Have a cooking themed

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INGREDIENTfor ages 6 and up

a magazine for kids curious about food

aUSA $5.50

www.ingredientmag.com

Cooking PartiesDo-it-Yourself

2 INGREDIENTINGREDIENT

a magazine for kids curious about foodINGREDIENT

CONTENTS3

4-7

8-11

12-15

16-19

20-23

24-27

28-29

This magazine is meant to inspire cur ios i ty about food in both chi ldren and adults . Every fami ly has i ts own ideas about food and cooking , inc luding what foods are appropr iate to eat and who is a l lowed to create in the k i tchen. As in most endeavors , ch i ldren are most successful when parental guidance and sup-port meet their inquis i t iveness and enthusiasm. As you use th is magazine, p lease be mindful that cooking with k ids i s most fun and most successful when i t has c lear ru les and div is ion of re -sponsib i l i ty. Chi ldren as young as two years o ld can part ic ipate in some hands-on cooking act iv i t ies with careful adult d i rect ion; adults must a lways create a safe, superv ised environment when chi ldren cook. A lso important i s conveying to chi ldren what they may and may not do independent ly when i t comes to prepar ing , serv ing or eat ing food. With c lear expectat ions in your house-hold, th is magazine can become an amazing tool to help chi l -dren become eager learners about a l l aspects of food.

A note for adults

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Welcome Letter

D-I-Y Pizza Party

D-I-Y Chocolate Party

D-I-Y Ingredient Party

D-I-Y Grow It, Cook It Party

D-I-Y Cupcake Party

General Advice

Resources

To purchase subscriptions, go to www.ingredientmag.com.

3

Whether you know our maga-zine well or are a new fan, we are excited to offer readers suggestions about sharing the joys of cooking with others. Cooking is a great activity for youth groups, scout troops, and after-school groups.

Cooking can be simple or complex, depend-ing on the facilities available. No-cook recipes are a great alternative for very large groups or groups with mostly small children. No-bake cookies that require only a microwave or single burner hotplate for melting ingredients are fun to make. Smaller groups can make soup or chili on a single burner, or can make quesadillas or crepes on an electric griddle. Groups, especial-ly middle school aged or older, can volunteer

to help in a facility like a homeless shelter. Some charitable organizations accept food donations (though check in advance, as some organizations will not accept food prepared outside a commercial kitchen), so kids can give away the foods they prepare at home or school, even if it is something as simple as bagged lunches for homeless outreach programs. Throwing a cooking party to celebrate a birth-day is incredibly fun. Many of the ideas in this guide are suitable for planning a hands-on food-related party that guests will love.

Jill Colella, Editor

Have fun cooking,

Welcome from the Editor

About Ingredient Magazine

Star ted in 2010, we are an indie pr int magazine about food for k ids. We bel ieve that k ids should be cur ious about the wor ld they l ive in and about the hows, whats, whys, and whens of the food they put in their bodies. We are proudly ad-free and sponsor- f ree, and wr ite with no pub -l ic health agenda, except that a diet r ich in k nowledge and cur ios i t y i s good for k ids.

With an editor ia l board comprised of food wr iters , parents, teachers and specia l needs exper ts , the magazine a ims to enter ta in and chal lenge readers with i ts depth and breadth of topics.

We encourage a mult i - disc ipl inar y approach to food that refuses to dumb down content . We bel ieve that k ids are l i t t le people, so we don' t patronize our young readers. I nc lude an ar t ic le about of fa l? Yup, that 's us. We wr ite about the sc ience of pressure cook ing, the regional leg-ends around the eponymous submar ine sandwich, and the best bedt ime snacks for rest ful s leep —al l in the same issue.

Each issue includes q&a, a round-up of food trends, a c lose -up look at a food, shor t p ieces, features, ac t iv i t ies, rec ipes, quizzes and games. Learn more about the magazine and subscribe at www.ingredientmag.com .

4 INGREDIENT

PARTY PLANNING

aPlanningDo-it-Yourself

5

aLet’s Have a Cooking Party When we plan a get-together for a group, thoughts eventual ly turn to food. What i f we had a par t y a l l about learning to prepare food? Cook-ing or bak ing together can be a terr i f ica l ly fun way for people of a l l ages to socia l ize. Famil ies, f r iends and groups l ike scout t roops or homeschool ing groups can cook together to learn, create memories, and even do good in the communit y. A cook ing bir thday par t y wi l l keep k ids and parents ac t ively engaged. The hands- on ac t iv i t y excites k ids ' imaginat ions and cur ios i t y. A successful cook ing par t y is the result of smar t planning based on and rooted in an awareness of what your group can reasonably handle. As with any par t y or group ac t iv i t y, an attempt to do too much wi l l be less successful than doing one or t wo cook ing ac t iv i t ies in thoughtful and meaningful ways.

