Kids Cook NYC!

Looking for something fun for your kids to do in July? It's not too late to sign up for Kids Cook NYC summer camp at Whole Foods, presented by the Creative Kitchen! 

Through hands-on cooking demonstrations and other fun activities, campers experience the wide array of international cuisines found in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island. They'll sample the flavors of far away places that can be found right here in our own backyard. Talk about a yummy staycation! 

Join the Creative Kitchen and our partners Whole Foods, Organic Valley, the Tenement Museum, Gotham Greens, Applegate, Cocomama, Plum Organics, Mom Made Foods, Lifeway Foods, Olympus and Peanut Butter & Co. as we discover all the culinary delights that make New York so deliciously diverse!

LaLa Lunchbox

Having trouble deciding what to feed your little one for lunch? Fear not, there's an app for that!

We love LaLa Lunchbox, an awesome app that let's your children plan their lunches while learning about the benefits of a well-balanced lunch.

Kids design their own custom monster avatar then choose from a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, proteins and snacks to build a delicious and balanced lunch.

And parents will love it too - LaLa Lunchbox instantly transforms lunch plans into an easy-to-use shopping guide, cutting down on uneaten, wasted food. 

Download LaLa Lunchbox from the App Store for a fun and educational way to play with your food! (Even though mom always told you not to!)

Vote for The Creative Kitchen! Mission: Small Business!

If you could change the lives of hundreds of children for the better in less than one minute, would you? Now is your chance!

By now you've probably heard about the Mission: Small Business $250,000 grant (unless you've been living under a rock!). And we're sure that everyone from your cousin's neighbor's hairdresser to your cousin's neighbor's hairdresser's dog has asked you to vote for them, but we're taking it one step further... We're begging you to vote for us! 

Why? It only takes a second to vote and your support will help us help not only the picky eater sitting across from you at your dinner table but also hundreds of other pint-sized future chefs! Do it for the children!

We need 250 votes by Saturday June 30th (yup, that's the end of this week!), so please visit missionsmallbusiness.com and follow the three easy steps below in support of The Creative Kitchen. It's as easy as, err, 1-2-3!


1. Go to missionsmallbusiness.com and click "Log In & Support"

2. Search "The Creative Kitchen"

3. Click on the blue Vote button to show your support! (and if you're feeling particularly supportive, share the link on your Facebook wall!)

www.missionsmallbusiness.com

Patriotic Pattern Parfait

Enjoy the Patriotic Pattern Parfait recipe below – a scrumptious and refreshing star-spangled snack that’s perfect to make and enjoy with family and friends during 4^th of July meals.  

Yield: 4 servings

Total prep time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

8 to 12 Graham crackers
4 cups vanilla yogurt
2 cups raspberries
2 cups strawberries
2 cups blueberries
¼ cup fresh mint, as garnish

Method

1. Place 3 to 4 Graham crackers in separate plastic zipper sandwich bags and carefully seal, with all air removed. Crush crackers into crumbs by having the children hop on top of bags or pound on bags with their fists.

2. Slice hulled strawberries and place aside.

3. Separate mint leaves from stems and chop or tear leaves into tiny pieces. Set aside to use as garnish.

4. In four tall clear cups, create layers of each ingredient (except mint) to make a red, white and blue pattern in the following order:

Graham cracker crumbs, raspberries, vanilla yogurt,
Graham cracker crumbs, strawberries, vanilla yogurt,
Graham cracker crumbs, blueberries, vanilla yogurt.

5. Repeat the pattern until cups are full, then garnish with mint leaves.

6. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Enjoy together!

Tips for Making this Recipe with Kids:

·  With adult supervision, have children slice fruit, using a kid-friendly, plastic knife.

·  For a dairy-free, gluten-free dessert use soy yogurt and granola or gluten-free cookie crumbles.

·  Have children prepare recipe during the festivities as a fun activity.

·  Play Simon-Says or Follow the Leader while kids have fun crushing the crackers by jumping on or pounding on the bags.

·  Talk about what a “pattern” is and identify and count the colors and layers within the parfait.

Everybody Eats Lunch Giveaway!

Raise your hand if you love giveaways! We sure do! That's why we're giving away a super cool The Creative Kitchen gift package. 

One lucky winner will receive a signed copy of Cricket Azima's book Everybody Eats Lunch, an Everybody Eats Lunch thermal lunch bag and a chef hat and apron for you to decorate! 

It's easy to enter, just go to our Facebook page and follow the three simple steps below. A winner will be selected at random on Friday, June 29th!

To win: 

1.  "Like" The Creative Kitchen's Facebook page.

2.  Post your child's favorite recipe on the Everybody Eats Lunch photo posted on our wall.  You can also post a recipe that your grandchild or the child you babysit loves!

