Welcome to My Kitchen

School is out and we are officially in summer, an excellent time for kids to learn some cooking skills helping prepare family meals. Baking cookies or cupcakes to share with friends can help children learn the joy of gift giving and showing kindness. A gift of cookies can be a day brightener and a casserole is much appreciated when life gets tough.

The Odessa Public Library will soon be open for checking out books again, and kids will have six new children’s cookbooks to choose from. Well thought out children’s cookbooks are written with the idea that each step must be included, such as the directions for the following recipe for Blueberry Muffins found in The complete Cookbook For Young Chefs from America’s Test Kitchen. The baker is advised to place the oven rack in the center of the oven before preheating the oven.

Blueberry Muffins

• Vegetable oil spray

• 3 cups plus 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour, measured separately

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 1 Tbsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 1/2 cups plain yogurt

• 2 large eggs

• 8 Tbsp unsalted butter (1/2 cup) melted and cooled

• 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (do not thaw if frozen)

You will also need:

• 12 cup muffin pan

• 3 bowls (1 large, 1 medium, 1 small)

• Whisk

• Rubber Spatula

• Set dry measuring cups

• Toothpick

• Oven mitts

• Cooling rack

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 12 cup muffin tin with vegetable oil spray

In large bowl, whisk together 3 cups of the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In medium bowl whisk yogurt and eggs until smooth.

Add yogurt mixture to flour mixture and use rubber spatula to stir gently until just combined and no dry flour is visible. Gently stir in melted butter.

In small bowl, toss blueberries with remaining 1 Tbsp flour. Gently stir blueberries into batter. Do not over mix.

Using a 1/3 cup measuring cup, divide batter evenly among the muffin cups (use rubber spatula to scrap batter from cup in needed).

Place muffin tin in oven and bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of muffin comes out clean.

Use oven mitts to remove muffin tin from oven. Place muffin tin on cooling rack and let muffins cool in tin for 15 minutes.

Using your fingertips, gently wiggle muffins to loosen from muffin tin and transfer to cooling rack. Let cool at least 10 minutes before eating. Yield: 12 muffins.

A call to the Davenport Public Library found they have several children’s cookbooks to choose from, including My First Kids Cookbook by Paula Dean.

Macaroni and Cheese is a popular dish with kids. Many have learned to make the varieties you can purchase packaged with a cheese sauce mix. Easy to prepare, the drawback is the large amount of salt and non-food ingredients included in the commercial mixes.

During the Go Odessa, Summer Recreation Program cooking class, I have been using Danielle Hardung’s Mac N Cheese recipe as found in the Odessa Friends of the Pool, featuring Fiesta Fare Recipes Cookbook. Almost as easy as the package mix and the addition of eggs adds extra protein and the cheese blend give a flavor similar in richness to the purchased mixes.

This recipe is fun for kids to make because you get to grate cheese, do a lot of measuring and spend time stirring the mixture on the stove. Young children should have supervision when working with boiling water and stovetop cooking.

Mac N Cheese

• 2 cups dry elbow macaroni

• Salt

• 2 large eggs

• 1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk

• 2 tsp Dijon mustard

• 1/2 tsp tabasco sauce

• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

• 4 Tbsp butter

• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

• 2 cups shredded Colby Jack cheese

Cook macaroni in boiling salted water according to package directions.

Meanwhile, mix eggs, half of the evaporated milk, mustard, tabasco sauce, 1/2 tsp salt and pepper. Drain macaroni and return to the pot. Over low heat stir in butter until melted. Stir in egg mixture and half of the cheese. Continue cooking over low heat, gradually stirring in milk and the rest of cheese until hot and creamy, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Yield: 4 servings.

Note: if you don’t care for the spiciness, reduce or leave out the tabasco and ground black pepper.

Rice Krispies Treats, and old faithful recipe is easy for kids to make, even the littlest ones enjoying taking a turn at stirring. The marshmallow and crisp rice mixture is easy to turn into a fancy gift of Rice Krispies Pops.

Rice Krispies Pops

• 40 large marshmallows

• 1/4 cup butter or margarine

• 6 cups crisp rice cereal

• 20-24 cake pop sticks

• Colored sugar or sprinkles

In a large kettle, melt marshmallow with butter, stirring constantly until smooth and creamy. Quickly stir in crisp rice cereal. Then with buttered hands carefully form into cake pop size balls. Mixture will be quite warm.

Skewer each ball with a cake pop stick. For added fun and flavor, roll each in colored sugar or sprinkles and let stand on a waxed paper lined pan until cooled and firm. Wrap each in plastic wrap and share with friends.

Note: Mixture may be pressed into a buttered 13 x 9-inch pan for traditional treats.

Several more columns are planned featuring kids cooking this summer. Kids, I would love to have you submit some recipes. You can share them by sending them to: Welcome to My Kitchen, c/o The Record-Times, P.O. Box 458, Odessa, WA 99159, email therecord@odessaoffice.com or drop them in the Welcome to My Kitchen mail tin in The Odessa Record Office, or drop them off at the Davenport office, 1112 Morgan Street. Now is an ideal time to layer mulch around plants to hold in moisture and keep down weeds. Choose straw or grass clippings, something you will want to turn into the soil for next year’s crop.