Kid's Cooking Week Eve

Yes, it's that time again.  Week 1 of the summer series for kids starts tomorrow.  I have recipes, a plan, assistants and kids.  What more could I ask for?  This year we're following a cuisines of various countries theme with the kids changing the country for the judging on Thursday.  It should be fun as always and I'll try to get pictures. 

I went to the Lovejoy Library on Saturday and had fun cooking with the kids there.  The library theme for the summer is creativity and cooking is creative.  Our menu was "Breakfast for Dinner" and I thought we were gearing to younger kids.  I confirmed with the librarian on Friday and she told me the class was full with a waiting list!  How wonderful to get kids excited about the library and about cooking.

We had a wide range of ages and mostly the kids were older than I expected.  People were waiting in the hall to see if there were any no-shows and open seats.  Some people got lucky.

We had Stuffed French Toast with maple syrup or powdered sugar and fresh strawberries and Sweet Breakfast Sausage made with either pork or turkey.  All went well, everyone helped and everyone enjoyed the meal. 

Sweet Breakfast Sausage

• 1 pound lean ground pork or turkey
• 1/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons fresh orange zest
• 2 teaspoons fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

1. Read the recipe.
2. With the help of an adult, chop the parsley into fine pieces.
3. Combine all ingredients into a large bowl using your fingers to mix well.
4. Divide the mixture into 12 equal portions.
5. Place a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
6. Moisten your hands with water and gently pat each portion into a patty about 1/2 inch thick.
7. Wash your hands with soap and water!
8. Place the patties into the pan using a turner and fry, turning once, until golden brown and no longer pink, about 5 minutes on each side. 
9. Work in batches if all patties will not fit in the skillet.  Remove from pan and keep warm until all are done.

Be creative, change the recipe.  Perhaps you'd like some Southwest flavors so you might want to use cilantro, lime zest, cumin and maybe even some cayenne.  Think of some other cusines, what could you do?

Today I had an information table after church again.  If you are interested in learning about menu planning, I am giving a three week class that starts June 9th.  There is no charge for the class, it's at Mount Pisgah United Methodist Church, on the South Campus in room A022, it starts at 7 pm, it ends at 8:30 pm. 

We'll cover some tips that should help save money, time and reduce some stress.  There is no need to pre-register, just come on Tuesday night. 

I'm going to read for a while now.  We had a good dinner, I went to Jazzercise this afternoon and I'm ready to relax.