Cooking Adventures

I am finishing the fourth week of the 5 week Adventures in Learning Program in District 36.
It has really been fun- more so than last year because this year I knew I was teaching the class 11 months before it happened. Last year, I knew I was teaching it 2 days before the first day.
Some of the many new things I introduced this year was "Play with Your Food Day'-
so I found these pics on Pinterest and thought, let's see what the kiddos could do.
Here are some of the pictures I got off Pinterest:

Chocolate Pudding Pops

Snails and Caterpillars

Hot Dog Mummies

Crabby Apples

snails

                                                      Rock Candy

                                                         Scooter

WELL!

The Pretzel bites were easy. And simple. In fact, most things we made each day were completed quickly in our 40 minute period. So I often had to find something else to fill the 15 or 20 minutes that were left. For example, the Chocolate Pudding pops were easy for the kids to prepare but then we had to freeze them overnight so while it took 12 minutes to make the pops, we had so much time left. ( Something I learned from last year). What makes it even more challenging, is the fact my periods usually have 18 children- and they range in age from 6 to 11!

Here are some of the pics  of the things the children made from the pictures I found on Pinterest.

Caterpillars

celery bugs

   Snail- we made with can cheese because of PB alleriges- it was easier to use too. For the eyes we used peas.

 The SCOOTER! I had 3 girls who wanted to work on creating the scooter- and this was the best  picture- because she didn't give up. Others complained their wheels were crooked ( because they didn't cut them right) or they couldn't get their pretzel rod to stay in place. Well, it's not the most appetizing looking thing, but she did it- she got it done. Such perseverance for a little second grader.
    In the background you can see a plate of the popcorn they voted to make. So many recipes/ideas out there and all 4 periods voted to make Chocolate Marshmallow Popcorn. And it was very good!

   

And the Crabby Apple ~

Not Bad- and in most cases, I gave them no direction. I just told them to see what they could do. I was so impressed.

Oh~

And then there was the rock candy- big disappointment. When I looked at the recipe for the above end result, I realized it would work given my work environment. I hunted for another recipe and found one with a You Tube video. I had big trouble getting it to crystallize. I went to Chowhound to ask for advice.

First step is to supersaturate the liquid and I did. Then it is to be put in a foil lined bowl and cover it and let it sit. Over night. WEll, I had to let mine sit for two weeks and this is what I have:

But I can't get it out of the bowl. You need to use a bowl with an easy slope.

I tried it again.

I covered it and let it sit.

And seven days later, this is what I have~

Some crystals but !!!! This is taking too long...

Chicago themed menu

From Designed Cuisine ~ "Chinatown" Chicken Lo Mein Wonderful blend of Chicken, Sno Pea, Carrot, Straw Mushrooms, Scallion and Lo Mein Noodles, stir fried in our Medium Spicy Szechwan Sauce and served in a Red and White Chinese Carryout Container along with Chop Sticks Chicken-Spinach Potstickers Served with Chili Mint Sauce Miniature Egg Rolls Served with Sweet and Sour and Hot Mustard Sauces "Little Italy" Tri Color Radiatore Pasta with Grilled Chicken, Julienned Red Pepper, Wilted Spinach Leaves and Pine Nuts, sautéed in Garlic and Olive Oil Slices of Deep Dish Cheese, Mushroom and Onion and Sausage Pizza Spicy Wild Mushroom and Roasted Garlic Frittata Miniature Italian Beef Sandwiches with Sweet Peppers, Hot Giardinara Peppers and Pepperoncini Peppers "At the Parthenon" Souvlaki Kebobs Served with Shredded Lettuce, Diced Tomato and Onion, and Tzatziki Sauce Village Salad Sliced Tomato, Cucumber, Red Onion and Green Peppers, Kalamata Olives and Cubed Feta Cheese, tossed in Horiatiko Vinaigrette "Wrigleyville" "Chicago Style" Red Hots Served on Freshly Baked Poppyseed Buns Condiments Ketchup, Mustard, Relish, Pickle, Sport Pepper, Sauerkraut and Diced Onion Miniature "Slider®" Burgers with a Dollop of Ketchup Nacho Chips Served with Jalapeño Nacho Cheese Cracker Jacks® "Chicago’s Sweet Tooth" with Novelty Ice Cream Bars Miniature Cheesecake Cups Tiramisu Cannolis Assortment of Homemade Turtle and Cheesecake Brownies and Chocolate Chip, White Chocolate Chip, M&M® and Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Fortune Cookies Chicago-Made Candy Baby Ruth®, Tootsie Rolls®, Jolly Ranchers®, Milk Duds® and Fannie Mae Candy® Fresh Fruit Display Cantaloupe, Honeydew, Watermelon, Pineapple, Red and Green Grapes, Strawberries and Kiwi

