Matt will be 17 on July 11. In other words we have been going a very long time.  Now, you can’t just go blueberry picking, there is a ceremony that must be carried out.

Blueberries for Sal must be read aloud the night before. You must get up while it is still dark and eat breakfast in the car on your way there…and at least one teenager must complain that they would rather be doing something with friends…at least until they get there… You must eat as many as you can and still fill your basket before the sun gets too hot..and then you must fight to stay awake on the way home, and figure out that you should have used sunblock. You must then end the day with blueberry pancakes for dinner.

If you do it any other way you are just not doing it right. Pick your own farms are a wonderful way to eat local, support the local economy and build family relationship all at the same time. I intend to do a couple of searches to see what is available in my area besides blueberries.  It is great for kids to be part of gathering food and interacting with it in it’s natural setting, rather than assuming that blueberries grow in pint containers in the back of the grocery store.

Here are some pics of our day…It was great!

The bushes were full of blueberries this year.

Nick finds the perfect berry.

It doesn't take too long to fill the baskets.

Full baskets...

Nick and Sean rehydrate

images:maryeaudet

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I’d like to be under the sea
In an octopus’ garden in the shade
He’d let us in, knows where we’ve been
In his octopus’ garden in the shade

This is a very kid friendly dish. I saw it somewhere on the internet and I don’t know where, so if I swiped this great idea from you please let me know and I will giveyou due credit and blog linkage.

How cute are these octopi?  And it really does not get easier.  Ramen noodles, spinach, and hot dogs.  That’s it.  A quick and super simple lunch or dinner…or even after school snack.  You could do the same with spagetti or fettucine noodles.  Just slice the bottom 3/4 of the hot dog lengthwise into 8 sections, leaving them attached to the hot dog at the top.  When you boil them the cut part will curl up with a mind of its  own, more or less, and you will have octopi look alikes.  Cook the spinach in with the ramen noodles and there you have it!  A great, kid friendly meal.

This is my entry to Presto Pasta.    This week’s Presto Pasta is hosted by Katie, One Little Corner of the World.  To submit your own pasta dish follow the guidelines found here. Ruth, of Once Upon A Feast, is the brilliant mind behind Presto Pasta and this is number 109!!!

Images:Marye Audet

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The other night Marc was out of town with our 10 year old Sean.  Sean is involved with the JBQ (Junior Bible Quiz) group at church and they had regionals in Longview Texas.  Our kids won, by the way, and will be at Nationals in Rockford, Illinois.  Anyway, when someone is out of town the rest of us try to do something different as well.

Now, I admit..I am a weird mom.  I have been known to get my kids up within 15 minutes of going to bed and bundle them into the car in their pajamas and make a *slurpee run*.  There is something fun about a clandestine slurpee in the middle of the night.  The other thing that I am well known for is declaring that it is banana splits for dinner.  No meat, no potatoes, no organic asparagus.  Nope.  Banana Splits.  Big enough that you could not eat dinner and one of these.

Unhealthy? On a regular basis, yes.  But once in awhile? Unexpected?  The perfect way to be the coolest mom on the block.  You can buy ice cream at the store or use one of the recipes from me, here at Baking Delights.  Just use the search tool at the top.

And never underestimate the power of a banana split.

Peanut Butter Banana Splits

• Hot fudge sauce, commercial or homemade
• Caramel sauce, commercial or homemade
• Whipped cream
• Ripe bananas
• Vanilla ice cream, commercial or homemade
• Peanut butter sandwich cookies, broken in large pieces
• Peanuts

You know what to do.  Place sliced bananas at the bottom of a shallow dish.  Add two scoops of ice cream.  Cover one scoop with caramel and one scoop with fudge sauce.  Sprinkle with broken cookies.  Add a dollop of whipped cream and sprinkle with peanuts.

images:marye audet

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I don’t know if you remember that Chef Kyrie and I had been cooking out of the Ratatouille cookbook..I think April may have been the last time we did though. I have felt bad about not making more from HER cookbooks so I promised her she could choose a recipe and we would make it.

She chose escargot.

