Plan Ahead!

I often think about my next post for this blog as I am driving to work or doing something at work or at home.  I have many things that I would like to discuss, so that my mind leaps from one idea to another.  I want to be organized about this, but the ideas are rampaging through faster than I can sort them.  As I was turning possibilities over in my mind on Saturday, I got out my new monastery cookbook and decided to make an apple cake.  The recipe sounded good, but I needed a can of condensed milk.  As I thought of the one on my shelf that I had gotten "just in case and the price was good", inspiration struck.  I could write about the pantry and being prepared so that one could cook with one's children!  My brain raced feverishly as I made a list of the basics in my pantry - nuts, grains, canned beans, canned tomatoes in several varieties, spices, etc. I made mental notes of the advice that I could give so that cooking with children would be more successful if it was a spontaneous activity.  Even better - from there I could segue into the necessity of being prepared in the classroom in order to avoid poor transitions and difficult, bored children. I was positively giddy as I measured, stirred, sliced, and thought of the amazing blog entry that would follow.  I had a satisfied smile as I took down the can of condensed milk and wiped off the top (I really don't believe the Internet posts about rats running around warehouses and doing nasty things on the tops of cans, but it never hurts to be safe!).  I even noticed that the can had a clear date stamped on the top rather than the codes that mean nothing.  I even stopped thinking about the readers who would think that I was wise and wonderful long enough to read the date - January 2004.

I ended up using evaporated milk for the topping, which was okay since its date was 2009.  (It's been two days and we still seem fine!)  My blog is still about the necessity of being prepared, both at home and in the classroom, but somehow it is taking a little different track than I had originally planned.  Maybe I should write about the advisability of cleaning out my cabinets a little more often.  Still, the cake was good and I have been laughing for a day, so all is well that ends well.

I do like meals that I can make in the time that it takes pasta water to boil, so I am posting one that uses scallops and soba noodles.  If your budget doesn't run to scallops, I have used both chicken (boneless breast cut into bite sized pieces works well) and tofu (cut into pieces).  Soba noodles are Japanese buckwheat noodles, which can be found at Wegmans.  I did discover that my authentic organic Japanese noodles are made in Australia.  Add several vegetables, and you have a quick supper.

Soy Citrus Scallops With Soba Noodles

3 Tbs. lower-sodium soy sauce                                             1 Tbs. dark sesame oil

I Tbs. fresh orange juice                                                        1 pound large sea scallops

1 Tbs. rice vinegar                                                                 4 cups hot cooked soba (about 6 ozs.

1 Tbs. honey 1/2 tsp. fresh ginger, grated                                  uncooked)

1/4 tsp chili garlic sauce or red pepper

Combine first 6 ingredients and 1 tsp oil in a shallow baking dish; add scallops to dish in a single layer.  Marinate 4 minutes on each side.  Heat remaining 2 tsp oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Remove scallops from dish, reserving marinade.  Add scallops to pan; saute 1 minute on each side or until almost done. (Chicken pieces will take a little longer.)  Remove scallops from pan; keep warm.  Place remaining marinade in pan; bring to a boil.  Return scallops to pan; cook 1 minute.  Place noodles on plates; top with scallops, and drizzle with 1 Tbs. sauce.  Makes 4 servings.

Note:  I always have fresh ginger on hand.  I keep it in a bag in the freezer and grate or slice off a little whenever I need it.  Happy cooking!

Someone's in the Kitchen With...

In my last post I talked about cooking with young children and the many things that they can learn while cooking.  There are many other benefits as well.  The time that the children spend cooking with their parents makes wonderful memories that they will carry with them forever.  The sense of accomplishment that the children have when their food is eaten and enjoyed is a joy to behold.  Children will try a food more readily if they help to prepare it with someone.  I have a preschool teacher who often cooks with her three year old group.  Since she likes to try new things, the children have made tofu and broccoli, purple fingerling potatoes, plantains, eggplant, and beef stroganof.  Most of the children not only tried everything that they had made, but they also ate a great deal.  The tofu and broccoli was a special favorite.

