"Love with Food" competition

As you know, Monicka and I are keen on cooking and regularly stress the benefits of cooking with your children. Family meals are equally important, so we're delighted to bring you this competition from Love with Food for an autographed cookbook by Tyler Florence, along with a $100 restaurant coupon.

All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning is to enter your favourite Thanksgiving recipe. The winning recipe will be featured in the Love with Food newsletter as well as winning its owner the great prizes mentioned above - your chance at 5 minutes of "chef" fame!

Here's the link to enter the competition -

http://lovewithfood.com/contests/4-tyler-florences-family-meal-thanksgiving-recipe-challenge

Good luck!!

Cassie

Cooking with your child

Cooking with your child - WACKY CAKE

Well the dog lovers among you will be pleased to hear that the whippet we rescued on Friday has been reunited with his delighted owners. It turns out the poor dog was attacked by a German Shepherd dog and ran off and got lost. He was very happy to go home!

I was happy that he was safely back with his family, but sad to say goodbye, so to cheer us up we made...

Monicka's "Wacky Cake" recipe:

(not quite sure where the name came from, maybe because it is so, so simple to make) ages 10 and up

1 1/2 cup cake or pastry flour
1 C. sugar
3 T. cocoa (unsweetened like Hershey's)
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
6 T. applesauce
1 T. white vinegar
1 t. vanilla
1 C. cold water


If you aren't fussy, you can make this as a "snack cake", mixing, baking and serving from the same pan. No need to oil the pan.

Sift dry ingredients into pan. Add liquids, covering with water. Mix thoroughly.

Bake at 350 degrees (moderate oven) for 25 to 30 minutes.

Makes one very moist chocolate cake. Frost as desired or dust on confectioner's sugar.

Cooking with your child is a great bonding activity and very satisfying - especially when you tuck into your creation at the end!

Cooking with your child

The benefits of cooking with your child include:

Provides quality bonding time with our children
Builds positive self image
Encourages self-discipline
Rewards hard work and diligence
Promotes eye-hand coordination
Cultivates a love of learning
Fosters cooperation with others
Encourages their imagination

Check out KidsGoals' Cooking with your Child page for easy recipes to cook with your child!

Cooking with your children

Learning to bake cakes and cook dinner with my Grandmother when I was a child was a real self-esteem booster. Kids love to learn practical skills, so why not spend some quality time with them in the kitchen on an evening or weekend, rather than in front of the TV? They love to help and can genuinely take a load off your plate once they have learned a few basic cooking skills!

Check out our Child Friendly Cooking Ideas

Children, cooking, and taste buds

When I was little I loved Farleys rusks. Not sure if you get them in the States but here in England they are a popular biscuit for babies and toddlers. Soaked in milk they go all mushy, or eaten dry as a biscuit they are a great finger food.

Farleys have this delicious, slightly sweetened, cereally taste that I remembered vividly. Image my disappointment years later when I ate one and it tasted of - nothing!

I had not realized until that moment how much our tastebuds change with age. A baby's taste buds are much more sensitive than an adults. So introduce strongly-flavored foods with caution and respect your child's tastes if they are overwhelmed by strong foods.

Introduce new flavor gradually and encourage your child to try new things without being afraid that he will be forced to eat large quantities of something that is unpalatable for him!

For fun and easy ideas with your kids in the kitchen, check out cooking with your child.

COOKING WITH YOUR CHILD- EASY BANANA BREAD

Easy and Fun Banana Bread to Cook with Your Child:

3 large mashed bananas
½ cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
½ tsp. Salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 egg
Walnuts (optional)

Add all to the bowl: mix: Put in loaf pan and bake at 350 F oven for 40-45 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting toothpick in centre when it comes out dry it is done. Enjoy.

Happy cooking with your child!

Cassie

Cooking with your child

The benefits of cooking with your child include:

• Provides quality bonding time with our children
• Builds positive self image
• Encourages self-discipline
• Rewards hard work and diligence
• Promotes eye-hand coordination
• Cultivates a love of learning
• Fosters cooperation with others
• Encourages their imagination

Here are a couple of nice easy recipes to cook with your child and to encourage them to increase their fruit intake!

APPLE CRUMBLE
4 cups apple slices, peeled
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup oats, rolled (raw)
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup butter

Put apples in shell baking dish and sprinkle with lemon juice. Combine dry ingredients, add melted butter and mix until crumbly. Sprinkle crumb mixture over apples. Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes or until apples are tender. Makes six servings. Serve with crème fraiche yoghurt or whipped cream.

STRAWBERRY BANANA SMOOTHIE
Quick and healthy snack that teens can make in a flash

1 large banana
2 handfuls of ripe strawberries
4 heaping Tbsp of unsweetened applesauce
6-10 cubes of ice

Add ice and the applesauce first (applesauce provides the liquid necessary in the crushing of the ice). Crush the ice until substance is smoothie-like, and then add the other ingredients. Enjoy!!!

Happy cooking with your child!

COOKING SWEETHEART CAKES WITH YOUR CHILD

(age six and up with adult supervision)

• 1 package (2 layer size) white cake mix


• 1 package (85 gram) strawberry jelly powder, or your favourite red colour such as cherry, raspberry etc.


• 3 cups whipped topping or if you prefer white frosting


• Colourful candy sprinkles

Prepare cake batter as directed on the package. Stir in dry jelly powder until well blended.

Line 24 medium muffin tins with paper liners. Pour cake batter evenly into cups so each is about one half full. Place a half-inch ball of tin foil between each liner and side of muffin tin to form a heart shape, as shown in the picture.

Bake as directed on package. Cool completely and remove foil ball.

Spread 2 tablespoons of the whipped topping or frosting onto each cupcake. Decorate as desired with candy sprinkles. Store in refrigerator.

More ideas for: cooking with your child.