Kids in Kitchen: Citrus Crocked Ham
September 20, 2009 by Dan
Filed under Kids in the Kitchen
By Sheila Kay Christensen
Sept. 19, 2009
Description
A succulent ham cooked in the crock pot with ginger ale, brown sugar and citrus slices.
Ingredients
1 3-4 pound boneless, precooked ham
1 orange
1 lemon
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 12-oz can ginger ale
3 or 4 cloves
Directions
Place ham in bottom of crock pot. Thinly slice orange and lemon, and then layer alternately over the ham. Spread the brown sugar over the citrus slices on top of the ham. Lightly sprinkle ginger ale over the brown sugar until barely moist, and then pour the rest of the ginger ale around the ham on the bottom of the crock pot so that the ham can simmer in the ginger ale. Put 3 or 4 cloves in the ginger ale. Simmer in crock pot for 6 to 8 hours. Let ham sit on platter 15 minutes before slicing to serve.
Servings: 12
Source: Eversave
Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com
Project: Backyard Tepee With Your Kids
September 20, 2009 by Dan
Filed under Arts and Crafts
By Family Fun
Sept. 20, 2009
Just like the traditional Native American tepee that inspired it, this backyard shelter can be assembled and dismantled in a jiffy.
CRAFT MATERIALS:
9- x 12-foot canvas tarp or drop cloth
Measuring tape
Colored marker
Scissors
White cotton rope
Ten 8-foot-long white PVC pipes, 3/4 inch in diameter
Hacksaw (optional)
2 chopsticks or similar strips of wood
Time needed: Afternoon or Evening
1.Fold the tarp in half so that it forms a 9- x 6-foot rectangle.
2. Measure in 1 foot along the fold and mark the spot.
3. Cut a 6-foot length of rope. Have your child hold one end of the rope at the marked spot while you tie the opposite end around the colored marker.
4. Step away from your child until the line is taut and move the rope in an arc, marking a line on the canvas as you go.
5. Cut the tarp along the line and then cut out a 12- x 6-inch rectangle to the left of the marked spot at the top of the tepee.
6. Loosely tie together three of the PVC pipes two feet down from the tops with a piece of rope, then stand them up like a tripod.
7. Lean the remaining poles against the tripod so that they are evenly spaced.
8. Drape the cut canvas around the tepee frame, overlapping the top a bit. Make 2 sets of holes through both layers of the overlapped portion and thread the chopsticks through them to hold the canvas in place.
9. To secure the lower edge of the canvas to the frame, first snip a small hole about 1 inch from one of the tarp’s bottom corners.
10. Loop a short length of rope through the hole, as shown, and tie the ends around the base of one pole (this pole will become part of the doorway).
11. Gently stretch the canvas around the PVC frame so that the canvas extends past the first pole to create a door flap.
12. Snip a small hole near the lower edge of the canvas where it falls on the remaining poles and tie it in place using the same method as before.
Source: Family Fun
Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com
Help Kids Making Learning Fun
September 13, 2009 by Dan
Filed under Arts and Crafts
By Jackie Fitzpatrick
Sep. 10, 2009
When Judy Grigg Hansen saw our recent request for ideas on making learning fun at home, she thought of her father.
He had a game for everything,” she says. To reinforce social studies, he would lead his seven children in a round of current-events hopscotch. To teach math, he’d cook up a make-believe stock market game. “My dad just loved to learn–he still does–and he passed that on to us,” she says. Judy, now a mother of five, has followed her dad’s lead, with similar games.
More than 500 parents who wrote to us have found ways to blur the lines between home and school, to make sure the classroom isn’t the only place to learn. Some have tried to sneak troublesome subjects into their kids’ favorite games; others have simply made the process of asking questions and finding answers an everyday ritual. What works best? Nearly every parent suggested this: Keep learning playful. The biggest hits, they told us, are ideas that don’t have the feel of homework but are simply new ways to have a good time together. In this package we have compiled our favorite ideas.
Editor’s Note: Jackie Fitzpatrick is a freelance writer who lives with her husband and two children in Milford, Connecticut.
We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com
Source: Family Fun
Jazz Up School Supplies
September 13, 2009 by Dan
Filed under Arts and Crafts
By Family Fun
Sep. 13, 2009
For Jennifer Jones and her 10-year-old daughter, Lauren, getting ready for school each year means spending a few late-summer afternoons getting crafty. The Montgomery, Illinois, pair start by picking a piece of back-to-school gear, then set to work embellishing it. Past projects include covering a white metal lunch box (purchased from orientaltrading.com) with stickers, and decorating a plain black messenger bag from an army surplus store with iron-ons and fabric paints. “It’s a special activity that we can do together.
We have fun hunting for that perfect item and coming up with ways to turn it into a keepsake,” says Jennifer, who makes sure she adds her own handiwork to the project. “Having such a personalized article makes it easier for my daughter to strike up conversations with potential new friends, since someone always asks to see her masterpiece. It helps her adjust during the first days of school every year.”
