How To Freeze Citrus Zest and Juice
Citrus fruits are common in recipes to brighten it up. Rarely does a recipe call for an entire lemon. I am talking about the juice and the zest. So what do you do with the rest of it. Waste it is probably the most common thing that happens but is there a better way? I say yes! When citrus is in season and is a little cheaper it makes sense to freeze some citrus zest and juice for later. It is easy to freeze the zest and the juice.
The first step is to wash your citrus fruits well to ...
How To Caramelize an Onion
Now that we know which onion is the right type to caramelize and now that we know how to slice an onion, let's put the two together. It is time to learn how to caramelize an onion! I have to admit I am not a huge onion lover. In fact up until about a year ago I tried avoiding putting onions in anything I made. If a recipe called for an onion I would only put in part of one, not the entire onion no matter what. I have since learned they are a good flavor base, when they are cooked the taste ...
How to Peel, Slice and Chop an Onion
Onions seem to be used in many, many savory recipes because they add depth of flavor. Knowing how to peel, slice and chop an onion will speed up your prep time. My Little Chefs have seen the big bag of onions just waiting for them and have asked to practice since thoroughly enjoying cutting the potatoes and cucumbers.
To Slice an Onion:
Onions come with a papery skin which needs to be removed. As we previously learned, cut off the bulb end (not the hairy root end).
Peel off the ...
Onions Q&A
Before we learn how to peel, slice and chop onions it is important to know the different types of onions and some of their uses. My Little Chefs had so many questions we decided to find the answers to them.
If a recipe calls for an onion what type do they mean?
Since yellow onions are the most popular cooking onion and are used for almost all major cooking; roasting meats, flavor bases for soups, sauces, stews, carmelized onions, when a recipe calls for an onion a yellow onion is most likely ...
Seasonings
Seasonings are spices kept in your pantry. It is recommended to replace all your spices each year or two. The strength of the spice diminishes as time goes by. My reality is I buy new ones as I run out. I do not label mine when I open them. (Though that is a great idea to keep track of the time it has been in your pantry.) If the flavor doesn't come through I add more. I should throw out and replace, but I have a hard time wasting food or money.
Black Peppercorns
"The dried dark ...
Herbs
Herbs are a great way to add flavor to your food. They can be used fresh or dry. Herbs are divided into two categories, tender and robust. We will learn about 8 common herbs.
When I was teaching my Little Chefs about these herbs, we got to the bay leaf and they said remembered when we were eating with Grandma, Grandpa and Great Grandma and we had the stew and Great Grandma found the leaf. She took it out because we don't eat that. Now they know it is called a bay leaf and they know from ...
Knife Skills
Now that we have learned about knives we are ready to practice our knife skills by learning how to chop, dice and mince. We started out with a cucumber because even though it has a tough exterior it has a soft interior. Bananas are too soft and they stick to the knife which is distracting and makes them touch the blade too much trying to get the stuck banana off.
I started by giving my Little Chefs a cucumber only 4" long.
The first thing they do is cut lengthwise a thin slice off the ...
Knives
Knives are most precious to chefs. They are the most commonly used tool. Using the right knife makes the job easier and faster. A knife should be razor sharp. When knives are used properly dull knives are more dangerous then sharp. Knives should cut through the food not bruise and smash the food. Knives should always be manually washed, carefully, as soon as you are done using them.
When cooking with kids they are intimidated by the large knives. I always start my Little Chefs out with ...
Cooking Tools
In my search for information to teach my children about cooking, I located a book originally printed in 1896 called The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book by Fannie Farmer, now reprinted by Dover Publications. It is interesting to note that the original book was updated and revised through 1990, the thirteenth edition! Fannie Farmer wrote the original edition teaching the reader cooking methods and techniques and sharing over 1200 recipes. (Is Martha Stewart our modern Fannie Farmer?). I ...
Cooking Equipment
If you walk through the cooking section of any store you are overwhelmed with many many different options. One item can come in different sizes and different colors. Some items are advertised to make a kitchen task easier. We have a variety of tools, but we have discovered less is more when beginning to learn to cook with kids. While we use some of the variety of choices, these are the pieces of equipment we use the most.
Saucepan (variety of sizes)
Variety of sizes, one non-stick ...
Do’s In The Kitchen
Before we start cooking we need to learn a few things we should DO to help the cooking process go a little smoother. Following these 7 Do's will also help you have a better experience.
7 Do's in the Kitchen
DO read the recipe all the way through before getting out any equipment or food. Here you will discover the steps to the recipe. You will get a general idea how complicated the recipe is and how long it will take to prepare. Beginners add 2-3 times the estimated prep time.
DO ...
Martha Stewart Cooking School
We started in 2011 with the goal to cook recipes we found from chefs we liked. In 2012 we did some cooking and some crafting. I was always looking for some guideline to teach my Little Chefs the basics. One day I was flipping through the tv guide and discovered the Martha Stewart Cooking School episodes on PBS. I loved watching each episode because it was the basics of cooking. I have never learned the basics so it kept my attention and I enjoyed learning so many new things. I was excited to ...