People often ask what kind of recipes they can make with children.  There are no limits except for those imposed by the age and attention of your child and your comfort zone.  Even very young children can wash vegetables, cut fruit and vegetables with a table knife, tear letttuce or bread, fill measuring cups, dump and mix ingredients, and break eggs.  (Yes, I know, but the children love to break eggs more than almost anything else so we might as well live dangerously.  Besides, kitchens wash!).  The important thing is to cook real food.  There are a number of "recipes" intended for children that involve sticking candy on some kind of cookie or cake and pretending that it is something.  Children need to cook real food that can be eaten and enjoyed, that has nutritional value, and that is challenging.

This is where I have to make a confession.  Many people are not aware of it, but I have an addiction.  It has been with me for a long time, and I cannot seem to beat it.  I know that there are many recipes available for free on the internet, but I am a cookbook junkie.  I love cookbooks.  Even though I know that I don't need one, I keep finding a new one that I feel I must have.  When I pass the cookbook section of a bookstore my footsteps slow, my eyes glaze over, and my fingers twitch towards the row of books.  I don't just read the reicpes - I study all of the pictures while my fingers caress the binding.  My newest cookbook is From a Monastary Kitchen by Victor-Antoine D'Avila-Latourrette.  Brother Victor, who writes about simple food that features seasonal produce, wrote this book at a monastary in Cold Spring which is near my hometown.  I first saw when I was buying bread at the Abbey of the Genesee and had to try it.

Because of my cookbook addiction, combined with my years of cooking with children, I have had  the opportunity to read many cookbooks that are written for children.  Some of my favorites are:
     *The Enchanted Broccoli Forest by Mollie Katzen
     *There's a Chef in My Soup by Emeril Lagasse
     *There's a Chef in My Family by Emeril Lagasse
     *There's a Chef in My World by Emeril Lagasse
     *Blue Moon Soup by Gary Goss and Jane Dyer
     *Disney's Family Cookbook by Deanna F. Cook
     *Peter Rabbit's Natural Foods Cookbook by Arnold Dobrin

There are many more cookbooks, as well as those intended for adults that have wonderful recipes that you can enjoy together and that will work well at home, at a preschool,or at a child care center.  I realize that it takes money to build a collection.  I have seen people use their cell  phone cameras to take a picture of recipes when they see one in a book or magazine that they would like to try, but that seems very underhanded.  Most libraries now belong to a network of libraries, which means that you can borrow from any of the libraries in the network.  Join your local library and you can find almost any book on the network.  (Note to self: write about why children love the library and why their parents should, too!).  If you should find a book that you really like and want to own, check on one of the book sites like Amazon or Barnes and Noble.  Most of them partner with used book sellers and copies in very good condition can be found for very good prices. 

Happy cooking!

It's Sunday!

For the best part of the last three years, my Sundays have all followed the same pattern - church, home for lunch, visit Mama at the nursing home, home to clean, make supper, get ready for the morning, and bed.  Since my mother has passed away, I have had empty Sunday afternoons.  I do housework, but mostly I cook.  Today I made egg and english muffin sandwiches with grapefruit for breakfast, peanut butter and chocolate biscotti because my jar was empty (not the greatest recipe ever), hot cross buns for my husband, and lasagna for supper.  Since I was making the lasagna, I made a whole batch of pasta and made several small ones for the freezer for when we need a fast supper.  Too bad I didn't buy enough cheese, but I improvised with spinach and beef.  I love to cook - I learned from my mother who loved to cook.  It has passed through the family since my brother and sister are also excellent cooks, as are my children and now my grandchildren are cooking.  Somewhere through the years the idea has spread to many people that cooking is mysterious, difficult, and time consuming.  It did take time today, but that is because I had so many projects going and trashed the kitchen.  There are a few things that are more trouble to make than they are worth (I always buy an angel cake mix rather than separate a dozen eggs!), and with the proliferation of cooking how-to videos on the internet most recipes are very easy to master.

One of the best points about cooking is that it is a wonderful activity to do with your children.  Remember how parents are concerned about school readiness?  Cooking involves counting, measuring, literacy (you need to read the recipe), science (how the ingredients mix together and nutrition), colors (when the eggs are mixed into the sugar it becomes?), and social skills (there is a give and take of working together).  I will be talking more about cooking with children in future posts, but here is a great recipe to try with your children.  It comes from my brother and his wife, who often win blue ribbons for their baked goods at the Dutchess County Fair.  This year my brother entered the Lowell Inn Crescent rolls that my family has always made for holiday dinners (and had to brave the traffic from Chelsea Clinton's wedding to do so), but in a grave miscarriage of justice, the judge said that they were "too yeasty". 

