Spring has sprung and the Growing Gourmets “Chef’s Club” starts this week.  Don’t worry, there are still spaces available for the little chefs in your life.

Chef’s Club Session 2 

Spring Fling

April 2-23 (Thursdays; 4 weeks)                          $65.00

Spring is in the air and it can be on the table too!  This four-week session will help kids learn how to turn the vegetables and herbs we grow in the garden into healthy and delicious meals. On the last day of class, each child will take home a small tomato plant to grow in their very own garden!

April 2 Herbalicious!

Sample fresh herbs like basil, mint, rosemary and thyme, then try them out on recipes like pesto pasta, rosemary potato fries, mint fruit fizzies and honey-lime fruit salas with poundcake croutons.

April 9 Great Grilling!

From the garden to the grill, al fresco dining is the best part of spring, especially when serving such 

appetizing treats as chicken fingers on a stick, veggie bundles and carmel peaches.

April 16 Taste of Tropics

Fruit stands will showcase all the fruits of the tropics and spring is a wonderful time to enjoy options like pineapple chicken salad, fresh lemonade with berry ice cubes, and homemade monkey mix.

April 23 Off the Vine...

Finally we turn to the garden and to the bounty we can grow in our very own backyard which offers us many treats like corn and tomato salad, pretty vegetable flowers with homemade ranch and cucumber sandwiches.

 Times Available:

          Growing Gourmets (5-11 year olds)

          2:00 p.m.-3:30 p.m.

          4:30 p.m.-6:00 p.m.

Pioneer Days Cooking Class This Saturday...

I am so excited about this class.  We have read all the Little House books at our house and even the boys love them.  Who wouldn’t love stories about roaring rivers, warring Indians, prairie fires and wild animals like panthers and wolves. 

 I had a similar class this summer and it was such fun.  It’s great for children to learn about times in our history that weren’t so affluent and how families worked hard together to build a life and a future.  Cooking meals was an integral part of this world and many of the recipes they prepared are still used today.  EVERY child should learn how to prepare homemade biscuits.  All the problems of the world melt away when a butter and jam topped biscuit melts in your mouth.

 

Pioneer Days

March 7; 11 a.m.-1 p.m.     $20.00        (6-11 year olds)

Ma Ingalls would be so proud!  Take a step back in time and see what it was like to prepare meals on the prairie.  This class is a great course for the beginning baker as we will prepare homemade biscuits, corn bread, beans and even try Laura’s favorite maple candy.

A Late Recipe of Lemon Herb Chicken...

I promised a romantic valentine recipe to you all, but alas, my world is in constant motion and so the promise went unfulfilled!  However, I will treat you with a late Valentine's recipe.  Who has time to cook on Valentine's anyway?  Not me!  Therefore, my sweet husband grilled out steaks for us after a day of cooking classes, birthday parties and various practices.

I think a wonderful meal for this time of year begins with a roast lemon herb chicken.  It is easy to make, better than a rotisserie from the store and less expensive.  Plus, I always use the leftovers to make chicken and dumplings.  (All three of my children request this meal for their birthdays.)

I don't know if chicken is romantic, but comfort food at home with a good bottle of wine sounds like my idea of a good time!  It is great with a salad or if the kids are joining you, green beans and mashed or roasted potatoes.  So, below I have the recipe for a roast chicken (which I promise is so easy it will be a weekly staple at your house).  Tomorrow I will post my mother's chicken and dumplings recipe. I know EVERYBODY has their own chicken and dumpling recipe, but I like mine... so try it if you will.  If not, the broth and chicken would make a wonderful soup...just add carrots, celery and noodles near the end.  Good Luck and Bon Appetite!

Lemon Herb Chicken

One 2- to 3-pound farm-raised chicken

3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 lemon

Kosher Salt

Adams Reserve House Rub

Rosemary-Garlic Bread Dipping Seasoning or

(1/2 teaspoon each of rosemary, parsley and thyme)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Thoroughly rinse the cavity of the chicken and pat dry. Sprinkle kosher salt and Adams Reserve House Rub (this is just a combination of course garlic, pepper and salt).  Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice into the cavity of the chicken and then place the squeezed lemon inside the cavity.

