Kids in the Holiday Kitchen
Kids in the Holiday Kitchen: Making, Baking, Giving
The holidays are a time when everyone just wants to create. Weather it be crafts, gifts or yummy treats to eat- the time that we get to spend together is so much better spent when we get our hands sticky, right!? Kids (and even adults) of all ages will find some eye-catching pictures in Kids in the Holiday Kitchen, pictures that will reel them right in to want to make the recipes/crafts. From the Stuffed French Toast (on page 14), the Sugarplum Lollies (p. 36) to the crafts of Stellar (felted) Stockings (p. 81) and the Let There Be Light (colourful beeswax candle) (p. 88) there is more than enough so that everyone in the family will find a "must make".
These projects are made to be kid friendly and most kids preschool age and older could do a portion of the work with a parent helper. Older kids could do them completely by themselves. It is a way that children can take ownership of making their gifts for their teachers, aunts or that special friend that needs a little encouragement. It is never to early to encourage giving and Kids in the Holiday Kitchen encourages a season of giving all year round, even from the littlest hands. This books gets two thumbs way up from me. I am leaving you with a recipe from the book that would be perfect for your New Year's celebrations!! Yum.
New Year's Nuggets
Chocolate-Caramel Popcorn, from Kids in the Holiday Kitchen (p. 45)
You'll Need:
1/2 Cup Dried Yellow Popcorn
Scant 1/4 Cup Water
3 Tablespoons Canola Oil (optional)
1/4 teaspoon orange extract (optional)
1 Cup Sugar
8 Ounces Milk Chocolate
1/2 Cup Light Corn Syrup
What to do:
1. Pop the popcorn.
2. Line several cookie sheets with parchment paper.
3. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup and water. Heat over medium-high heat until golden brown, and 5 minutes. Stir gently, add the orange extract, if using, stir again. Add some of the popcorn and coat it with the caramel. use a wooden utensil to help coat the corn. Place the coated kernels on the parchment paper to cool. Repeat.
4. When cool, break up the clumps of caramel corn, keeping the corn clumps on the parchment.
5. Heat the chocolate over low heat in the top of a double boiler, or in a metal bowl over a saucepan filled with 1 inch of hot water (creating your own double boiler). Heat the chocolate until it's smooth, 3 to 4 minutes. Make sure the chocolate doesn't burn.
6. Fill a ladle with the melted chocolate and lightly drizzle over the caramel corn. Let the chocolate caramel corn cool for 30 to 45 minutes. To make gifts, put small batches in cellophane bags; otherwise, wrap in parchment paper and keep in a Tupperware container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.
Makes 4 Cups
Watch Chronicle Book's Kids in the Holiday Kitchen book trailer:
Title: Kids in the Holiday Kitchen
ISBN: 9780811861397
Subtitle: Making, Baking, Giving
Author: Jessica Strand & Tammy Massman-Johnson
Photographer: James Baigrie
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Subject:Holiday - Christmas, Crafts for Children, Handicraft, Recipes
Publication Date: November 2008
Pages: 95
I am an affiliate of TOMS SHOES and Powell’s Books and I do receive a percentage of the sales of any item you buy using my links. Thank you!
Rosemary Sea Salt Recipe
I checked for recipes for Rosemary Sea Salt all over since I wanted to make some of my own. I really couldn't find much, I did find one by Martha Stewart, and another one that had ground up the rosemary in the sea salt, but that wasn't what I was looking for. So, I did like I usually do, I just read the stuff and do it on my own. I hope you'll do the same!
Rosemary Sea Salt Recipe:
*48 oz. of Sea Salt
*6 decent branches of fresh Rosemary (depending on your love or Rosemary)
That's it for ingredients. Yeah, you did read that right...nada mas, nothing more.
