What to do when school is out

Karen Freeman
Food Columnist

May 21, 2008 10:29 am

— As temperatures rise and summer break approaches, parents have the problem of occupying their kids’ free time both indoors and outdoors. Cooking is a fun and productive use of that time – especially on rainy days. And, according to a recent survey, 85 percent of U.S. adults view cooking or baking a meal or snack with their child as an educational activity. Involving your kids in their own meal preparation will not only give them education about well-balanced diets, it will get them excited about the food they eat.
Like other summer activities, parental supervision is a must when cooking with kids. Depending on your helpers’ age, interest and, of course, attention span, there are ways all kids can help in the kitchen. No matter what the role, kids will love being a part of this family experience and parents will love the help!
Our first recipe is fun but also delicious. It a ham and cheese sandwich but with strawberry jam. The fun part is that you cook it in the waffle iron! That gets the great criss-cross design that will make them want to eat every bite. I make lots of things in the waffle iron, cakes, and cookies. This is the first time I’ve made sandwiches in mine. It was fun.
The second recipe is a great way to get fruit into them. It’s also about the only way that I can eat Spam! Chop it up, mix it up and stuff it in the cored apple and bake. The kids will enjoy stuffing the apple and the get a good balanced lunch in the bargain.
The last recipe is an easy dipping sauce that uses a kid’s favorite food – pepperoni. Once this is finished, use anything you have on hand to dip. Breadsticks, pretzels, gold fish, etc.. Let them use their imagination. It’s a great snack for movie night.

Criss-Cross Ham & Cheese

Total Time: Under 15 minutes
Preparation Time: Under 15 minutes
Serving Size: 1
Level of Difficulty: Easy
1 Tablespoon Butter, softened
2 Slices Soft-Textured Whole Wheat Bread
1-Tablespoon Dijon-Style Mustard
4 Slices Hormel Natural Choice Cooked Deli Ham
1 Slice American, Cheddar or Swiss Cheese
Strawberry Jam for dipping or spreading

Preheat a waffle iron (not Belgian type). Butter both slices of bread on one side. Lay buttered side down. Spread one slice with Dijon mustard. Top with ham, cheese and remaining bread slice, buttered side up. Cook in a waffle iron 4-6 minutes or until golden and crisp. Serve with strawberry jam on the side for dipping or spreading.
Baked Apples with Streusel

Total Time: 1 hour
Preparation Time: Under 30 minutes
Serving Size: 6
Level of Difficulty: Easy

6 Large Apples
1 (12-Ounce) Can Spam Classic, finely diced
3/4 Cup Packed Brown Sugar
3/4-Cup Quick-Cooking Rolled Oats
3/4 Cup Chopped Dates
3/4-Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/3-Cup Apple Juice
1-Tablespoon Butter

Core apples and peel the top half of the apple; leave the skin on the bottom half. Place apples in microwave-safe baking dish. In a medium bowl, combine the Spam, brown sugar, oats, dates and cinnamon. Fill the center of each apple with the filling and place any extra filling around the apples. Pour apple juice over the apples and filling. Cut butter into small pieces and place one piece on each apple and the rest over the filling. Cover the apples with plastic wrap. Pierce the plastic wrap in several places to allow steam to escape while cooking. Place apples in microwave and heat on medium-high power for 15 to 20 minutes or until apples are tender. Spoon the liquid in the bottom of the baking dish over the apples before serving.

Pepperoni Dipping Sauce

Total Time: Under 15 minutes
Preparation Time: Under 15 minutes
Serving Size: 8+
Level of Difficulty: Easy

1 Cup Pizza Sauce
1/2 Cup Pepperoni, diced
1/4 Cup Diced Onion
1/4 Cup Diced Green Bell Pepper
1 Clove Garlic, Minced
1/2 Teaspoon Italian Seasoning Breadsticks, Crackers or Pretzels for dipping

In small saucepan, combine all ingredients. Cook over medium heat until hot. Serve warm with breadsticks. Makes 1 1/2 cups.

Did you know?

Kids’ Korner
Cooking prep may come as second nature to parents, but for first-time kids of the kitchen, it’s important not to bypass the basics. Joan Hanson, test kitchen director, Hormel Foods, has a few preparation pointers to remember when children are stepping up to the plate:
Avoid germs. Make sure everyone washes his or her hands before starting. Also, it’s important to wash hands after touching any raw meat.
Set rules. Clearly identify what tasks should be done by adults, such as lifting heavy pans from the stove and using sharp knives.
Preview the recipe. Read through the entire recipe together before starting. Talk through the order of preparing the recipe and create a plan.
Lay it out. Get all the ingredients out before starting to make sure you have everything you need.
Height reminder. Don’t forget chairs or stools for little ones to use when helping.
When teaching the tots to cook, Hanson suggests getting creative with your techniques. She offers a few helpful tips for parents cooking with kids:
Measure ingredients. While measuring, incorporate some math skills. For example, which is larger: 1/4 cup or 1/2 cup? How many teaspoons are in a tablespoon?
Assign tasks. Dole out tasks such as stirring spaghetti sauce, mashing potatoes, greasing pans, layering sandwiches or adding toppings to a pizza to give ownership to the child. This is particularly helpful if you have a picky eater.
Stock up. Try to have kid-friendly kitchen tools, such as plastic bowls that won’t break if dropped, on hand.
Be health-conscious. Remind kids that meat provides protein, which helps build strong muscles and that milk, yogurt and cheese provide calcium for strong bones and teeth.
Tips and recipes courtesy of www.hormel.com.

Karen’s Kitchen is a weekly column by Karen Freeman of Tarboro. Contact Karen at:
kvfreeman@triad.rr.com to exchange ideas, ask questions, submit recipes, tips or suggestions.
Check out her Web site: http://www.geocities.com/kvfreeman27886/

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