Brunch....or lunner

I like the ida of having friends over for 'something' on a Sunday. This past Sundeay we had a very late brunch. It was suppose to be a normal time brunch but we wanted to work around Quinn's nap schedule and the flight that one of our sons was going to get. In the end, we all met up about 3:30 and watched golf, played with toys and ate, slowly! Here was the menu:

 Pepper jelly over cream cheese

Ham and sausage strata

  tuna pizzas

Potato pancakes with smoked salmon

Eggs baked in roasted tomato sauce

Taco cupcakes 

marinated steak

Stuffed French Toast

Raspberry Rave

Citrus Salad

Caramelized Apple Crepes

And, here are a few recipes ~

-Tuna Pizza-

2 tablespoons soy sauce

         1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

         1 tablespoon dark sesame oil

         1 (8-ounce) tuna fillet (1 inch thick)

         1 (14-ounce) package prebaked Italian pizza crust

         1 teaspoon olive oil

         1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

         4 cups spring lettuce mix

         Ginger-Lime Dressing

Preparation

Combine first 3 ingredients in a zip-top bag. Add tuna. Seal bag; marinate in refrigerator 20 minutes, turning occasionally.

Bake pizza crust at 450º for 6 minutes or until crisp.

Heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Remove tuna from marinade, discarding marinade. Sprinkle tuna with pepper; sear in hot oil 2 minutes on each side or to desired degree of doneness. Remove tuna from skillet, and let stand 5 minutes. Cut tuna into thin slices.

Place lettuce in a medium bowl; drizzle with 1/3 cup Ginger-Lime Dressing, tossing well. Spoon lettuce mixture over pizza crust, and top with tuna slices. Cut into wedges; serve immediately with additional Ginger-Lime Dressing, if desired.

I have always wanted to make Eggs baked in Roasted Tomatoes. I have seen so many pictures and they MAKE you want to try something. My end result didn't look any of the picures but it was very good-

                  1 1/2 pound(s) plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise

                           2 clove(s) garlic, smashed

                           2 tablespoon(s) extra-virgin olive oil

                           Salt and freshly ground pepper

                           1 teaspoon(s) chopped oregano

                           8 large eggs

                           2 tablespoon(s) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400°. In a roasting pan, toss the tomatoes and garlic with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the tomatoes cut side up and roast for 15 minutes; turn and roast until soft, 20 minutes. Let cool, then scrape the mixture into a blender and puree. Add the oregano.

Set 4 shallow ovenproof bowls on a baking sheet. Strain the pureed sauce into the bowls, pressing on the solids. Crack 2 eggs into each bowl and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the cheese over the eggs and bake the eggs for about 15 minutes, until the whites are just set. Serve hot.

THE RASPBERRY RAVE! So pretty!

RASPBERRY RAVE

2 pkg frozen raspberries

20 oz. can crushed pineapple

2 small pkg raspberry gelatin

1 c sour cream

Thaw Raspberries and strain. Add 2 cups of water and enough water to strained raspberries to make 1 cup. Combine all and cool. Stir in Sour cream and pour into a mold.

AHHH- the Citrus Salad-

I can't get enough of this!

Per Salad:

2 cups fresh baby spinach or lettuce of choice

3 thin slices red onion

1 large grapefruit, segmented

2 tablespoons (or to taste) dried cranberries or cherries or blueberries

2 tablespoons toasted pecans or walnuts

Grapefruit zest

Salad dressing of choice

Preparation:

Wash and dry spinach or lettuce. Arrange on a cold salad plate. Arrange onion rings on top of spinach or lettuce in a pretty pattern. Place the citrus segments in the center. Sprinkle the entire salad with dried cranberries and pecans. Dust lightly with citrus zest, if desired. When ready to serve, dress the salad with your favorite dressing.