3. Share the photo with your Facebook friends.

Winner will receive: 

• A signed copy of Everybody Eats Lunch
• An Everybody Eats Lunch Thermal lunch bag
• Chef Hat to decorate
• Apron to decorate

And don't forget you can also purchase Everybody Eats Lunch on Amazon!  Click HERE to order! 

Fiesta Fun Day... Mucho Fun!

Fiesta Fun Day at Whole Foods Bowery Culinary Center! 

After last week's Fiesta Fun Day at Whole Foods Bowery Culinary Center, siestas were on the menu all around! Los niños agreed that there was nothing more fun than squishing avocados with their hands!

Kids went home with their own personal cookbooks, filled with fiesta-inspired recipes including The Creative Kitchen's signature Mango Salsa, Guacamole Party Dip and Mexican Cactus Salad. ¡Comamos! (Let's eat!)

There are lots of great things cooking in the Creative Kitchen so be sure to visit our Buzzworthy Events section of the blog for all the details! And don't forget to check back after each event for fun photos and recipes that you can prepare at home!

Kids went home with a recipe book filled with Fiesta-inspired recipes! 

Mexican Chocolate Milkshakes!  Made with Organic Valley Milk... Delicioso! 

The Nibble: Make Verrines!

Here's a cool article from our friends at The Nibble!  Read all about the verrine, a fresh new way to combine your favorite ingredients. Appealing to both the eye and the tastebuds, verrines make an excellent addition to a dinner party menu. For pint-sized palettes be sure to check out our Pattern Parfaits, an American twist on a French favorite!  Oh la la! 

TIP OF THE DAY: For Fun & Excitement, Make Verrines!

Looking for some appetizer or dessert excitement? Make verrines (vair-REEN, in French).  Verre is the French word for glass; verrine, which means “protective glass,” is an assortment of ingredients layered “artfully” in a small glass.  Verrines can be sweet or savory: The idea is to layer foods that provide delicious tastes in small bites.  In addition to serving up a variety of tastes and textures, verrines should have splashes of color for eye appeal (grape tomatoes, raspberries, herbs).  The idea has been around for a long time, but in recent years has come back to prominence in France.While specialty verrine glasses exist, you most likely have vessels at home that will do the job just fine: juice glasses, rocks glasses, shot glasses, even small wine goblets.

And you don’t have to start big—you can hold off on the foie gras mousse, cubed Sauternes gelée (Sauternes [a sweet wine] in plain gelatin) and stewed rhubarb, topped with crème fraîche, candied apricots and chopped pistachios (we made this one last week).  Instead, start by making the foods you serve every day more exciting by serving a verrine as a side. For example:

Breakfast: Layer scrambled eggs, crumbled bacon, salsa, sour cream or Greek yogurt, and garnish with chives.

Appetizer: Layer sautéed mushrooms, chopped tomatoes, mashed potatoes or cauliflower, topped with a dab of sour cream and chopped parsley; or our favorite, tuna tartare, chopped tomatoes and guacamole, topped with a chopped mix of hard-cooked egg whites and cilantro.

Dessert: Layer fresh or poached fruit, rice pudding or custard and crumbled gingersnaps, topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

How many layers should you prepare? Three to six.

READ FULL LENGTH ARTICLE HERE

Mac & Cheese for Every Type of Mommy!

Need a quick meal tonight that the kids are guaranteed to eat? Make it a mac and cheese night! These mac and cheeses are my family's favorites---and soon to be your's too!

Cucina Fresca offers a sophisticated spin on this children’s favorite. Their line of gourmet Mac and Cheese dishes are handmade with egg-less penne, rBST-free milk and a variety of artisan cheeses. From aged white cheddar to rich and tangy gorgonzola and more, Cucina Fresca’s all natural Mac & Cheese dishes are perfect for the whole family or a romantic dinner for Mom and Dad.

More Info

Ian’s Twisty Mac put a healthy twist on the familiar Mac and Cheese your kids love! Made from all-natural, organic ingredients and put into single-serving sizes this quick microwavable snack is perfect for the little ones after school or away at college.

More Info

Serve Mom Made Foods Cheesy Mac to be sure your children get their veggies. MMF Cheesy Mac offers organic durum semolina macaroni loaded with creamy butternut squash, sweet potatoes, and fresh green peas with a light cheesy flavor. It will have your child asking for seconds every time!

More Info, (price: $36.40 / 8-pack)

With Annie’s Shells and White Cheddar tasty Mac and Cheese doesn’t have to mean high calories and high fat. Enjoy a sharp but creamy cheesy taste without tons of butter for about 100 calories per serving. Annie’s line of assorted Mac and Cheese varieties offers up countless shapes and cheese combinations, without that out-of-the-box taste, at an affordable price!