Squeeze the Rosemary and pull your fingers down the branch, in order to pull off all the rosemary leaves. Repeat on all but 2 branches (those are for the rosemary garnish at the end). Dump all the sea salt into a pan or pot and then add the rosemary. Turn heat on to medium heat and keep watch, stirring for 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat, dump contents into a large bowl. Let sit to cool, without a cover for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, then pour into an air tight container (I used a large Ball Jar) and let sit with the lid sealed for 24 hours. Then the Rosemary Sea Salt is ready for its pretty little containers. Use a colander with a large bowl underneath, dump the contents into the colander and shake so as to sift the salt out the bottom and keep the rosemary to discard (it is completely used up and dried at this point, however you can keep it in if you would like). Put sifted Rosemary Sea Salt into containers and slide sprigs of fresh rosemary down the sides, 2 or 4 would be great. Screw on an air tight lid and you are done.
Rosemary Sea Salt is great anywhere you'd use regular salt, meats, soups, stews, whatever. My personal favourite is to sprinkle it on top of a sunny side up egg. Oh, my tummy grumbles.
Give yourself a good pat on the back, your peeps will love getting these gifts from you for Christmas! They look completely wintery anyway, it looks like snow and pine. Doesn't it? A great gift for anyone who likes to cook or likes to eat....I don't think that leaves anyone out, at least not in my family.
Enjoy a Homemade Christmas with your family too! Get started now.
This is the third gift idea that I have shared for my Christmas a la Homemade (a handmade Christmas). I will be posting these up until Christmas to give you ideas for gifts you can make for your friends and family.
Previous Ideas from my Christmas a la Homemade (A Handmade Christmas):
Rosemary Sea Salt Recipe
Bath Salts Soak Recipe
Knit Granny Washcloth (or Dishcloth) Pattern
Make a Reading Pillow for the Bookaholic(s) in Your Life
Craft Book Giveaway: Patchwork Style
Patchwork Style is a crafter’s dream. It brings a creative, cozy style to your fingertips. The bonding of fabrics to create a patchworked whole is a feeling of home, of cuddly kitties, comfort and warmth that you need around you weather you live in the country or in the city.
Patchwork Style
Patchwork Style
35 Simple Projects for a Cozy and Colorful Life
by Suzuko Koseki
144 pages
Crafting, Patchwork, Quilts & Quilting
Trumpeter Books
14, April 2009
The blending and bonding together of different types of fabric gives a sweet and comfortable appeal to the patterns and designs in Suzuko Koseki's Patchwork Style. Each pattern, charming in its own way, brings together fabrics of solids and prints, designs and florals that will not hesitate to lighten up any room! As comfy and country as your impressions of quilting may be, be warned that although this is a quilting and patchwork book, it is certainly modern in is appeal, not your grandma's quilting. However, the idea of quilting is to embrace the past, the scraps we have left behind and want to incorporate into our future and Patchwork Style does that with a finesse that is truly noteworthy.
As for which patterns are included, there are quilt blanket patterns, patchwork purses, satchels and packs, change purses, pillow covers (which I need to make BADLY!), pot holders, floor mats, lap blankets, curtains and aprons. The lineup is sublime. Each chapter in Patchwork Style is set up by the techniques which are used that section. The chapters are broken up into different quilting methods, as follows: Log Cabin, Applique, Free Stitching and Patchwork Squares, and Square Applique. Each pattern has a picture (or more than one) where you can see what the finished product will look like, and then a page number at the back of the book with detailed instructions on how to create the masterpiece. Each pattern has step by step, along with illustrations on the project to get you through to completion.
I really love Patchwork Style! There is so much to learn. I have been quilting and sewing for a little while, and have family members who have quilted for decades, so I have certainly been around quilts and loved quilts and make patchwork designs of my own. Still the fresh and new patterns in this book are so welcomed, they are brilliant, fun to follow and put together. There are so many in here that I would love to make right now! So yes, I have a high opinion of this book for sure. I give this a double decker two thumbs up, no question about it.