So…here you go, Chef Kyrie’s Escargot based on the recipe from the Ratatouille Cookbook

We made the mistake of making these for dinner. They are very time consuming and would be better made as a lunch or snack. By the time you make enough for 8 people it is past bedtime…. :/

Flour tortillas, cut off the rounded edges to make a square.

Cream cheese softened

deli black forest ham, sliced on a 1 setting

deli Havarti cheese, sliced on a 1

organic baby salad greens

gherkin pickle, sliced in half at an angle

chives

chopped walnuts if you like

warm the tortillas. Spread with softened cream cheese, the place some of the lettuce on top. Sprinkle with the walnuts. Lay on a slice of ham, then the Havarti.

Roll up tightly. Slice in 2 equal pieces to make the snail shell. Place a gherkin, cut side down, next to the “shell ” to make the head and neck. Poke holes in the top of the gherkin and slice cut chives for antennae. The antennae are actually the hardest part.

Make these with your kids..they really are fun..and worth the time you invest.

Image:MaryeAudet

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Have I mentioned lately how much I love my kids? How proud I am of them? I see other kids all the time and I am amazed at how much older (and settled) my kids seem to be than they are.

I am really not sure why.  Maybe it has to do with being raised in a big family and having lots of responsibility.  Maybe it has to do with the fact that, although I am easy going Marc and I have very high standards for our kids. I don’t know, I really don’t. 

Since Marc got sick and I have had to work (at home) they have risen to the occasion.  Matthew (16) takes care of the outside chores; cleaning the barns, milking, grooming, feeding livestock, repairing fences, keeping inventory on the feed.  He is doing dual credits this year, getting his college english, history, and math credits. He splits wood in his spare time for our winter heat. He works on JBQ (a competitive Bible quiz thing the three little ones are involved in) 30 minutes a day with Sean, Nick, and Kyrie.  He also gives incredible foot massages.  Ethan (14)mows the lawn, helps in the house, and does Bible with the 3 youngest kids.  He also takes a turn at cooking as needed. AND gives great shoulder massages.  Shiloh (12) handles science with the three younger kids, handles meals as needed, and is a huge help with Kyrie (5).  Sean, Nick, and Kyrie have chores too, from cleaning the kitchen to cleaning kitty litter and all of them help to keep the house up.

When Marc and I have to be at the VA for the day, like today,  my kids run the show here at home, not only getting their schoolwork done but also handling meals, livestock feeding and cleaning. Totally without supervision.

And in all of that they find time to help others.  My sons have been known to help neighbors paint their homes an patch their roofs when they have free time. Shiloh never fails to visit our elderly neighbors every week, taking them a dozen eggs from our hens and often homemade bread she makes herself…or cookies…or…and spending an hour or so talking to them and hugging on them.   My kids work in kids church, nursery, and act as camp counselors.

And they find time to refill my coffee cup, or ice water and ask me if I need anything.

In a phrase, they are not self involved. They are mature.  They make more mature decisions than a lot of adults I know. Perfect? No.  Geeky? Nope.  They are all pretty popular with their peers.

Anyway, what has this to do with Baking Delights?

Marc and I left for the VA at 8:30 this morning.  We never know exactly when we will get back.  Today it was 4 p.m. Shiloh made black eyed peas and rice for lunch as I had asked her to but she also wanted to treat the boys so she made………

All by herself.  Perfect.  Chewy crust, tender crumb……

And she cleaned up the mess. She is 12 years old.  TWELVE.

I walked in the door and the hall and stairs were vacuumed (thanks Matt!),  the house was picked up (thanks guys!), and everything was in order.  Someone even made my bed.

I love my kids.

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As I mentioned last week Kyrie had a blast on her birthday. The child seriously knows how to party.

We usually only give the kids one gift on their birthdays. Finances have always been a consideration but we part of what we are trying to build in them is a lack of desire for stuff. I think we are succeeding with that.

Anyway, when we do buy them something obviously a lot of care and consideration goes into it. I want it to be fun, educational, and lasting; something that they will love. So, when I saw this game I knew that I had to get it for Kyrie.