Granola

    3 cups rolled oats                  1/2 cup flour (I use whole wheat)        

    1/2 cups sunflower seeds       1/2 cup honey

    1/2 cups cashews                  1/2 cup oil                                                 

    1/2 cup pumpkin seeds          1/2 cup bran

    1/2 cup wheat germ

 Any other nuts you wish to add       dried fruit, if you like

Mix well, bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes or so.  Stir every 10 minutes

Children love to measure and mix.  I use walnuts rather than cashews partly to save money and partly because of the Omega-3s in the walnuts that promote heart and brain health.  Believe it or not, the wheat germ and bran were cheaper in Wegman's Nature's Marketplace than in the cereal aisle.

Today I also washed my winter coat and put it away because I am done with winter.  I did sit and enjoy the sun shining in until I realized that the glittering was the sun sparkling on the cobwebs.  I also washed my quilt and hung it on the line - not because I am industrious but because my Harvey threw up on it.  I hate to discourage you, but some things never end - they just change.  Now the blind 15 year old cat is leaving hairballs on my bed rather that the three year old who used to leave last night's mac and cheese, green beans, and beets!

Bummer! It's Snowing Again!

Reality has hit - after enjoying several days of warm breezes and sunny skies, the temperature has dropped to 33 degrees and snow is blowing.  Such are the joys of spring in upstate New York.  It is a bummer for the adults (I have been told that saying bummer is very out of date since this is no longer the 60's, but it sums up things so very well), and misery for the children who thought that they would be able to run outdoors every day.  The return of winter can lead to cranky, antsy children with lots of energy and no place to use it. 

Children are kinesthetic, hands on learners who love sensory activities, so one thing that is sure to entertain them is playdough.  I am not talking about the rubbery, smelly (actually, it smells the same as it did 50some years ago) stuff that comes in a can, but dough that is soft, smooth, and a joy to manipulate.  Best of it all, it can be made at home with common ingredients.  Some sample recipes follow.

Kool-Aid Playdough

1 cup flour

1/2 cup salt

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 package unsweetened Kool-aid (or similar drink mix)

1 cup boiling water

Mix together dry ingredients, add boiling water and oil, and mix well.  Let cool slightly, and knead until smooth.

(Note: If you are avoiding artificial colorings, the dyes can be absorbed through a child's skin!)

Playdough

2 cups flour

2 cups warm water

1 cup salt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon cream of tartar

Mix ingredients in a pan, stir and cook over medium heat until the dough thickens and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Remove from heat, cool enough to handle, and knead until smooth.

Salt Playdough

1 cup salt

1 cup water

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Mix all ingredients until smooth

I thought that all kitchens had cream of tartar, since you need it to make meringues or snickerdoodle cookies, but I have discovered that not all do, so I have included a recipe that does not need any.  The children can help with all of them by measuring the ingredients, mixing, and kneading.  Coloring can also be added to the recipe.  This, besides being a lot of fun, helps with developing math, science, self help, and literacy skills.  As for the kneading, the children can help when the playdough cools enough, but I find it to be a wonderful kinesthetic experience and have trouble sharing that part.

How to play with it?  The commercial play dough sets come with lots of plastic things that extrude out strings of dough, but most of them become boring very quickly.  Your home has all sorts of gadgets that work well - cookie cutters, popsicle sticks, plastic silverware, biscuit cutters, buttons - use your imagination.  Even better, encourage the children to use their hands.  In addition to heightening the sensory experiences, this will give their gross and fine muscles lots of exercise.  Try not to make models for them (which does, I realize, limit your playing) so that the children can discover for themselves all of the possibilities that are inherent in the dough.  The playdough should be stored in plastic bag or a container so that it will not dry out (a reusable container is best since I helps to eliminate the amount of waste that we produce). The dough will wear out, but then more can be made.

There are many variations on these recipes, which can be found easily by googling, or by visiting http://www.playdoughrecipe.com/ which has a number of recipes, including oatmeal playdough, rubbery playdough, and traditional playdough.  Have fun, and be sure to share with the children!