Advice on Cooking with Kids K ids are wonder ful ly intel l igent and cur ious l i t t le human beings. The worst way to teach k ids cook ing is by “dumbing down” your approach; rather, be c lear and direc t . Break direc t ions down into bite -s ize “chunks” that can hold the l imited attent ion of young chi ldren. Show and te l l your young cooks what they wi l l be doing. A v isual demon-strat ion is as impor tant as verbal d i rec t ion, so k ids can be c lear on and imitate the steps you model .

Create Expectations

Immediately at the start of cooking with a group of kids, share your expec-tations with them. For example, let them know that they will need to listen carefully, that they will need to share equipment or ingredients at times, and that they must show each other courtesy and patience. Ask your group if they can agree to your rules. This is especially helpful if kids break their agreement, as you could remind them of the agreements they made. Mostly, though, kids are delighted to have an opportunity to cook, and their atten-tion is usually focused so they can be quite proud of their results.

General Advice

6 INGREDIENT

Age Appropriateness Having real ist ic expec tat ions for a cook ing par t y helps create better expe -r iences for ever yone. Chi ldren as young as age 2 can par t ic ipate, given that ac t iv i t ies are planned to match the developmental sk i l l s of d i f ferent ages.

Preschoolers With l imited motor sk i l l s and focus, young chi ldren wi l l be most successful creat ing food ar t or assembl ing a food rather than cook ing something by combining mult iple ingredients. Hands- on cook ing t ime should be kept to 15-20 minutes. Successful ac t iv i t ies might include mak ing pizza (with pre -made pizza dough) , chocolate covered marshmal low lol l ipops or decorat-ing mini - cupcakes which have a l read been f rosted. I ndiv idual projec ts that give chi ldren access to tools and ingredients without the need to wait or share is best .

Elementary School Age Younger chi ldren wi l l revel in the creat iv i t y that c lever food ar t and food assembly projec ts provide. Examples include cupcake or cook ie decorat ing. Chi ldren can be instruc ted in how to use tools l ike piping bags and deco -rat ing t ips. Older chi ldren can help with other par ts of the process, l ike color ing f rost ing with food color ing or mak ing f rost ing f rom scratch. O ther projec ts inc lude mak ing miniature lasagnas, quesadi l las or loaves of bread. I ndiv idual ized projec ts are best . Hands- on cook ing t ime should be kept to 30-45 minutes. Chi ldren are more pat ient and can share tools and ingre -dients. Older e lementar y school age chi ldren can handle mult iple s imple cook ing projec ts, l ike mak ing an entree ( to eat at the cook ing par t y) and a t reat ( to br ing home) .

Tween Older chi ldren wi l l be more able to work col laborat ively to t ruly cook foods f rom scratch. More advanced cooks can work together with adult super vi -s ion to prepare a wel l - rounded meal with a menu of mult iple courses. With more focus and attent ion, o lder cooks can complete more steps in the pro -cess of any ac t iv i t y, f rom mak ing cupcakes and f rost ing f rom scratch to mak ing pasta and sauces f rom scratch.

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Planning and Preparation At least 24 hours in advance conf i rm number of guests and any a l lergies or food sensit iv i t ies they may have. Shop for ingredients you need. Por t ion ingredients or make recipes in advance i f necessar y. Safe, l ight , unbreak able, easy to pass containers are necessar y so k ids can share eas i ly. Consider disposable paper or st yrofoam for easy c lean up. Assemble a l l the utensi ls and suppl ies you’ l l need.

Physical Space Each chi ld needs a work space roughly the s ize of a placemat. This space might be on a counter top or stable fo lding table at a comfor table work ing height ; avoid a l lowing chi ldren to stand on chairs or stools . The avai lable workspace should dic tate the number of guests you can comfor tably and safely accommodate. Use disposable tablecloths or butcher paper to protec t tables and contain messes.

Smart Reminders

Be patient .Be enthusiastic .

Engage the kids by asking them questions.Explain your rules and exp e ctations

Let kids know that they can ask you questions.Recruit help. Ask older siblings or friends to

assist you when hosting a kids' cooking party. Fun is b etter than p erfe ction.

Promote FairnessTr y to perpetuate fa i rness by mak ing sure each chi ld gets indiv idual attent ion and an oppor tunit y to take a turn dur ing recipe preparat ion.