I don't have a photo of this one- so delicious- 

Taco Cupcakes

INGREDIENTS

1 pound ground beef

1 (1.25 ounce) package of Old El Paso taco seasoning mix

36 wonton wrappers

1 (16 ounce) can Old El Paso refried beans

36 tortilla chips

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

sour optional toppings: cream, diced tomatoes, cilantro, onion

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray 18 muffin cups with cooking spray.

Brown beef in a skillet and drain the fat. Add the taco seasoning mix and water called for on the package and simmer for 4-5 minutes. Set aside.

Place one wonton wrapper in the bottom of each muffin cup. Layer about 1 Tbsp of refried beans on top of each wonton. Crush one tortilla chip on top of the beans. Top with 1 Tbsp of taco meat and 1 Tbsp of shredded cheese. Repeat the layers again with a wonton wrapper, refried beans, tortilla chips, taco meat, and cheese.

Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove cupcakes from tin and top with your favorite taco toppings (i.e. sour cream, diced tomatoes, onion, or cilantro.

Beer and Pretzel cupcakes

These cupcakes were part of my Super Bowl Sunday fare~

You can't taste the beer. It simply adds texture to the cake.

                     Beer & Pretzel Cupcakes

Preparation: Makes 12 cupcakes | Preparation: Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Ingredients:

Cupcake (adapted from Alice Medrich)

1 cup (4.5 ounces) all purpose flour

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (7.3 ounces) sugar

1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1.5 ounces) SCHARFFEN BERGER Unsweetened Natural Cocoa Powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and warm

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup Guinness Stout

Ganache Frosting

3/4 cup heavy cream

4 tablespoons butter

1/4 teaspoon vegetable oil

14 oz. chocolate, chopped

Pretzel Topping

12 pretzel sticks

2 oz chocolate, melted

2 oz caramel, warmed

Instructions:

Add flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and mix thoroughly to combine. Add in the butter, eggs, and vanilla and beat on medium speed for one minute. Add 1/4 cup of the  beer into the mixture and beat for 20 seconds. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add remaining beer. Beat for 20-30 seconds until the batter is smooth. The batter will be thin enough to pour. Divide it evenly among the lined cups. Bake 18-22 minutes just until a toothpick inserted into a few of the cupcakes comes out clean. Set the pan on a rack to cool. Frost the cupcakes when they are completely cool.

TIP: For light tender cupcakes, spoon flour and cocoa lightly into measuring cups (instead of dipping the cups into the flour or cocoa) and then sweep the measures level without tapping or shaking them.

To make ganache frosting

Bring heavy cream, butter and vegetable oil to a light boil. Pour hot heavy cream mixture over chocolate. Using a spatula gently fold chocolate through heavy cream until well combined. Set aside to cool for at least an two hours or until frosting consistency is acheived. Frosting will thicken as sits.

Assembly:Pipe frosting on top of cooled cupcake. Cut pretzels into shards and place on top of cupcakes. Drizzle chocolate and caramel on top.

Winter Blues

Gearing up this year for my WINTER BLUES menu was met with procrastination, procrastination, procrastination......

Finding the materials I've used in the past was a challenge. I thought I had it all so organized- the outdoor blue lights, the strings of blue lights and garland, candles, glasses....I found some things but not everything. But the key in having fun are the people, for sure.

 The menu came together nicely and it was fun. I opted not to do Blue Point Oysters this time. Instead I found some delicious ahi tuna recipes. My husband made some 'fun cocktails' that were served in blue barware.
We started with a warm and creamy cranberry, blue cheese wonton cups followed by Sesame Crusted Tuna with Papaya cream.
Trending this year is Gnudi- the popular kinds are spinach gnudi, and a squash gnudi. So easy and so delicious.

Gnudi

I got home from work a little late. Guests were coming at 6 and I was glad I opted to make a crockpot Salsa Chicken.

The dinner was finished off with Mango filled Cream Puffs with a Spiced Mango- Mojito Sauce- compliments January 2014 Bon Appetit!

