Spicy Macaroni and Cheese

 

by Kate Sonders
August 29, 2009

Macaroni and cheese is dolled up in a creamy sauce with a touch of spice and a crisp, crunchy topping

  

2 cups raw elbow pasta, cooked until almost al dente
16 ounces Cheddar cheese, 1/2 cubed, 1/2 shredded
8 ounces Monterey pepper-jack cheese, cubed
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
4 tablespoons sour cream
1 large egg, beaten
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup half-and-half
4 slices bread
1 tablespoon butter

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, toss together pasta with the cheese cubes and pour into a 2-quart baking dish.

2. In a large bowl mix together the flour, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, dry mustard, nutmeg, sour cream, egg, heavy cream, and half-and-half. Pour over the pasta and cover with shredded Cheddar.

3. Bake uncovered until top is just beginning to brown, about 35 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the bread into crouton-size squares. In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter, add cubes and toast until golden. Sprinkle the bread cubes on top of the macaroni and cheese and bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes more.

Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Source: Grandparents

Editor’s Note: From our feature Sunny Anderson’s Secret Ingredient

We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Pastel Portraits

 

By Family Fun
August 22, 2009

 

Expressionist artists use soft lines and color to create a mood — in addition to the actual image they’re drawing. Try this simple technique for making your own expressionist portrait or self-portrait.

 

CRAFT MATERIALS

Wide-tip black marker 8 1/2- by 11-inch sheet of paper

Clear tape 

8 1/2- by 11-inch sheet of acetate (available at copy shops and craft stores) 

Oil pastels, such as Cray-Pas

9- by 12-inch sheet of colored construction paper

Time needed: About 1 to 2 Hours

  

 

 

1. With the marker, draw a large face on the paper. Go over the drawing a second time to make sure the lines are thick.

 

 

2. Tape the clear acetate on top of the drawing. Use the pastels to color in the face on the acetate, but leave all the black lines uncovered.

3. Remove the acetate from the original drawing and tape it over the construction paper. Add more detail with the pastels if desired, but be sure to leave some places where the color of the construction paper can show through.

Tips:

If your child is reluctant to draw freehand, let her use an image from a photo, magazine, or coloring book. Just outline the details of the face with the marker before taping the acetate over it. For more of a challenge, give your child a handheld mirror and let her try sketching a self-portrait.

Source: Family Fun

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Craft of the Week – Charm Bags

 

Family Fun
August 22, 2009
These rustic-looking pouches are inspired by those used by Native Americans to carry good-luck trinkets. (They make great carriers for portable music players too!)

 

 CRAFT MATERIALS

Shrink art (available at craft stores)

Colored pencils

Hole punch

4- by 11-inch piece of felt

Embroidery floss and needle

Small stick, about the size of a pencil

Decorative beads (optional)

1 yard of twine

Time needed: About 1 to 2 Hours

 

1. With colored pencils and following the directions on the package, help your child design a piece of shrink art that will be roughly 1 1/2 inches wide after it’s baked down to size. Before baking, punch 4 holes in it.

2. Form the pouch by folding up the bottom 4 inches of the felt. Sew the sides together.

3. Lay the stick where the flap folds over the pouch and sew the stick in place.

4. If you like, string a few beads on the twine and tie off the ends. Tie the twine onto the stick as shown.

5. Sew the shrink art onto the flap or the front of the pouch.

 

Tips:
Instead of using shrink art, you can decorate the bag with beads or buttons.

 Source: Family Fun

 

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Berry Banana Cream Pie

 

By Paul Lombardi
August 21, 2009

 

Description

A light, refreshing low-cal summer treat with fresh, frozen blueberries and strawberries (fresh could be used) in a deep dish prepared pie crust or graham cracker crust, fat free Cool Whip topped with crushed vanilla wafers.

