinator for Community Nutrition and Outreach at The Chester County Hospital, shares these tips to make your under-foot distraction your newest little chef:

Chef-in-Training

• Gather ingredients
• Talk about favorite foods
• Help put away groceries
• Count ingredients along with you (1 egg, 2 eggs…)
• Tear salad greens into bite-sized pieces
• Empty your trash bowl into the big trash can

Chef’s Helper

• Peel bananas
• Wash veggies
• Set the table
• Mix ingredients
• Pour ingredients into a bowl
• Open packages

Sous Chef

• Make salads for family dinner
• Slice soft foods with a butter knife
• Measure ingredients
• Crack eggs (and wash hands afterwards!)
• Preheat the oven (with guidance)
• Line and fill muffin tins

Of course, remind kids to wash their hands before and after helping in the kitchen so the habit begins to form at a young age. And always supervise your child if they are old enough to handle a knife during food preparation.

If you find that your kids aren’t interested in these tasks, ask them what they’d like to do to help. They may be quick to mention things you would never think of. At a certain age, Kim says her daughters loved to pour drinks for family dinner. Who knew? Ask and you shall receive…pour on!

“While you prepare food together, be sure to share healthy tips like why fruits and veggies are so good for them and why it’s important to choose whole grains,” Kim shares. “You might not think they’re listening, but they are and some of it will stick!”

Fun Food for Thought

Test your child’s food knowledge with these fun games from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. From portion sizes to word searches, these games pack some fun into Nutrition Month.

If you’re looking for healthy recipes or new motivation to bump up your nutrition, spend some time surfing The Chester County Hospital’s Pinterest. We’re adding new pins each day during Nutrition Month to help you eat more healthfully all year long.

Want Cooking Help? Enter to Win!

We’ve teamed up with Cooking Spotlight of Phoenixville to give away a pair of tickets to the “Welcome Spring with Delicious Recipes” Cooking Class. Want to enter for a chance to win?  We’re giving you four opportunities! Enter here by liking The Chester County Hospital’s Facebook page by March 29, and you and a friend could be enjoying a hands-on, fun-filled evening with refreshing and invigorating recipes to welcome in spring.  Be sure to check out WC Dish for more foodie fun and restaurant news, too.

Celebrate Nutrition Month by trying new recipes and having your kids accompany you in the kitchen. Now…get cooking!

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Join us on Facebook, Twitter (@cchosp) and Pinterest, or visit us online at ChesterCountyHospital.org.

Celebrate "Make a Pie Day" on January 23rd

January 23rd is national Make a Pie Day. What a great day to teach your child pie-making basics or to surprise them with sweet treat.

Fool proof Pie Shell courtesy of Family Fun Magazine

Here’s a pie pastry recipe you can really count on for good results. One important tip: be sure to allow enough time for chilling the dough. It’ll help keep the pastry from sticking to the rolling pin. Use this recipe to create a Fauxberry Pie.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cold unsalted butter
1/4 cup cold vegetable shortening
4 tablespoons cold water

Instructions
Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Cut the butter and shortening into 1/4-inch pieces and toss them into the dry ingredients by hand to evenly distribute them. Now use a pastry blender to cut them into the flour until they are the size of small peas.

Sprinkle in half of the water and toss well with a fork. Add the remaining water a teaspoon at a time until the pastry will pack into a ball.

Knead the dough once or twice. Then place it on a large sheet of plastic wrap and flatten it into a 3/4-inch-thick disk. Wrap the disk in the plastic and chill it for about 1 hour. You can chill it longer, but it may get too firm; just let it sit at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before rolling.

Working atop a sheet of lightly floured waxed paper, roll the pie pastry into a 12-inch circle with a flour-dusted rolling pin. Invert the rolled pastry over a 9-inch pie pan and peel off the paper. Gently fit the pastry into the pan without stretching it and pinch the edge into a fluted rim. Chill the shell in the freezer for 15 minutes before using.

You might also like:
Chocolate Chip Walnut Pie
Ice Cream Pies & Piecrusts
Creamy Pumpkin Pie with Cranberry Topping

Tasty Tuesdays

Well, Halloween is just around the corner! Ooooo….spooooooky!