Patchwork Style belongs of the Japanese Crafts Style books also known as Make Good: Crafts + Life, a group of books believing in the goal to simplify life. Another book that I have reviewed and also loved in this series is: Linen, Wool, Cotton by Akiko Mano
Are you a knitter, quilter, do you sew? If not, would you like to learn?
Linen, Wool, Cotton
Linen, Wool, Cotton
25 simple projects to sew with natural fabrics
by Akiko Mano
112 pages
Craft, Sewing, Simple style
Trumpeter Books
14, April 2009
Akiko Mano's soft and subdued style is simple yet outstanding in quality, approach and design. Linen, Wool, Cotton is a dream for the practical person who enjoys crafts that people will actually use. The simplicity of her patterns is so pretty and speaks though its calmness. Akiko Mano's designs will allow even the insure crafter to create things that many will enjoy. The projects range from wool slippers, aprons, a muffler, lightweight fruit bags, a lingerie case, hot water bottle cover, duvet cover and beyond. Linen, Wool, Cotton is sectioned off into chapters by material choice, beginning with Linen, followed by Wool and finally Cotton. Akiko's patterns are easy to follow and minimalist in their approach, and that is a bonus, since that makes them quick to complete as well, having only an average of 4 steps per pattern.
Linen, Wool, Cotton by Akiko Mano is part of the Japanese Crafts Style books also known as Make Good: Crafts + Life, a group of books believing in the goal to simplify life. This approach makes it its goal to take pleasure in the beautiful things that are so perfect in their minimalistic appeal.
So how did I like this book? I loved it. I enjoy being crafty, but I want the things I make to be used and not just dusted. This is a book for a person like me, and I am thrilled that there are so many patterns in Linen, Wool, Cotton that are calling my name (quite loudly I might add). I have already dived in, and created the lunch bags, they were just too cool to not make. I was worried at first because usually patterns seem to have way too many impractical steps and I have a hard time wanting to follow along. I had no problem with listening to Akiko at all. The lunch bag pattern (p. 96) was just perfect and simple and had fluff, just the real stuff. I know for sure that I am going to make several other patterns, the Sweets Mat (p. 90) looks like the next one I'll try. And the Fruit Bags (p. 37) made out of cheesecloth would be perfect for veggies at the Saturday Farmer's Market as they don't way anything and are completely reusable! Yeah, so anyway I am hooked. I recommend Linen, Wool, Cotton by Akiko Mano with no reservations at all.
I spent part of the day making two Lunch Bags (p. 96) from this book for you! I really hope that my work pays off, and that you are as excited as I am about this! I can't wait! Here are the two lunch bags I made, you can click on each photo to see the bigger picture.
i love dirt
Title: i love dirt
Author: Jennifer Ward
Pages: 153
Publisher: Trumpeter (Shambhala Publications)
Yearly Count: 24
Dirt, leaves, worms, bugs, stars, raindrops and watching trees grow...all that fills i love dirt to capacity with 52 activities for parents and kids to do together. If I read thorough a book and can't help but dog-ear the pages I know it is a great one. i love dirt by Jennifer Ward is a book about kids, and exposing them to the nature and outdoors while siultaneously leaning of the wonderful nature of earth science. From bugs, to leaves, from trees to snowmen this is a book to enjoy through all the seasons. i love dirt is divided up into activities that would work best in the seasons of Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter so that children and adults can observe and enjoy every new stage as it comes and admire what is different and beautiful about them.
i love dirt is Jennifer Ward's antidote to the current situation of "nature deficit" that children are experiencing. The generations previous to this one relied on nature. Our schools were even let out and in during the communities harvest time, and daylight savings time was initially agreed upon because of the impact another hour of light could do in the farmer's life. It was not all working outside, but also the playing in nature and with nature that was important. Participating in such activities as picnics, mid-afternoon fishing trips, laying under the sky's blanket to see just one shooting star, and the amazing world of mud pie making! To go outside and play, to put on rain gear and jump in puddles, or camp outside in the backyard on a warm summer night, or to explore the woods and make a fort these need not be things of the past. Outdoor activities are a learning and teaching experience that if neglected will fill our nation with a bunch of kids who can learn through books, but not from the beauty that surrounds them. Weather in the city, or country there are opportunities in i love dirt to get down and dirty and feel the particles of nature on your skin.