More Info, (price: $2.39 / box)

Kraft Organic is the perfect choice if you want to stick with the brand you trust your kids know. Kraft, infamous makers of Mac and Cheese, updates their traditional recipe with organic ingredients for the health conscious parent and child. Sold in their iconic packaging this Mac and Cheese is only slightly milder than the traditional recipe so your kids won’t ever be able to tell the difference!

More Info 

 

Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Mac and Cheese adds decedent buttery, cheesy flavor to the Hodgson whole grains we’ve all come to love. The duram macaroni, made with 100% whole wheat, is the perfect vehicle for the indulgent flavors of this all-American classic without the overpowering taste of grains that sometimes comes along with whole wheat pasta.  High in fiber and flavor, you can feel good about treating the kids!

More Info, (price: $1.85 / box)

Our Special Life

The Creative Kitchen Founder and Big Cheese, Cricket Azima and her son, Kingston are featured in the eighth installment of Cafe Mom's Our Special Life. Did you know that ALL of The Creative Kitchen's recipes are adaptable for kids with special needs?  Our special needs curriculum is adapted for all abilities.  Watch the video below and you'll see why this topic touches so close to home. 

Fiesta Fun Day! Ole!

Hola amigos and amigas! 

Join us this weekend for a Sunday summer cooking party and whip up some tasty Mexican treats using some of our favorite fruits and veggies! Just wait until you see how fun and easy it is to eat a whole rainbow's worth of colorful foods. You'll even get to bring home a healthy, homemade snack to share with your family!  On the Menu: "Guacamole in a Bag"; Mango & Black Bean Salsa; Homemade Tortilla Chips; Mexican Cactus Salad; Summertime Fish Tacos (Vegetarian Option Available); Mexican Chocolate Milkshake with Organic Valley Whole Milk ... Delicioso!

June 10, 2012 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Ages 2 to 13  •  60 min.  •  $30 

Whole Foods Market Bowery Culinary Center

95 East Houston St

New York NY, 10003

Ages 2 to 5 (+1 parent), 12-1pm

Ages 6 to 9 (Drop-Off Class), 2-3pm

Ages 10 to 13 (Drop-Off Class), 4-5pm

For additional information: 

Event details & Registration
info@thecreativekitchen.com

There are lots of great things cooking in the Creative Kitchen so be sure to visit our Buzzworthy Events section of the blog for all the details!  And don't forget to check back after each event for fun photos and recipes that you can prepare at home!  

Crispy Chicken Tenders

Here's a great recipe from our friends at Attune Foods! These chicken tenders are full of flavor. You’ll find they’re easy to make for a weeknight meal that’s delicious, nutritious and allergy-friendly. 

If you have seed allergies, substitute the za’atar for oregano. To get the right crispiness of the chicken breading, this recipe calls for two kinds of gluten free cereal for better texture and flavor. The slightly coarse Corn Flake crumbs meld well with the rice crisp crumbs. 

Check back soon for more tasty recipes!  

Crispy Chicken Tenders

(GF / DF / PeanutF / TreenutF)

1 c. Erewhon Crispy Brown Rice GF cereal

1 c. Erewhon Corn Flakes

1/2 lb. organic chicken tenders

1/4 tsp. za'atar (or oregano)

1/2 Tbs. paprika

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 Tbs. onion powder

1/8 tsp. sea salt

1/4 c. fresh cilantro, minced

1 egg

1/4 c. milk or unsweetened non-dairy beverage

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F.

2. Butter or use olive oil spray on a cookie sheet.

3. Place cereal in a plastic bag and crush it along counter top. You can use your food processor if you have one too. Crush / grind until desired consistency, resembling small broken flakes and meal-like consistency.  Once you've got the consistency down, add in the spices and cilantro. Shake the bag until your ingredients have well blended.

4. Empty your bag of spiced crumb mixture onto a plate.

5. In a small bowl, add and whisk the egg and milk until combined.

6. Pick up one chicken tender and soak in the egg / milk combination. Next dredge it through the crumbs on one side of the tender before flipping it to the other side. Make sure to check all sides of the tender to ensure it's adequately coated with crumb mixture.

7. Set on cookie sheet.  Repeat with the other chicken tenders until all of them are coated with crumb mixture. Place chicken tenders in 350˚F oven for 25 minutes.

8. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce. 

Attune Foods believe what matters most is what’s inside. With seven certified gluten free flavors, Erewhon cereals are made in an allergy-friendly facility that is dedicated dairy free, tree nut free, peanut free, and egg free. Simple ingredients, simply made.