Count and Cook Game is by Cranium. It is a game that takes very little time to learn how to play and it is really fun. It is non-competitive, everyone works together to create the “finished dish”.

Basically you choose a recipe, and then move your chefs around the board by rolling the large die. When you land on an ingredient required for the recipe you get to ad it to the dish. If you land on a star you can add any ingredient to the dish. Yesterday we added chocolate chips to the banana peanut butter sandwiches we were “making.” When you have all the ingredients you pull out a tab and it tells you to act something out or do something. Like, “Talk like you have peanut butter stuck on the roof of your mouth”.

Kyrie loves this game and she is five. It is for ages 3 and up and up to four people can play.

The game runs about 12.00 which, I think, is very reasonable. It is well made and sturdy, although I wish that the discs were laminated. I may laminate them myself. The chefs are cute and colorful and are soft plastic and large so it isn’t hard to grab them and move them. The die is likewise large and easy to roll. The child does not need to be reading to play this and two five year olds could play easily without an adult playing.

Chef Kyrie gives it two thumbs up.

Images;Marye Audet

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Not too long after Chris walked in the door last Friday he indicated his desire to buy and cook us some steaks on the grill.

How can you turn down an offer like that?  He bought some incredible steaks and marinated them in a rub for three hours.  Then he grilled them to absolute perfection.  In the image above he is being carefully supervised by Nick as he puts the rub on the steaks.

Alot of people have asked me how I end up with kids that not only cook, but cook well. One, I have said before, Marc and I are blessed with incredible kids.  There is no doubt about it. We definitely got the pick of the crop.

The other thing is that they have always been expected to be responsible for helping, and eventually creating, meals.  Our family spends alot of time in the kitchen together.  School work is often done at the counter as I am preparing a dessert, or something for Baking Delights.  When I am trying to figure out what filling or flavor to use it tends to be a family  brainstorming session.

Most of all I have always let them experiment. If they wanted a strawberry jam and salami sandwich on date nut bread they could have it.  Kids need the freedom to create and experience food without people telling them what is and is not good. Surely the first time someone thought about putting chili with chocolate there was some nay-sayer that told them it would taste awful.

Messes can be cleaned up.  Bad combinations can be thrown out. Learning to love cooking and working with food…well there is no substitution.

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Images: (c)2006-2008 Marye Audet, Apron Strings & Simmering Things

Content: (c)2008 Marye Audet, Baking Delights

Chef Kyrie and I found ourselves at the store yesterday and as we were engaging in our second favorite activity (cooking being first, book browsing being second) we came upon a book. A cookbook to be exact.
Now, my favorite movie, personally is Mostly Martha, the German version with subtitles. It is a movie, appropriately about a chef. A rather cranky chef. Chef Kyrie’s favorite movie is Ratatouille. It, too, is about a chef. A rat chef. In fact, she often asks me if the rat (referring to herself) can help me cook.
So when I saw her face light up..and her eyes widen I knew she had found gold in the form of a book and I mentally counted my money.

What’s Cooking? A Cookbook for Kids is a cookbook linked to the movie, Ratatouille. It has some amazing, kid-friendly recipes. I fell in love with it. Who could resist Gusteau’s Grilled Cheese, or one of my personal favorites, Faux Escargots. The faux escargots are sliced meat and cheese roll-ups with a pickle attached to that they look exactly like adorable snails on the plate.
With glorious creations like the Eiffel Tower Cookie Sundae, which looks exactly like mini Eiffel Towers, I can easily use this book in a fun homeschool unit study about France.
Each recipe has fantastic photography so your child can see what the finished product should look like. The ingredients are simple, and easily available, and the instructions are numbered for easy reference. Most of the recipes have no more than 3 steps. Each recipe has an illustration of the characters from the movie in different actions, and certain recipes have “Gusteau’s Tip”, extra information to help make the recipe better, or explain a certain detail a bit more.

The book is perfect for preschool chefs through maybe 3rd grade, although at my house the older siblings have all ready asked Chef Kyrie if she wants them to help her make a recipe from her cookbook.