I personally loved this book so much, seriously does it get any better than a book that discusses all the fun things you can do to learn about nature and the processes that engulf us humans? Each section of the book, each activity has a short (kid friendly) explanation of the activity and its importance and a Help Me Understand question and answer as well. Here are some Q and A examples:
Q: What is Dirt?
A: Dirt is a mixture of all kinds of things: broken rock and stones, minerals and organic matter such as broken down bits of plants. (p.44)
Q: What makes new plants sprout in the spring?
A: They get more sunlight than they were getting in the winter. In the spring, the days get longer, brighter and warmer. These things help new plants to grow. (p.4)
There are so many more tid-bit facts of things every child asks, or at least mine do! I have decided to use this book for our outdoor explorations. I am very impressed with Jennifer Ward and i love dirt, too! This would not just be a great book to use for parents, but also for grandparents, and teachers as well. I am going to use this book for our science course when we begin homeschooling next year. To be honest though, it is all but burning though my hands, and since it is spring right now, I really see no need to wait...we're going to dive into this one with rubber boots, or barefoot! For when nature calls, we listen!
i love dirt is ON SALE tomorrow, may 13th! here is link to i love dirt on amazon.com
Jennifer Ward has written many children's books, check out her website here: Jennifer Ward, Award winning author of wildly fun books
Making Stuff For Kids
Title: Making Stuff For Kids
Author: Victoria Woodcock
Crafts by: Contributors (compiled by black dog publishing)
Publisher: black dog publishing
Pages: 160
The beauty of this craft book lies not just in its recipe for "Sparkle and shine playdough", or its "Pebble Pals", or the " Cute as a button necklace", but it is much deeper. The brilliance of it is where it calls out to parents and children alike: pick me up!!! Be creative!! Get messy! Don't stress! Making Stuff For Kids will bring parents and kids or kids and other kids together in order to create-and with their own hands make something to enjoy.
Making Stuff For Kids, is a complete child's craft book, divided into helpful (age appropriate) sections: teeny talents, cunning crafters, super sills, and tough cookies. This way you will know if your child, or even if you are in way over your creative head. The beginning includes a section of how to's: how to knit, how to do appliqué, papier mache, pompoms and sewing- just in case you, as a parent need to learn or refresh your skillz right along side your child.
The book is composed of craft ideas by contributors, I believe causing Making Stuff For Kids to break away from the traditional nerdy-kid-craft-mold(and parents wondering: what do I do with THIS mold) to a more interesting and involved crafting, where kids are really creating stuff that they are interested in! The creativity level is pretty alarming so beware!!!
So far we have only had a chance to do several of the crafts- as my children are a little young, and things can get crazy while crafting (they are ages 2 and 4 and there are already some really fun projects for them in this book!!) We have done (and loved) the Pebble Pals (p.51), the Peg People (p. 52), The Scratch it and see (p. 53) and the potatoes for T! (p. 64). Next on our list (it has actually been the craft my 4 yr. old has been begging for since he looked through the book) Creepy Crawly Wormery (p. 47)!! Our young family will definitely grow into this book, so if you have older kids- there is a lot of things they could do, even some crafts designed for them to do without you! This is one of those books, that we will keep coming back to on those days of- "mom, I'm bored", or "there's nothing to do, mom!". I know it will be one we constantly have handy as our boys get older, I dread the stains it will suffer, but as any well loved book I am already aware of this unstoppable, impending doom- love stains.
I love it, and obviously recommend it %100!!
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