 

Ingredients
1 cup fresh or thawed frozen strawberries
3/4 C fresh blueberries
1 pkg. instant banana cream pie pudding mix
1 prepared deep dish or graham cracker pie crust
Fat Free Cool Whip
Crushed Vanilla Wafers for crumb topping

 

Directions

Follow pkg. directions on pudding for banana cream pie which reduces the amount of milk used than if you were just making pudding. Beat until thick. Add berries and put mixture in refrigerator for about two hours to thicken more. Add to cooked pie shell and top with Cool Whip and crushed cookie crumbs.

Prep Time: 20 Min
Cook Time: 20 Min
Total Time: 40 Min

 

Overall Rating

 4 stars

Source: Eversave

 

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Roast Turkey With Best-Ever Gravy

 

by Roger Kimpton
August 22, 2009

 

Between his work with the nation’s largest poultry purveyor and Thanksgiving-dinner classes, Rick Rodgers has experimented with every conceivable cooking method from breast down to deep frying and this is the one he always comes back to. The secret to a plump juicy breast is protecting it with aluminum foil. This long, slow roast is especially useful with the leaner organic and heritage turkeys which are gaining popularity today.

 

Instructions here are for an 18-pound turkey, but the instructions can be expanded or reduced depending on the size of your bird.

18-pound fresh turkey
About 12 cups of your favorite stuffing
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 1/2 quarts homemade turkey stock (see recipe)
Melted unsalted butter, if needed
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup bourbon, port or dry sherry (optional)

 

1. Position rack in lowest third of oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.

2. Reserve the turkey neck and giblets to use in gravy or stock. Pull out the pad of yellow fat on either side of the tail and reserve. (These are sometimes already removed by the processor, so don’t worry if they aren’t present.) If you wish, rinse the turkey inside and out with cold water. Pat the skin dry. Turn the turkey on its breast. Loosely fill the neck cavity with stuffing. Using a thin wooden or metal skewer, pin the turkey’s neck skin to the back. Fold the turkey’s wings akimbo behind the back (the tips will rest behind the turkey’s “shoulders”) or tie them to the body with kitchen string. Loosely fill the large body cavity with stuffing. Loosely cover the exposed stuffing with a piece of foil. Place any remaining stuffing in a lightly buttered casserole, cover, and refrigerate to prepare as a side dish. Place the drumsticks in the hook lock (if there is one on the turkey) or tie them together with kitchen string.

3. Rub the turkey all over with the softened butter. Season with salt and pepper. Tightly cover the turkey breast area with aluminum foil. Place the turkey breast-side up, on a rack in the roasting pan. Place the reserved fat in the pan — it will melt during roasting and add to the drippings. Pour two cups of the turkey stock into the bottom of the pan.

4. Roast turkey, basting all over every 45 minutes with the juices on the bottom of the pan (lift up the foil to reach the breast area), until a meat thermometer inserted in the meaty part of the thigh (but not touching the bone) reads 180 degrees and the stuffing is at least 160 degrees, about 4 1/2 hours. Whenever the drippings evaporate, add broth to moisten them, about 1 1/2 cups at a time. Remove the foil the last hour to allow the skin to brown.

5. Transfer the turkey to a large serving platter and let it stand for at least 20 minutes before carving. Increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Drizzle 1/2 cup turkey stock over the stuffing in the casserole, cover, and bake until heated through, about 30 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, pour the drippings from the roasting pan into a heatproof glass bowl, measuring cup, or fat separator. Let stand for 5 minutes; then skim off and reserve the clear yellow fat that rises to the top (for a separator, pour off the drippings and reserve both drippings and fat). Measure 3/4 cup fat, adding melted butter if needed. Add enough turkey broth to make 8 cups total.

7. Place the roasting pan over two stove burners on low heat and add the turkey fat and the reserved drippings. Whisk in the flour, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan, and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add the optional bourbon, port, or sherry. Simmer 2 minutes, or until the alcohol evaporates. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the gravy to a warmed gravy boat, straining the gravy, if desired, through a wire sieve. Carve the turkey and serve the gravy alongside.