Next, you need to truss the bird.  This is actually very easy.  When you truss a bird, the wings and legs stay close to the body so as not to dry out.  The quickest way to do this is to fold and tuck the wings up under the body and tie the legs together with string.  Be sure and keep the breast side up in the pan.

Now, I like a crispy skin on top, so I place the chicken in a 9 X 13 baking dish and rub the bird all over with olive oil.  Next sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of House rub and then sprinkle the herb mixture and rub it over the whole chicken.  Sometimes I use a bread dipping herb mixture and sometimes I go out to the garden and grab fresh rosemary, thyme and parsley.  If using fresh herbs, I probably add 1 teaspoon of each herb.  You can use 1/2 teaspoon of dried herbs if you want.

Bake the chicken until done approximately  1 hour- 1 hour and 15 minutes.  Remove it from the oven, baste it with the juices and let rest for 15 minutes.  Always let your meat rest or all the juices will run out and it will be dry.  Beware, the kids in our house fight over the legs...so you just might have to make TWO!

Coming this Saturday...my Valentine's cooking class!

Very Yummy Valentine’s

February 14; 11 a.m.-1 p.m.         $20.00        (6-11 year olds)

Sweet treats for your sweethearts!  Aren't the best Valentines edible?  I thinks so and your child will too when they attend this yummy class held in honor of Saint Valentine!!   Students will create recipes that include berry parfaits...

banana munch mix, cherry tarts and sweet fortune cookies with heart-felt messages...

 When we wrap them all to go as little gifts, Mom and Dad will be begging for samples!

If you are interested in the class, send me an email to register!  And be sure to check back later in the week.  I will have a few Valentine recipes for Mom and Dad to try out!

NEW start date for Chef’s Club!  One more week to sign up and spaces are available for morning and after school!!

 

Session 1:      Manner’s Matter…Traveling in Style

February 5-26 (4 weeks) $65.00

Having good manners are important every day, not just when we sit down to dine at a fancy restaurant.  This four-week session will focus on etiquette, setting the table and good table manners as we cook recipes that test even the neatest and most polite child!  

And manners are more fun if we imagine traveling to distant lands….

 

February 5        Tea and Company

Every child, boy or girl, can appreciate the English tradition of taking tea and sweets in the afternoon.  Imagine tea in a far away world with Lucy in Mr. Tumnus’s cozy cave or enjoying full tea from a steamer trunk as you make your way across the British Indies.  In class, we will create scones, sweets and savories and then sit down to enjoy the tea and company.

                            

February 12       Café Paris

Can you imagine yourself sitting outside a Paris café on a spring day sipping café au lait and eating pain au chocolate (chocolate croissants)?  Children, can appreciate French food and culture, even if a view of the Eiffel Tower is only appreciated in Ludwig Bemelmans’ tales about a little French girl named Madeleine.  This class will bring to life the sidewalk cafes of France while we enjoy French bistro faire like easy pain au chocolate, winter squash soup and open face sandwiches.

 

February 19       Orient Express

The train is pulling away from the station, beginning the long voyage from Paris through Vienna, Amsterdam and finally Istanbul.  Each exotic location bringing the full flavor of it’s cuisine to be sampled in the dining carriage.  We will enjoy creating our own samplings like Dutch pancakes, sigara börek (Turkish cigar shaped cheese pastries) and fondue!

 

February 26       The Plaza, Please!

The Plaza Hotel, a world renowned landmark on 5^thAvenue in New York is the perfect location for enjoying a four course feast.  Which fork do I use?  How do I order?  What is that?  The last test of manners allows children to prepare a simple but delicious menu, set the table and practice ordering and serving each other just like they were dining in a fine restaurant!

Times Available:
          Kinder Cooks (preschoolers)
                   10 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
          Growing Gourmets (6-11 year olds)
                   2:00 p.m.-3:30 p.m.
                   4:30 p.m.-6:00 p.m.

Spring 2009 Class Schedule

Here is the class schedule for the spring semester.  I can't wait to see you all!!