REHEARSE THE NEW ROUTINE
To help Logan, age 7, and Megan, 5, tackle the transition back to class, the Potts family of Toms River, New Jersey, gets accustomed to the fall schedule ahead of time. During the last weeks of vacation, they begin to shift into school mode, setting their alarms, then eating breakfast and dressing by the time the bus will arrive. They set the stage for handling homework too, establishing an afternoon study time for reading, crafting, or conducting fun experiments. Says mom Sandra: “By the time the academic year kicks off, Logan and Megan are already in the swing of things at home.”
GET TO KNOW YOUR TEACHER (AND VICE VERSA)
Brooke Rodgers and her son Logan fend off jitters by sending a “get to know me” letter to Logan’s new teacher on the first day of class. The letter lists a few fun facts about the Manchester, Pennsylvania, first grader, such as his favorite foods, colors, sports, and animals. But the really interesting part? Brooke also includes a similar survey for the teacher to fill out and return. “Knowing that his teacher is a real person with likes and dislikes just like him really helps Logan get through those first few days.”
Source: Family Fun
Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com
Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe
September 13, 2009 by Dan
Filed under Kids in the Kitchen
By Parents
Sept. 11, 2009
Makes: 6 servings Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 18 minutes
Ingredients
8 ounces orecchiette pasta
1-1/4 pounds sweet Italian turkey sausage links, casings removed
2 medium-size yellow squash (about 6 ounces each), cut in half horizontally and sliced into 1/2-inch half-moons
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 bunch broccoli rabe, cleaned, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
Grated Parmesan cheese for sprinkling (optional)
Directions
1. Cook the orecchiette according to package directions. Drain and return pasta to the pot; keep warm.
2. While the pasta is cooking, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Crumble sausage into skillet, breaking up large pieces. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until no longer pink. Stir in squash and increase heat to medium-high. Cook squash 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and red pepper flakes; cook 1 additional minute. Add the broccoli rabe and broth and cover. Cook 2 minutes, then remove cover and stir. Cook another 2 minutes or until broccoli rabe has wilted and is tender.
3. Add sausage mixture to pasta pot and stir to combine. Sprinkle with cheese, if desired.
Source: Parents.com
Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com
Hearty Split-Pea Soup
September 13, 2009 by Dan
Filed under Kids in the Kitchen
by Molly O’Neill
Sept. 12, 2009
We used smoked pork hocks for this version but we usually make this soup when we’ve had ham on the bone. We’ve also made it with smoked turkey wings. The smoked flavor is what’s important,” Belle and Liv Gerasole say. “A vegetarian version of this can be made with vegetable stock, smoked tofu, or smoked setan.”
You’ll need:
1 pound of smoked meat
2 stalks of celery — chopped
1 large onion — chopped
2 medium-size carrots or 1 large carrot — cut in slices
2 bay leaves
2 cloves of garlic — chopped
10 black peppercorns or 1 teaspoon of ground pepper
A bag of split peas
A little adult help
Equipment:
A cutting board
A large pot or a crock pot
A colander or sieve
A pair of tongs
A slotted spoon
A timer
1. Put the smoked meat in the large pot and cover with water. Add the celery, onions, carrots, potatoes, pepper, garlic, and bay leaves. Don’t add any salt. Smoked meat is cured with salt and that will be plenty.
2. Bring the water to a boil then turn down the heat and let the soup simmer for 2-3 hours or until the meat falls off the bone.
3. Ask mom or whoever is helping you to please take the bone out of the pot. Use the tongs to fish out any blobs of fat you might find. Now you have a good, rich broth. Broth like this can be the start of a number of recipes, not just pea soup.
4. If you let the broth cool at this point, you will be able to skim the excess fat out of the soup. The best way to get the most fat out is to let the broth stay in the refrigerator overnight. Fat is lighter than water and will rise to the top and solidify, so you will be able to lift it off the surface of the soup by sliding the edge of a big spoon underneath.
5. While the soup is reheating, empty the bag of split peas into the colander and rinse them under running water. As you are turning them over with your hands, check to make sure there are no tiny stones. It’s rare to find one, but check just in case, because the machine that sorts the split peas can’t always catch them.
6. Add the split peas to the broth. You will cook these for about 1 hour or until the soup gets thick. The first part of the hour the soup will take care of itself, but as the peas cook they will begin to crumble and the soup will get thicker, so you will have to stir it more and more often to make sure it doesn’t burn. This is where the timer comes in.
7. Set the timer for 20 minutes and take it with you so you know when to come back to stir the soup. When you reset the timer, set it for 5 minutes less each time. At the end of the hour you should be stirring the soup about every 5 minutes, so don’t get involved in a game of Nintendo.
8. As the stock starts to get thick, spoon out a little, let it cool, then taste it. If the soup is too salty you can add a raw potato cut in quarters. The potato will soak up the salt. You can leave the potato in the soup or fish it out with a slotted spoon.
9. The soup will be finished when it is thick and creamy. If you are using tofu or setan for your protein, add it last and stir the soup until the tofu or setan is heated through.