 

Yield: Makes about 18 servings, with about 7 cups gravy.

Source: Grandparents

 

Editor’s Note: Roger Kimpton is a freelance journalist based in New York City. Previously, he worked for more than two decades in the film industry as a grip, and on television shows such as Law & Order and Law & Order Special Victims Unit.

We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Rooms for Preteens – They Grow Up So Fast

By Better Homes
August 14, 2009

It seems to happen overnight — one moment your child is just a tiny swaddle of blankets and diapers, and the next he’s listening to crashingly loud music and talking in unrecognizable lingo. Just as suddenly, the bedroom decor he loved as an 8-year-old has become completely uncool by the time he’s 10 — a horror for any preteen.

The Robson family, in Westport, Connecticut, had a similar dilemma but with an added complication: Thomas, 14, and Sam, 11, shared a room and they’d never quite figured out how to make the most of the space.

With two of everything — beds, desks, and dressers — the room was cramped, and the white walls and bland wood furniture did nothing to reflect the young boys’ vivacious personalities.

Athena Diaconis, 14, of Hatboro, Pennsylvania, can hardly believe she ever liked her room’s formerly pale-peach walls and the daintily painted flowers on her furniture. An active kid involved in several after-school activities, Athena felt that her room no longer matched her personality.

It had become merely a pit stop for sleeping and a holding pen for her stuff. Indeed, mounds of clothes and textbooks were piled in the corners of the room. In addition to the unhip furnishings, lack of storage was a major problem.

What was the solution for both spaces? Updating the furnishings so they reflect teen sensibilities and adding some much-needed storage.

 

A Place for Everything

 

Ikea’s Stora loft/desk combo ($399 for the full bed, $150 for the desk) is a great space saver for the Robson boys. “I actually feel more organized doing homework at my desk,” says Thomas.

The far wall, painted in a rich red from Ralph Lauren paints (about $23 to $35 a gallon, available at Home Depot) gives the room a much-needed jolt of color, and The Container Store’s nifty hanging CD holder ($7.99) lends its own visual punch.

Ikea’s cube bookshelf ($149) is the perfect storage solution; the boys can divide the cubbies equally and each have his own space for treasured books and games. Land of Nod’s red, white, and blue seersucker bedding (about $78 for a twin set) warms up Ikea’s metal-framed bed ($99).

A nook in the corner of the room was the perfect spot for Sam’s new desk, which was easily constructed from a one-inch piece of plywood covered in durable denim, attached to simple wooden legs. But Sam’s favorite touch is the Art Clip Racks ($34) from Pottery Barn Kids. “I love having a spot to show off all my favorite artwork,” he says.

 

Bold and Beautiful

 

Athena fell in love with Bombay Kids’ Betsy bedding collection ($69 for a twin sheet set), which made choosing the rest of the room’s colors easy. Her old furniture was updated with two coats of white paint, and bold prints from Artivise look great against the pale lilac and mint green walls.

A shelf from The Container Store ($7.99 for an 8-x-24-inch model) runs the length of the wall and provides a showcase for some of Athena’s favorite things, including her trophies and colorful Rio vases ($11 each from Uncommon Goods). All paint from Glidden (about $15 to $21 a gallon, available at Home Depot).

The Morgan Storage desk ($449) from Bombay Kids is the perfect spot for Athena to tackle homework, and the attached hutch ($399) offers additional storage. The built-in bulletin board is ideal for invitations and to-do lists.

The closet was outfitted with The Container Store’s Elfa closet system (starting at $100), which provides plenty of space to hang or fold her clothes, and neatly stack her shoes. Bombay Kids’ freestanding Mirror Turn Around ($449) unit adds extra shelf space.

Copyright 2009 Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved.