No Excuses!

Sunday as I was driving home from church along the flats between Geneseo and Retsof, I was watching for the Canadian Geese that land there during migration to eat in the corn fieldds.  Suddenly a white cloud flew over the field, wheeled, and a flock of snow geese landed next to the road.  What a magic moment!  Spring is filled with magic for young children (and for those of us who may not have totally grown up).  Plants are coming up out of the ground, the weather is in the high 40's (practically bikini weather in New York!), and the birds are singing.  This is the perfect time to stop what you are doing, turn off the computer, grab your child, and go outside.  I now there are objections:

1.  We live in the city - even the city has parks, planters, and trees to observe.  The sun is still warm and the breezes are still blowing.  Look around - you will find things to discover.

2.  It's wet and muddy - of course it is - it is spring.  Clothes wash.  Hands and faces wash.  The boots that the child wore this winter will not fit next year anyway, and if they do they will probably wash.  Children and dirt go together naturally.

3.  My bathroom needs to be cleaned - you have children so it will just be dirty again tomorrow.  A few months ago we had my mother's funeral.  During all of our conversations, my siblings and I never discussed how shiny her bathroom was.  Instead we talked about the times that we spent with my mother exploring the woods, playing in large puddles, and bird watching. 

4.  I need to make supper - supper does not need to be a four star meal; it just needs to be healthy and balanced.  Omelets with toast, fruit, and vegetables are a good choice.  Sandwiches with fruit and veggies are good.  A simple spaghetti sauce can be made in the 15 minutes it takes to make pasta.  It's up to 47 degrees, so throw some burgers on the grill.  Again, your children will not remember that on March 15, 2011 you made a fancy meal.  They are much more likely to remember the exploring and discovering that you did together.

Now you have no excuses so stop reading this, go outside, and enjoy the spring with your children!

Who me? I'm not scared!

In the last post I referred to parents' fears about raising their children.  While I think that it is very true, I don't believe that it is a sign of weakness, but rather a sign of concern.  Parents want their children to have the best possible childhood, to be happy, and to do well in school.  Unfortunately, these days parents are bombarded with messages about the latest, newest, best product (usually electronic) that will guarantee that their child will be ready to learn in kindergarten and on the fast track to Harvard.  Think for a minute - does the CEO of Matel, Fisher Price, or Playschool really care if Johnny Brown is a success?  Their prime reason for having a company is to make money, and the more that they can guilt parents into purchasing these items, the more money the company will make. 

This is not just the ranting of a grandmother (in my days we. . .), but is a charge that is reinforced by scientific study.  Many of the electronic toys that are aimed at young children claim to encourage language development.  In reality, they tend to retard language development.  Did you know that the Baby Einstein videos were proven to slow language acquisition in children and Disney was forced to refund the cost of the tapes to parents?  Did you know that children today do not make noises when they play with cars or animals because they expect the toy to make noises, and if it does not they assume that it is broken?  Do you know that deaf parents were told to keep the TV turned on so that their children could develop language but the children did not develop language until they went to school and talked to real people?  A fascinating book, At a Loss for Words by Betty Bardige and T. Berry Brazelton, MD, details how children in the United States are not developing language as well and as quickly as in the past.  Because of the heavy advertising, parents who want only the best for their children are actually hindering their progress!

Now what?  Fortunately, the way to remedy this is simple, inexpensive, and uses readily available materials.  What are they?  Your voice and your brain!  Turn off the electonics and talk to your children.  Starting when your child is an infant, talk to them.  Talk about what you see, what you hear, and what you are doing.  Read lots of books.  When you are grocery shopping, talk about what you are buying - what it is, what it looks like, when you will eat it, how it tastes - the possibilites are endless.  There are only a few simple rules to remember.  Always talk in sentences as you were talking to another adult, since children need to learn the sounds and rhythms of language.  Do not baby talk - your children will grow up sounding like they come from another planet.  Most improtant of all - have fun, relax, and enjoy this time together.

