Little Chefs

Kids love to cook! We have measured, stirred, cranked and spread while learning how to make some our favorite foods. The children learned about measuring and following a recipe while making chocolate chip cookies with Miss Dawn on Monday. I understand the kids were not very good about sharing the cookie they got to take home! Miss Talacey came back on Tuesday and we played with chop sticks and made fried rice and pot stickers. Wednesday we learned how to make noodles with a hand-crank pasta machine. The children had their choice of butter or spaghetti sauce (because we know some children will only eat "clean" noodles) and ate ALL the pasta they made! Some of our friends made their own "bakery" and were cooking up all sorts of playdough treats for us to enjoy. And didn't you just love the chef hats that the children made with Miss Christi? They were too cute! We ended our culinary week with a Mexican Fiesta. The children made bean and cheese "burritos" (really they were more like quesadillas) and both classes at snack together in Room 100. When I asked the children where chefs work, they told me bakeries, restaurants and at home! Some of their favorite restaurants are Applebees, Red Robin and, of course, McDonalds.

Fried Rice that kids will eat:

3 cups cooked rice

2 TB oil

1 cup frozen peas and carrots

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

3 eggs (beaten with a fork)

1/2 cup diced ham or turkey (we use deli lunch meat)

If you are using deli meat, have child use a plastic knife to cut it into small pieces (or they can use clean hands to tear it). Then have child help you break the eggs into a bowl and beat with a fork. Have the child measure out the cup of frozen peas and carrots.

The adult's job is to heat the oil in a frying pan or electric skillet. Add the rice and stir until the rice is coated with oil and hot. Add the peas and carrots and soy sauce. Cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes. Push the rice mixture to the edges and pour the eggs into the center and quickly scramble the eggs. Mix in with the rice, add the meat, heat through and serve. Depending on your child and kitchen set up, the child can do all the pouring and stirring in this recipe as well.

Makes enough for a family of 4.