I love this time of year…the weather is pleasantly brisk, the smell of hot apple cider is wafting from the kitchen…mmmmm…pure bliss! This is also about the time that I start thinking about what kind of treats I’m going to make for everyone – my children’s classmates, my friends and family members – like I said…it’s my favorite time of year – I hand goodies out to everyone! Plus, my daughter’s birthday is the day before Halloween, so right about now is when we start planning for a fantastic costume birthday party – and of course, we have a table loaded with treats there too!

I’m always looking for some fun treats to make – something totally SpOoKtAcUlAr! During the next few weeks, I’ll try to bring you some fun – and totally ghoulish – treats that you too can make for your Halloween festivities!

Enjoy!

“Dirty” Popcorn Balls

Perfect for a Halloween party, these dressed-up popcorn balls can be made in advance, or let the kids make them during the party. If using microwave popcorn, choose a low-salt or salt-free variety.

Ingredients:

12 cups popped corn (about one 6-oz. package microwave popcorn)

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

4 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

1/2 cup chocolate cookie crumbs

4 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder

16 gummi worms (about 6 oz.)

Directions:

Pour the popcorn into a large bowl. Set aside.
In a large microwave-safe bowl, microwave the butter on High until melted, about 45 seconds. Add the marshmallows and stir to coat. Microwave on High until the marshmallows start to melt and look puffy, about 1 1/2 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a shallow bowl, combine the cookie crumbs and cocoa powder and toss to mix. Set aside.
Stir together the melted marshmallows and butter until smooth. Pour the warm marshmallow mixture over the popcorn and stir to coat the popcorn evenly.
Using well-buttered hands, scoop up a handful of the popcorn and shape into a baseball-size ball, pressing firmly. Pull apart 2 openings in the ball and place a gummy worm inside each opening, letting the worms’ heads and some parts of their bodies peek through. Close the ball and press firmly to seal the worms inside. Repeat with the remaining popcorn and worms. Roll the balls in the cookie-crumb mixture until roughly coated.

Eat immediately, or wrap in waxed paper or plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 2 days. Makes 8 popcorn balls.

Preparation Tip: To mash the cookies for the dirt, place whole chocolate cookies in a sturdy sealable plastic bag and press them with the back of a spoon.

Candy Corn Variation: Skip the cookie crumbs and gummy worms. Tint the melted marshmallow mixture with orange food coloring. Mix a big handful of candy corn into the popcorn with the marshmallow mixture and form into balls as directed.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Kids Parties, by Lisa Atwood (Oxmoor House, 2008).

Nicole is the owner of Lil Boo & Co. and is the contributing writer for all the Tasty Tuesdays here on Chester County Moms.

Tasty Tuesdays (on Wednesday!)

Ode to Autumn! My FAVORITE season usually has me in the kitchen a little more — maybe it’s the fact that it’s a tad chillier outside and the smells of deliciousness wafting from the kitchen tend to linger, leaving the house cozy and smelling like a dream….

Anyway, this is by far the most requested Fall recipe from my kitchen, so I thought it would be appropriate to share it here too! I don’t know about you, but considering the brisk weather and gorgeous assortment of foliage starting to appear, I am experiencing a sudden urge to make the house smell delicious and, most importantly of course, enjoy a yummy pumpkin muffin! My kids LOVE helping me make (and eat) these scrumptious treats!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.

Ingredients:

One 29 oz. can of Libby’s Pumpkin

1-2 cups of sugar (depending on how sweet you like your muffins…I usually opt for about 1 and 1/2 cups just because pumpkin can be bitter)

2 slightly beaten eggs

2/3 cup of butter (approx. 9-10 TB)

1 tsp. vanilla

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

3 cups of flour

1/2 bag of milk chocolate chips

Mix the pumpkin, sugar, butter, vanilla and eggs together until smoothly blended. Then in a separate bowl, gently mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon an salt together. Add the dry mixture to the pumpkin mixture. Once blended evenly, add the chocolate chips. Fill greased muffins tins or cupcake wrappers 2/3 full and then bake for 20-23 minutes.

I usually stick the muffins with a toothpick to make sure they are completely done; pumpkin tends to be dense and sometimes they can be “doughy” in the center. I like the muffins done, but moist.

Let them cool completely then top with drippy icing (recipe below)…or leave them plain – they are plenty good just by themselves!