 

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Original Beer-Butt Chicken

by Elizabeth S. Bennett
August 14, 2009

A savory chicken, tender and gloriously beer-steamed

From Fire It Up: There is nothing like this recipe for cooking up a bronze-colored, moist, and incredibly flavorful chicken. Not to mention the awe-inspiring way it’s cooked and presented. You can do it in your barbecue, or, surprise, in your oven! The invention of the ingenious ChickCAN by Louisiana chef Kevin Hester has made this process even easier. Adapted from The Barbecue America Cookbook by Rick Browne (Lyons Press, 1999).

 

Dry Rub:
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon summer savory
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dry yellow mustard
1 tablespoon sea salt (ground fine)

Basting Spray:
1 cup apple cider
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons Louisiana Hot Sauce
1 cup warm beer

1 12-ounce can of your favorite beer
1 large chicken

1. Mix the rub in a small bowl until it’s well incorporated. Wash, dry and season the chicken generously inside and out with the rub. Work the mixture well into the skin and under the skin wherever possible. Place in medium bowl, cover, and set aside at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes.

2. Pour half the can of beer into a spray bottle, add the cider, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar and set aside.

3. Take the beer can in one hand and insert it into the slot in the ChickCAN, then slide the chicken tail-side down over the can. This positioning does two things: first, it helps drain off the fat as the chicken cooks; second, the beer steams the inside of the chicken, while the outside is cooked by the BBQ heat, making it the moistest bird you’ve ever laid yer eyes, or gums, on. Some people put a small potato or carrot in the neck opening of the chicken to keep the steam inside; I prefer to let it pass through.

4. Cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours over indirect heat, about 300 to 350 degrees F. During the cooking time, spray the chicken all around with the basting spray several times. The chicken is done when the internal temperature reaches 180 degrees. Carefully remove the ChickCAN and place it on heatproof counter top. After your guests have reacted appropriately, remove the chicken from the rack and beer can with tongs while holding the rack with an oven mitt (careful! that stainless steel is very hot).

5. Give the chicken one more spritz of the basting spray and then carve and serve.

Source: Grandparents

Editor’Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Pasta, Cheese, Trees

By Parents.com
August 12, 2009

Makes: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

1 pound penne, corkscrew pasta, or medium shells

1 pound broccoli tops

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)

2 tablespoons butter, cut up

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 cup ricotta cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Cook pasta to al dente according to package directions. Meanwhile, pull apart broccoli into small “trees.” Put the broccoli into a pot and add enough water to just cover the tops. Bring the water to a boil and add 4 pinches salt. Cook for 5 minutes once the water comes to a boil. Drain.

2. Pour EVOO and butter into a deep frying pan and heat over low heat. When the butter melts, add the garlic and cook 5 minutes. Stir in broccoli and cooked pasta. Add ricotta and Parmesan, and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

Source: Parents

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Fit for Kid Cheese-and-Spinach Turnovers

 

By Marla Bazar
Parents
July 26, 2009

Making the same lunch every day is almost as boring as eating it. But before you throw cuation to the wind (and your child throws a “gourmet” lunch in the trash), consider changing the look of his lunch without changing its well-loved ingredients. Here we present creative ways to slice, roll, stack, and pack meals no child could resist.

These flaky pastries are so mild tasting that your kids won’t mind the green stuff.

Prep time: 25 minutes.
Bake time: 20 minutes.
Yield: 6 turnovers.

1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup chopped cooked spinach, squeezed dry
2 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. Italian-her seasoning
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 package (15 oz.) refrigerated piecrusts
1 egg, beaten

 

1. Heat oven to 400°F. In medium bowl mix ricotta cheese, spinach, Parmesan cheese, Italian-herb seasoning and salt.
2. Lightly roll out piecrust on floured surface (reserve second crust for another recipe). Cut out four 4 1/2″ circles. Reroll scraps and cut out two more circles. Place 2 rounded tablespoons of filling on one half of each circle, leaving a 3/4″ border. Brush edges with egg and fold over to make a half-moon shape. Crimp edges with tines of a fork to seal.
3. Brush tops of pastries with egg, then make 3 vents for steam. Transfer to baking sheet. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown.