I know that so far I have addressed parents rather than caregivers.  This has been done for two reasons - the anxiety that parents feel often influences the pressures that they put on caregivers to do "educational" lessons when they do not fully understand how children learn so I want to relieve this anxiety.  The other is that everything that I have written also applies to the classroom.  Too often I have seen teachers of young children who just sit and watch them without engaging them in conversation.  How sad  that they are missing a true educational opportunity.  If you talk to your children, they will become vocal, literate children who will express themselves well and communicate with others easily.  The only downside of this is that they may never stop talking!

Hello!

I have often thought over the last several years that I would love to blog about young children.  This is my first attempt, and it feels as though I am starting an adventure.  I have daydreams of many people reading this and commenting on how wonderful and wise I am; in reality probably only a few people will read this.  Still I hope that my thoughts will inspire, reassure, and entertain parents, teachers, and caregivers of young children.

Why do I want to share my thoughts?  I have been involved with children for many years.  I am a mother of two and a grandmother of two, and if I have any regrets about having children it is only that I would have loved to have had more.  Children can make you bang your head, pull your hair, and wander in circles while talking to yourself, but they also fill your life with joy and wonder that cannot (I feel) be found in any other experience.  They make you laugh, sing, cheer, dance, and find wonder in everyday things.  Professionally, I earned a BS in Early Childhood Education at SUNY Geneseo in Geneseo, NY.  I did home day care when my children were young, and have worked in child care centers for the past 28 years.  As a child care provider I have been a lead teacher in the infant, toddler, preschool, and schooler rooms.  I have done substitute work in preschool rooms for special needs children, and for the last 17 years I have been a Director.   At the present time I direct a Christian child care center in Rochester, NY.  In my personal life I have been a room mother, band parent, Girl Scout leader, and Sunday School teacher.  Although I have worked with every age child, my heart belongs with young children. 

Who am I?  In addition to being a mother, grandmother, and teacher of young children, I am a sister, a sister-in-law, a daughter-in-law, and a daughter.  I have cared for my babies and my grandbabies, and I have spent hours by my mother's bed while dementia took her away from us.  I am a cook, a reader, a gardner, and a knitter.  I love to sing and dance (if only I could carry a tune or keep a rhythm!).  I enjoy working out every day and I am a vegetarian.  I believe in Jesus as my Lord and Saviour, and look to Him for guidance in my life.  (If you are not a believer, the purpose of this blog is not to preach, so don't worry.  This is just to tell you who I am). 

Why do I feel the need to share my thoughts?  During the years I have worked with may different children - chidlren of different races and religions, children with different socioeconomic backgrounds, children with special needs, children who are considered "normal", children from very rural areas, and children from urban areas.  Since I provide child care in New York State, the Office of Children and Family Services, the licensing agency for child care centers, requires that I obtain 30 hours of training every two years, but I usually have at least twice that since there is so much to learn.  This is an exciting time because brain research is constantly discovering new things about children and the way that they grow and learn.  As I have spent time with children, I have discovered that my beliefs and ideals are becoming more firm and I realize that we need to stand up for children and for what is right.  

Why now?  I spend a great deal of my time with parents, and I find that so much of parenting is driven by fear.  While parents have always feared for their children and wanted the best for them, the present time is more complicated than earlier ones.  I worried that my children would become ill, that they wouldn't do well in school, or that they wouldn't be happy.  My parents worried that their sons would go to Viet Nam or that their daughters would find "free love".  Parents in earlier days worried that their children wouldn't live to grow up (before antibiotics many of the illnesses that made us miss a day or two of school would be killers) or that the trip across the ocean or across the prarie would be fatal.  These should be easier days since many of the old dangers are gone, but new ones loom.  The media is filled with stories of abuse and molestation by strangers and by trusted friends and new poisons are found in our water, our food, and our toys.  The economy is poor, our elected officials cannot be trusted, money is tight and time is tighter and conflicting advice abounds.  Parents who want the best for their children are pulled in many different directions.  Things are not much easier for those who teach young children.  I hope to address some of these issues and help parents and caregivers to enjoy these years with children.

What's next?  I look forward to sharing my thoughts and ideas.  I also look forward to sharing ideas that are fun and educational in a developmentally appropriate way - ideas that can be used in the classroom or in the home.  I also have some ideas for ways to make things easier at home so that parents can do what they are meant to do -spend more time with their children.  I hope you enjoy them.