Drippy Icing:

1/2 cup of confectioner’s sugar

2-4 TB of milk (depending how thick you like it)

A few drops of lemon juice

The more sugar you add the thicker the icing is. Let the icing set. ENJOY! These are FOOL PROOF!! And absolutely delicious! Super easy recipe too…good thing, because they don’t stay in the house for long!!!

Nicole is the owner of Lil Boo & Co. and is the contributing writer for all the Tasty Tuesdays here on Chester County Moms.

Tasty Tuesdays

Fall is the perfect time to mix up some gobbly good eats! With the cooler air setting in and the Halloween holiday just around the corner…this delicious treat is sure to please! A yummy combination of cereal, fruit & candy make this goody perfect for your little witches and spooky goblins…they’ll gobble it right up!

Trick or Treat!Halloween Chex Mix

What you’ll need:

8 oz. white chocolate baking bars, coarsely chopped
4 cups Corn Chex or Rice Chex cereal
2 cups bite sized pretzel twists
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup candy corn
1/4 cup Betty Crocker orange & black candy decors (Halloween sprinkles)

Preparation:

• In large microwavable bowl, microwave chopped baking bars uncovered on High 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and smooth.

• Gently stir in cereal, pretzels and raisins until evenly coated. Stir in candy corn and decors.

• Spread on waxed paper or foil until cooled and chocolate is set, about 30 minutes. Break into chunks. Store loosely covered.

Recipe Yields: 18 servings (1/2 cup each)

For an extra special treat, fill little cellophane bags with this fun mix and tie with orange and black ribbons for Halloween party treats!

This recipe & many others can be found at Chex.

Tasty Tuesdays

Well, it’s just about that time! Depending on what school your children are enrolled in, you may be busily bustling around town getting all the school supplies gathered!

Can you believe it?! Summer is almost over (although, at least here in our location, you’d never be able to tell that Autumn is just around the corner…it’s SO hot out there)!

Within just a few weeks we’ll all be back to the daily grind and routine of having our kids in school. No matter if your little ones attend preschool or even if you have older kids in the midst of their high school years, the bottom line is – life picks up once everything is back in session!

If your schedule is anything like mine (and if your children are the typical after school ‘munchers’ raiding the cabinets before they even drop their backpacks to the floor when they get home) – you’ll soon be looking for easy to make, easy to take after school snacks! Snacks that provide at least some nutritional value and ones that will hold them over until you can get dinner on the table….maybe even something they can munch on to help keep them energetic & focused as they do their homework.

Well…this week’s Tasty Tuesdays is here to dish out great after school (or just about anytime) yummy snacks! Check out these delicious bites that put a spin on the usual everyday snacks:

Carrots with Peanut Dipping Sauce, Tiny Tortilla Pizzas, Cherries with Brown Sugar Dip, Strawberry ‘Cheescakes’

6 Minute Potato Chips, Chocolate Banana Tortillas, Cucumber Yogurt Boats, Oh-So-Easy Peanut Butter Cookies

Favorite Juice Jello, Parmesan Pita Chips with Mashed Dip

For all recipes and other source information click on the links or the pictures above!

Enjoy!!

All recipes can be found at Parenting.com and were written by Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen

Nicole is a local Chester County Mom & the regular Tasty Tuesdays contributor. When she’s not finding delicious dishes to cook up & share with others, you can find her busily creating things for her shop, Lil Boo & Co. – a little Etsy boutique inspiring children to imagine, create & play everyday!

Tasty Tuesdays

Last week’s Tasty Tuesdays post was all about making your own homemade play dough and now this week I’ll show you how to cook up another goody inspired by our favorite childhood activity – although this time…it’ll be edible & scrumptious!

Play Dough Cookies

These cookies – with their vibrant swirls of color – look just like play dough! But you can eat them…they are delicious! Children will go crazy for these cookies…and they’d love to help you make them!

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 3 ounces cream cheese
• 1 cup white sugar & extra for ‘dipping’ the cookies into
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• assorted colors of paste food coloring
• 24 lollipop sticks (optional)

Directions:

1. In a bowl – cream butter, cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat until smooth.
2. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture. Stir till soft dough forms. Divide dough into thirds or fourths (depending on how many colors you’d like). Tint each with a different food color (you should have 3 or 4 different colors). Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Working with half of each color, shape dough into 3/4 inch balls and for each cookie place 1 ball of each color together to make 1 large ball. Shape into a 12 inch long roll (like a snake), starting at one end, coil roll to make a 2 3/4 inch round cookie, dip the tops of the cookies into sugar for a “glistening” affect. Place cookies 3 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheet. Carefully insert lollipop sticks into bottoms of cookies, if you’d like them to be lollipop cookies (See picture below).
4. Bake cookies for 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool and store in an airtight container.