The binding is a covered spiral, so the book lays flat, and the cover and pages are sturdy. This is not one of those books that will fall apart halfway through the third recipe you make from it. It is put out by Disney/Pixar.

If you have a small chef, or a small chef wanna-be Chef Kyrie gives this book 5 stars.

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There are a lot of different types of Easter baking I love to do.  Adorable duckling, chick, and lamb cookies…Easter Bonnet cakes, special breads and rolls, the list goes on and on.  But before I share those recipes with you this week I want to share this one, because it is the most special of all.

Resurrection cookies are a fun project for parents and kids to do together, and they help children understand the absolutely fabulous thing that happened on that First Easter Morning.  The cookies must be made exactly as written, and the Bible readings must be done at the same time for this dessert to b at it’s best.  I have included links to the various scriptures so that you can print them out to read as you do the recipe and the Bible doesn’t get all floury with your “white thumb”. LOL!

These must be started the night before Easter.

Resurrection Cookies

• 1 cup whole pecans
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
• 3 egg whites
• a pinch salt
• 1 cup sugar
• a zipper baggy
• 1 wooden spoon
• scotch tape
• Bible

Preheat oven to 300F.
Before you do anything else put the whole pecans in zip-loc and let your children beat them with a meat mallet, or hammers,  to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested. He was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read: John 19:1-3

Allow each child to smell the vinegar. Put 1 teaspoon vinegar into mixing bowl.
Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross He was given vinegar
to drink. Read: John 19:28-30

Add the egg whites to the vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life
to give us life. Read: John 10:10-11

Put a little of the salt into each child’s hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest
into the bowl. If you have a lot of kids like I do put the pinch of salt INTO the bowl and then allow them to taste a little of  salt or you will have too much salt in the recipe! Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus’ followers,
and the bitterness of our own sin.  Read:Luke 23:27

So far the ingredients would not make a very good dessert!  Add 1 cup sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to
know and belong to Him. Read: Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16

Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks form.  Explain that the color white represents the purity in God’s eyes of those whose sins
have been cleansed by Jesus. Read: Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3

Fold in the broken nuts. Drop by teaspoon onto waxed paper covered cookie sheet.
Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus’ body was laid.
Read: Matthew 27:57-60

Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF.

Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door.
Explain that Jesus’ tomb was sealed. Read: Matthew 27:65-66

Now, go to bed.

Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight.
Jesus’ followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed. Read: John 16:20,22

On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked
surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow!

On the first Easter Jesus’ followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read:Matthew 28:1-9

This may be the most important recipe that you make this Easter. 

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First of all, I know the color looks a little weird in this picture. I had to play around with it quite a bit. I took the picture of these cookies at night (I dared not wait for day, because we have ..you know, some sort of leprechauns or pixies or something that eats them during the night) and we use the spiral, eco friendly bulbs. Now, they may be eco friendly for sure but image friendly they are not, and you come out with very yellow pictures. I played around with them and ended up with this. I even considered black and white..so if you must have some beautiful images head over to Leftover Queen and look at Jenn’s pictures.

Second, I realized that I hadn’t done a Cooking with Kids post in awhile. Erin and Shiloh made these together the other day. Shiloh is in heaven having Erin back in the house, and they are having a great time together. It is a bit more difficult for me, a 25 year old is no longer a teen, and moving back in with mom and dad with a husband and two kids is a weird adjustment for everyone. I think we are doing o.k., though.::::twitch:::

Pictures aside, these cookies are fantabulous. You have to really like butterscotch. They taste a bit like pecan brickle ice cream.

Butterscotch Buckaroons

2 c flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 c shortening

1/2 c butter

1 c sugar

1 c light brown sugar

2 eggs

2 c oatmeal

1 tsp almond

6 ozs butterscotch chips

6 oz of toffee pieces

1/2 walnuts or pecans

Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together.

Blend butter and shortening together, creaming well. Add eggs, and beat until light and fluffy. Add extract. Add flour.

Stir in oats, nuts, toffee, and butterscotch chips.

Drop by teaspoon on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10-12 mnutes, or until golden. Do not overcook.

About 3-4 dozen.

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