Become Carton Smart & Thai Peanut Noodles
This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Carton Smart for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
Holiday's are a time for traditions. My Little Chefs keep track of all the traditions we HAVE to do each year to make it a great holiday. A lot of our traditions include a lot of time spent in the kitchen which then means a lot of dishes and a lot of garbage including many metal cans. This holiday season TetraPak wants to wants to inspire people to make smart, small decisions when ...
Blueberry Orange Surprise Smoothie
We were so excited when Chef Dad came home from work one day with a gift, and not just any gift.....the Blendtec!!
One of our favorite things to make with our breakfasts, lunches and dinners, and for snacks, and even for desserts are BlendTec SMOOTHIES!!! We love them! And how easy is it to give my Little Chefs a full serving of fruits and vegetables all in one yummy drink! And now with the Blendtec it seemed to me and my Little Chefs that our options are now endless. There is a ...
Breakfast Burrito
Disclosure: I was paid to produce this post but the opinions in it are my own.
Do you ever shop at the grocery store thinking about what to make for breakfast for your house guests? Frozen and refrigerated foods are great because a lot of the hard work is done. When you are up late having fun the last thing you want to do is get up super early to make something delicious. Why not get a little help from the frozen and refrigerated sections while you sleep in just a little bit longer.
One ...
Bacon and Potato Chowder
We had a little help with the post today. Let's just say it's almost 11 weeks after Haley's surgery and things are still not back to normal. It is pretty difficult staying on top of everything. The Thanksgiving holiday was super busy for us which was more then Haley could handle. As a result we are currently working through a set back. She is crying a lot again which is not fun for anyone in the house! It is too painful to go out of the house but because I am good friends with Amazon now ...
Peanut Butter Apple Crackers (with toppings!)
The kids come home from school and want a snack right away. Does that sound familiar? Our school gets out late in the day so I do not want to give them a lot to eat or they will not eat their dinner. Of course they are hungry so a little snack to keep them content until dinner is what they need. These Peanut Butter Apple Crackers are fun because the kids can choose their toppings. What kid doesn't like to play with their food!
The first step is to wash and cut your apples. Add a splash ...
Tangy Spinach Chicken Salad
Do you ever have a night where you want something light and easy? Salads seem to fit that description in our house. We love this Tangy Spinach Chicken Salad because it seems to have little prep work. But then when I think about it the only reason it has little prep work is because we have done the cooking earlier in the day, or the day before.
We always have frozen chicken. Once thing I have learned is to defrost the chicken most of the way in the microwave. When it is still slightly firm ...
Tombstone Treats
A couple years ago we had a Halloween birthday party where we made tombstones for all in attendance. All the kids, not just mine, thought they were so fun! They enjoyed finding the one with their name and reading the rhyme my Little Chefs created for them.
To continue with our tombstone theme this year we created Tombstone Treats. These krispy treats are easy to make with only 3 ingredients. They are also easy to shape.
First, Little Chef D make the krispy treats the traditional way. ...
One Eyed Mummy Cookies
Every Friday night we have family movie night. The last movie we watched was Monsters Inc. It seemed like a perfect movie to watch in preparation for Halloween! We wanted to make a mummy cookie but after watching the show we decided to make a one eyed mummy. This is one of those easy recipes made from pre-made cookies and a Wilton mummy package perfect for a school or home party. Kids are able to make their own. It takes almost the same amount of time to make it as it does to eat it.
We ...
Sponsored Post: Creepy Crawly JIGGLERS
Last week we shared some fun and easy Halloween ideas you could do for a school party or for a kids Halloween party at your home. We had the opportunity to try out a JELL-O JIGGLERS recipe perfect for Halloween, Creepy Crawly JIGGLERS. When I first saw these I was so excited because they are cute, easy enough kids can do and (besides the waiting time) they only have 20 minutes of prep time!
Little Chef D was overjoyed to make these but then her sisters quickly chimed in and wanted to help. ...
Tombstone Pudding Cups
Do you need a fun, quick party food idea? We have one to share! Tombstone pudding cups takes only minutes to make. It is great for a party at home or even a school party. Your kids or students are able to make their own with only a few steps.
Before the party crush some cream filled cookies in a zip top bag with a rolling pin. We like to hit each cookie to crush them. Then it is easy to use the rolling pin to roll across the bag crushing them into even smaller pieces. You will also need ...
Pumpkin Shaped Cinnamon Rolls
Do you do anything special for breakfast in the fall or for Halloween? We seem to do a lot of fun things for dinner and desserts but often forget about breakfast. We wanted to share a fun pumpkin shaped cinnamon roll that would be perfect for breakfast.
Purchase a refrigerated tube of cinnamon rolls. My tube came with the cinnamon rolls already in circles we just needed to separate them and put them on a cookie sheet. Instead of doing as the directions say, cut the circle in half one ...
Walk The Plank Salmon
Next Thursday is "Talk Like A Pirate Day." My Little Chefs and I thought it would be fun to make a piratey menu for the day and have a piratey activity. Walk the Plank Salmon is an easy recipe. I would say it is a quick recipe except for it has 30 minutes of marinade time. If you call a recipe that can be made in 1 hour quick then this is one of those.
Submerge your cedar planks in water for 30 minutes. You will need to start with a defrosted salmon or salmon fillets. Whether you buy it ...