Yield: Makes 12 to 14 servings.
Editor’s Note: You can serve the soup in a tureen or in individual bowls. Some cultures say that if you find the bay leaf in the bottom of your bowl you should expect a letter. Maybe we should update that to a text message.
We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com
Source: Grandparents Spatulatta
A Garden Playhouse
September 7, 2009 by Dan
Filed under Arts and Crafts
By Family Fun
September 6, 2009
Practicality and whimsy are perfect playmates in this outside-in room.
| CRAFT MATERIALS: | |
| Plywood | |
| Wallpaper sample | |
| Hot glue gun | |
| Wooden birdhouses | |
| Fabric | |
| Cedar shake | |
| Masonite | |
| Molding | |
| Fake plants | |
| Craft board | |
| Rope | |
| Screws | |
Time needed: Weekend Project
1. To create a robin, cut out from wallpaper samples and hot-glue a craft-store nest and eggs next to it.
2. For curtain holders, paint two wooden craft-store birdhouses. Drill holes for the fabric, then screw them to the window frame. A craft-store bird perches in the entry hole.
3. Use a third birdhouse into a floor lamp by drilling a hole through the bottom and mounting it on a hollow post made from narrow boards.
4. The plywood playhouse is topped with cedar shakes and faced with Masonite. Thin strips of molding staple-gunned together create the illusion of windowpanes , while a wooden window box filled with fake flowers, moss, and ivy adds a welcoming touch.
5. The swing is made from a craft board purchased at Home Depot, strung on rope, and attached to lag screws drilled through the ceiling into the joists.
Source: Family Fun
Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com
Start a Book Club with Your Friends
September 6, 2009 by Dan
Filed under Arts and Crafts
By Family Fun
Sept. 5, 2009
A kids’ book club can provide relief from winter boredom on two fronts. First, it offers a fun weekly (or monthly) occasion to look forward to, and second, it is a great incentive to read stories that jump-start the imagination.
To make lighter work, partner up with a friend, then send out invitations that include the title of the first book (ask your librarian for a recommendation) and a weekly time to meet. A bookmark, with extra spaces where the book titles will go, makes the perfect invitation. Before the club meeting, all the kids read the same book (or specified chapters), then come together for snacks and discussion. To get things started, the host child might want to write up a list of five discussion questions (What was your favorite part? Who was the best character?). Or, if the readers are little, you can read aloud while they listen or draw along to the story. If the kids like, you might consider choosing a loose theme for the books–for example, all winter stories, or all summery stories, or books from everyone’s favorite series of the moment.
Source: Family Fun
Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com
Labor Day Recipe Turkey Burger
September 6, 2009 by Dan
Filed under Kids in the Kitchen
By Eating Well
Sept. 5, 2009
Summer’s end is fast approaching: Have you had your share of grilled burgers, steak and other seasonal fare? Make the most of your long Labor Day weekend by huddling around the barbecue one last time.
Spicy Turkey Burgers with Pickled Onions
Spicy Southwest flavors pair with sweet, tangy pickled red onions to create a standout turkey burger. If you’re used to beefy cheeseburgers, don’t worry – you won’t be disappointed.
Serves: 4
Preparation time: 35 minutes
Ingredients
For the pickled onions:
1 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 small red onion, halved and very thinly sliced
For the burgers:
1 pound 93% lean ground turkey
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon canola oil
4 whole-wheat buns, split
8 teaspoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
Preparation
To prepare pickled onions:
1. Whisk vinegar, brown sugar, salt and allspice in a medium glass bowl. Cover and microwave on High until the mixture boils, 2-3 minutes. (Or bring the mixture to a boil in a small saucepan on the stove.) Add onion and toss to coat.
To prepare burgers:
1. Preheat grill to high.
2. Place turkey in a medium bowl and gently mix in cilantro, cumin, ground chipotle, salt and allspice until distributed throughout the meat. Form the mixture into 4 patties. Brush with oil.
3. Grill the burgers until cooked through and no longer pink in the center, 3-4 minutes per side. Toast buns on the grill, if desired.
4. Drain the onion, discarding the marinade. Spread 2 teaspoons mayonnaise on each bun; top with a burger and pickled onions.
Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Per serving:
308 calories
12 g fat (3 g sat, 1 g mono)
65 mg cholesterol
30 g carbohydrate
26 g protein
4 g fiber
738 mg sodium
150 mg potassium
Source: Lifescript
Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com
5 Tips for Cooking with Children
August 30, 2009 by Dan
Filed under Kids in the Kitchen
By Eversave Families
August 29, 2009
Cooking with your child can be fun but just make sure to be safe while doing it.
1. Make sure your children have a stable work surface.
2. Let them wear an apron so that they really feel like a cook and to keep them from getting their clothes dirty.
3. Teach them about safety issues like not using the same cutting board for meats as you would for vegetables.
4. Let your children work together to make a dinner salad.
5. Based on your child’s age determine which equipment he or she can and cannot use.
Editor’s Note: Can you think of a tip we missed?
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We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.cim
Source: Eversave