Here is the recipe for the gnudi I made:

Ricotta Gnudi

Mix together:

1 cup whole milk ricotta

½ c grated pecorino Romano

1 egg

5-6 T fresh bread crumbs

½ tsp salt

grated nutmeg to taste

Then let this sit so the breadcrumbs can thicken the mixture, about 30 minutes.

Heat a large pot of salted water to boiling. Roll the dough into small balls with well floured hands and place them on a floured baking sheet.Add the gnudi in batches being careful not to crowd them-( the balls will get larger as they cook because they will absorb water).  If they break up in the water, you might need to add more flour to them.

Carefull slip them into the boiling water. After they bob to the surface, cook 2 minutes. Remove from pot and serve with more pecorino or a sauce of your choice.

You can also add 12 ounces fresh spinach to a pot of boiling water, squeeze dry and then chop in a food processor. Then add it to the ricotta mixture.

Butter and use it for more than just cooking!

And wax paper, and onions.....

1. Shine metals and leather goods. All it takes to bring luster back to your metal and leather goods is a dab of butter. Just rub it into surfaces with a cotton rag.

2. Remove ink stains from plastic. Rub any marks with butter and let the plastic items bleach in the sun for a few days.

3. Wipe out water marks from wood. Cover the area with butter and let it sit overnight; towel it off in the morning.

4. De-ice a snow shovel. Grease the shovel with butter — it’ll keep snow from sticking to it.

RELATED: 10 Things in Your House You’ve Been Cleaning the Wrong Way

5. Silence a squeaky door. Forget WD-40 — just work a little bit of butter onto the hinges of a squeaky door.

6. Clean sap or glue off your hands. Rub some butter onto sticky hands to remove stubborn sap or glue.

7. DIY nonstick knife. Thinly coat a knife with butter to help it slide more easily through sticky foods like toffee, marshmallows or pies.

8. Prevent mold. Stop mold from forming on the cut edges of semi-hard cheese by rubbing them with a bit of butter.

9. Remove fish odors. After handling fish, rub some butter over your hands to remove any residual smell.

10. Keep an onion fresh. Apply some butter to the cut edge of an onion before wrapping it in aluminum foil to keep it fresher longer.

11. Prevent boiling over. Add one or two tablespoons of butter to a pot of water to keep it from boiling over.

 RELATED: 12 Surprising Home Uses for Wax Paper

 12. Restore a wax candle. Give dinged and dusty candles a new glossy sheen by rubbing them with a little butter.

13. Help with pill taking. Coat a large pill in butter — it will help the medicine go down easier. Just be sure to take with a big glass of water.

14. Soothe tired feet. Massage sore tootsies with butter then wrap them in a damp, hot towel.

15. Double as a beauty treatment. Use butter as shaving cream, to nourish dry skin or brittle nails, soften hands, even condition hair (and remove gum from it!).

16. Untangle a necklace chain. Rub the knot with a little butter so the links slide apart easier. Use a small pointed item to work out the rest of the kink.

17. Remove a stuck ring. Coat your finger with enough butter to lubricate it, then gently wiggle the ring to remove.

RELATED: 16 Surprising Home Uses for Onions

18. Prevent bruising. Massage butter into the affected area right after the injury. The phosphates in the butter will help prevent a mark from appearing.

Ellen Sturm Niz is an editor and writer working, parenting, and living in New York City. Follow her on Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, and Google+.

WISCONSIN WINTER BLUES GETS HOT!

Another Winter Blues menu~
                            I did a party in Wisconsin a few years ago and here is what I made:

MENU FOR WISCONSIN WINTER BLUES GETS HOT

Blue cheese stuffed olives

                                                   Mexican rumaki                                                                       

Teriyaki/pineapple meatballs                 

Tenderloin sandwiches/pulled pork sandwiches

Peppered sushi tuna with soy dipping sauce

                             Chicken Empanadas with spicy salsa                                                

                         Thai Crabcakes with Cilantro peanut sauce                                   

Curried shrimp with cucumber dipping sauce

Asparagus, goat cheese and prosciutto

Gorgonzola with balsamic figs crostini

Minced chicken in lettuce cups

Mini blackened chicken tacos

                                                Brie and Mango Quesadillas                                                           

Mini cheese balls

Tart Tomato Chutney over cream cheese

Mini Cheeseburgers

Adobo Chips with Warm Goat Cheese and Cilantro salsa