Chef’s Club –Meets Every Thursday

Saturday Specials –Fun Celebrations & Special Events

Scout Troops –Fulfills Merit Badges

Birthday Parties –Cooking Parties with Optional Themes/Menus

Private Classes –You Gather the Group!

Summer Camps –Themed Cooking Camps

Chef’s Club

Meets Every Thursday!

Chef’s club is a unique culinary experience where children learn to cook in a safe and fun environment.  The classes are offered in my home, each session lasting four weeks. All the courses have unique and exciting themes that offer hands-on participation and detailed cooking instruction.  Each Junior Chef will receive their very own notebook full of recipes to take home!

 

Session 1:     Manner’s Matter

                   January 29-February 19 (4 weeks)      $65.00

Having good manners are important every day, not just when we sit down to dine at a fancy restaurant.  This four-week session will focus on etiquette, setting the table and good table manners as we cook recipes that test even the neatest and most polite child!

 

Session 2:    Spring Fling

                   April 2-23 (4 weeks)                          $65.00

Spring is in the air and it can be on the table too!  This four-week session will help kids learn how to turn the vegetables and herbs we grow in the garden into healthy and delicious meals. On the last day of class, each child will take home a small tomato plant to grow in their very own garden!

 

Times Available:

          Kinder Cooks (preschoolers)

                   10 a.m.-11:30 a.m.

          Growing Gourmets (6-11 year olds)

                   2:00 p.m.-3:30 p.m.

                   4:30 p.m.-6:00 p.m.

 

Saturday Specials…

Very Yummy Valentine’s

February 14; 11 a.m.-1 p.m.         $20.00        (6-11 year olds)

Sweet treats for your sweethearts!  This Valentine’s cooking class focuses on the heart from recipes with heart-healthy berries to treats like sweet fortune cookies with heart-felt messages.

Pioneer Days

March 7; 11 a.m.-1 p.m.     $20.00        (6-11 year olds)

Ma Ingalls would be so proud!  Take a step back in time and see what it was like to prepare meals on the prairie.  This class is a great course for the beginning baker as we will prepare homemade biscuits, corn bread, beans and even try Laura’s favorite maple candy.

Easy Easter Edibles

April 4; 11 a.m.-1 p.m.       $20.00        (6-11 year olds)

Easter may be my favorite holiday of the year, and it is a wonderful time to gather family together in the kitchen.  In this class, the children will make scrambled egg nests, fruit flowers, carrot muffins and sweet bird’s nests.  I’ll even send home the recipe for Resurrection Cookies.

 

Making a Mother’s Day Brunch

May 2; 11 a.m.-1 p.m.        $20.00        (6-11 year olds)

Don’t feel guilty about reminding your child it’s Mother’s Day!   Instead you can be a proud mama when he learns how to create a wonderful (and easy) breakfast just for you.  Participants will learn how to make a list, shop for ingredients and even clean up the mess!

Scout Troops

Schedule your troop and earn badges!

Cooking workshops are a great way for scouts to earn badges.  Call me to schedule a time that is good for your scout troop to do cooking activities to earn badges.

Please Note: The pricing structure for scout workshops differ from my other classes because I recognize and appreciate that scouts is a program that enriches the lives of children and their families.  The fee for each workshop is $10 per child (with a minimum of 8 children).

 

Girl Scouts

• Brownies: "Make It, Eat It" badge,
• Juniors: "Let's Get Cooking" badge

Boy Scouts

• Tiger Cub Electives and Badge: Keeping Myself Healthy and Safe
• Wolf Cub Badge: Cooking and Eating
• Bear Cub Badge: What's Cooking (They must have known we could help!)

Welcome to the Growing Gourmets Blog!

Dear Friends,

I thought this might be a quick and easy way for you all to keep updated on the Growing Gourmet cooking classes!  In order for you to have easy access to the class schedule, I set up a blog where I can post class information, share cooking and entertaining ideas and of course share recipes to keep those Growing Gourmets busy in the kitchen.  Check back often for weekly recipes and updates and I would love to hear your feedback on the classes and recipes. I can't wait to see you all this Spring!