 

Nutrition per turnover: 216 cal.; 6 g pro.; 13 g fat; 19 g carb.; 348 mg sod.; 52 mg chol.

Source: Parents

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Make Musical Instruments

 

by Emily Miranda
July 25, 2009

Have fun assembling and decorating instruments, then see what beautiful music you can make together.

 

For Toddlers and Preschoolers:

 

 

MARACAS

 

Make your own maracas to shake and dance to!

 

Materials:

• 2 empty yogurt cups, plastic cups, or Styrofoam cups
• Dried beans or dried peas
• Duct tape
• Wrapping paper
• Clear tape
• Decorations: paint, stickers, glitter, ribbons, and more 

 

Instructions:

1. Put a small handful of beans in one cup. 
2. Place the second cup on top, upside down, so the two openings meet.
3. Use duct tape to firmly secure the seam where the two cups meet.
4. Have fun decorating! Toddlers can choose colorful paper to wrap around their maracas; secure the paper with clear tape. For more fun, they can add stickers, paint polka-dots, tie ribbons around it, spread with glue and sprinkle with glitter, or do anything they wish.
5. Shake, shake, shake!  Dance, dance, dance!

 

 

For Grade-Schoolers:

 

 

DRUM SET

 

Create a complete drum set with drumsticks out of everyday household items!

 

Materials:

• An assortment of empty containers of different sizes: dry oatmeal containers, tin cans with rough edges smoothed, Tupperware containers, large-size clean cottage cheese or deli salad containers, clean paint cans, etc.
• 2 pencils, chopsticks or other wooden sticks or dowels, 8 to 10 inches long
• Wine-bottle cork
• Small, sharp kitchen or utility knife
• Yarn or colorful string
• Glue
• Paint, colorful paper, and other decorations

 

Instructions:

For the drums

1. Put lids on  the containers, and stand them lid side up. Place containers without lids (like tin cans) with the open side down.
2. Decorate! Paint the containers, wrap them in colorful paper, or use whatever decorations you have. Be sure to leave the tops clear for drumming!

 

For the drumsticks

1. Use the sharp knife to cut the cork in half. Then cut a tiny hole in each half, large enough for the chopstick or wooden dowel to stick into the cork less than 1/4 inch.
2. Put a drop of glue in the hole, and insert the chopstick or dowel firmly. Let it dry.
3. When the glue has dried, and the cork is snug on the stick, tie one end of the yarn below the cork. Wind the yarn around and around the cork, always at a different angle, so you create a ball of yarn, and can no longer see the cork.
4. When you are finished winding, cut the yarn and tie it off below the ball, where you tied it at the beginning.
5. Group the drums together, and discover the different sound each container makes when the drumsticks strike it.

 

For Older Grandchildren:

 

 

WATER GLASS XYLOPHONE

 

A new twist on an old favorite!

 

Materials:

• 6 to 8 water glasses, preferably the same type and size (pint glasses or those in a similar size because they are large and sturdy)
• Food coloring
• Tap water and water pitcher
• Light wooden or plastic kitchen spoon (Not metal: It might break the glass.)

 

Instructions:

1. Set the glasses in a straight line.
2. Fill the pitcher with tap water.
3. Pour water into each glass. The first glass should be almost empty and the last glass should be almost full. The middle glasses should be filled with increasing amounts.
4. Add drops of food coloring to each glass. Choose different colors, or select one color and have it progress from dark to light (as in the photo). Add about 12 drops to make a very dark color and just 2 drops for a very light one. Don’t be afraid to mix colors. Remember, blue and red make purple, red and yellow make orange, and yellow and blue make green.
5. Now play the xylophone. When you gently tap the glasses, each one will produce a different musical note. Tap each at once to play a song, or glide over the tops for a lovely harp-like sound!

Source: Grand Parents

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

« Previous Page — Next Page »