Enjoy!

These are great cookies to make for your child’s classroom or preschool too…children LOVE them!

Recipe adapted from All Recipes.

Tasty Tuesdays

Today’s Tasty Tuesdays idea isn’t quite so “tasty” but it’s still all about using the kitchen & ingredients to stir up some fun for the little ones!

We’re going to make some homemade play dough! Oh…and it’s waaaaaay better than that stinky ‘name brand’ stuff – it’s softer, smoother and lasts so much longer (and smells yummy too)! This is a great activity to do with or for your little ones.

Here’s what you’ll need & how to make the dough:
(don’t worry…a parent was helping & supervising the whole event…one one was hurt at the stove!)



Sift together & put in a saucepan:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
2 TB cream of tartar

Add to saucepan:
1-2 TB vegetable oil
1 cup of water (add food coloring to water…just a few drops will do)
A Few Drops of Vanilla Extract – or other flavored extracts

Whisk together until smooth and thick (low-medium heat). The mixture will be a little sticky until it cools. Place the “blob” of dough on wax paper to cool (about 30 minutes). Keep in an airtight container (deli containers work well). The play dough should keep for several weeks if kept in air tight container – ours usually lasts for months!

I usually send my kids out to the deck to play freely with their play dough in the lovely summer sun!

Have Fun!

Tasty Tuesdays – Kids in the Kitchen

Since we’ve all been glued to the Food Network channel each Sunday night rooting of our own local Katie Cavuto on The Next Food Network Star, I thought it would be fun to round out June’s BBQ themed Tasty Tuesdays post with a delicious recipe from their website! And get this…round up the little kiddies, because this recipe is a fun one for them to help out with too!

Kids will love to help assemble these delicious kabobs! These can be broiled or cooked on the grill for a delicious meal!

Hoisin BBQ Steak-on-a-Stick

Ingredients:

Pineapple Salsa:

1 cup diced fresh pineapple
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup diced cucumber
2 teaspoons rice vinegar, optional
1/3 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

1 1/4 pounds boneless beef top sirloin steak, cut 1-inch thick
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Salt, optional

Directions:

Special equipment: 4 (10 to 12-inch) metal skewers*

Combine Pineapple Salsa ingredients in small bowl. Set aside. Preheat broiler….or get the grill started! Combine ketchup and hoisin sauce in a bowl. Reserve some of the sauce in a small bowl and set aside. Cut beef steak into 1-inch pieces. Thread beef pieces evenly onto 4 (10 to 12-inch) metal skewers. Season kabobs evenly with pepper. Place kabobs on rack in broiler pan so surface of beef is 3 to 4-inches from heat (you may also cook these on the grill). Brush beef generously with some of reserved sauce mixture. Broil 7 to 9 minutes for medium-rare to medium “doneness,” turning once and brushing with remaining sauce mixture. Season beef with salt, if desired. Serve kabobs topped with Pineapple Salsa.

You can also add pieces of veggies or fruit in the kabob too…chunks of red onion, peppers, tomatoes and pineapple can be skewered in between the meat cubes which might add some gorgeous color and lots of yummy flavor!

Cook’s Tip: 2 beef shoulder top blade (flat iron) steaks (8-ounces each) may be substituted for top sirloin steak. Broiling time remains the same.

Cook’s Tip: For easier preparation, use peeled, cored and sliced fresh pineapple available in the supermarket produce section.

*Note: This recipe calls for the use of metal kabob skewers…but if you don’t have them, you can substitute them with simple wooden kabob skewers that you find at any local grocery store. Just remember to soak the wooden skewers in water prior to using them…this is to prevent burning them on the grill or in the stove.

And…if all else fails…what kid wouldn’t LOVE these kabobs?

That’s right…donut hole kabobs!

All you need to do is get a variety of donut holes from you favorite donut shop…then let your kids skewer them onto a kabob skewer! Ta da! Yum!!!