Invitations While invitat ions are a fun way to announce the theme of a par t y, when i t comes to cook ing, they are impor tant for giv-ing and gather ing l i fe or death information. Be sure to include the fol lowing l ine : P l e a s e l e t u s k n o w i n a d va n ce o f a n y f o o d a l l e r g i e s , s e n s i t i v i t i e s o r p r e f e r e n ce s. You might f ind that guests may be lac tose intolerant or ko -sher or vegetar ian, and k nowing in advance wi l l a l low you to plan.

I t i s impor tant that your guests k now that they wi l l be attending a cook-ing par t y so they may dress appropr iately, so state this c lear ly on the invitat ion. You might even ask guests to br ing an apron or o ld shir t to use as a cover up.

8 INGREDIENT

aPizza PartyDo-it-Yourself

9

a A Hands-on PlanYou can make as many of the e lements needed for pizza as make sense for the ages of your cooks and the amount of t ime you have. I t i s ok ay to pur-chase dough and sauce. I t is also okay to make a demonstration batch of dough or sauce with your young cooks, but use dough or sauce that has been premade. I f you want to create a mini-cooking lesson rather than food-play, start yeast with sugar and explain to k ids what is happening while they observe.

What you need : Pizza dough, por t ioned into a smal l bal l for each par t ic ipantCheese (2 k inds, mozzarel la and mi ld cheddar)Pizza sauce Toppings : p epp ers, onions, pineapple, mushro oms, ol ives, bro ccol i , spinach, to -mato es, p epp eroni . Provide an assor tment; however most k ids wi l l mainly use cheese; purchase small quantit ies of vegetables, but wider variet y from salad bar Foil or parchment paper Permanent marker (Sharpie ) Write each chi ld's name or init ials on the foi l or parchment paper. Explain to them that they should form their dough on the foi l or parchment paper, but leave their names vis ible. Invite young cooks to begin the f irst step of mak ing a pizza, forming the dough. They should not have access to other ingredients yet. Once dough is formed, invite young cooks to add their pizza sauce. Provide mini-spatulas or spoons so they can spread it evenly. Shred cheese and provide cheese and toppings so young coks can create their individual pizzas. Ask them to take t ime and consider their toppings, and maybe even go around and ask ever yone to share their favorite pizza topping combinations.

Let's Do ItCook ing is a terr i f ic way to enter ta in k ids and adults . A cook ing bir thday par t y wi l l keep k ids and parents ac t ively engaged. Pizza par t ies are especia l ly fun and can be a way to keep k ids (and non-footbal l watchers) occupied at a Super Bowl par t y.

10 INGREDIENT

Buy cheese in a block and cut a small chunk of cheese for each young cook in advance. Al low them to take turns using a rotar y grater to shred cheese. Older chi ldren can use a box grater.

I f a chi ld has an a l lergy (say, dair y) , you can ac-commodate by buying an a l ternat ive l ike soy cheese for that chi ld. You can of fer to make accommodations for guests with food a l lergies or sensit iv i t ies, or ask to have that chi ld ’s par-ent send their chi ld to the par t y with a suitable replacement. Though i t may feel impol i te, the latter i s best in cases which may be l i fe threaten-ing; parents of ten want and need to have that level of control over their chi ld ’s food.

Don’t forget that cook ing, and k ids cook ing par-t ies in par t icular, is par t theater. Keeping k ids interested and involved can be as s imple as incor-porating steps such as star t ing yeast and giving them turns to k nead the large bal l of dough.

Lo cal restaurant s and bakeries can b e gre at re -s ources for ingre dient s and supplies ( for example , get dough, sauce and pizz a b ox-es from a lo cal pizzeria ) .

More Pizza D-I-Y

Easy Pizza SauceMakes about enough for 6 mini-pizzas 2 tablespoons ol ive oi l1 clove of gar l ic, minced1 can (32 ounce) crushed tomatoes¼ teaspoon dried oreganopinch teaspoon saltpinch teaspoon pepperpinch teaspoon sugar

Combine ingredients in a bowl and set aside for 15 minutes before using to let f lavors mingle.

11

K ids wi l l of ten eat “ lef t-over ” toppings—a great oppor tunit y to sample something new.

K ids can help with mise en place of toppings with a food processor or safet y mandol ine. K ids ages 14+ can handle more demand-ing k ni fe handl ing to prep/chop ingredients.

K ids ages 10+ might ap -preciate a more sophist i -cated selec t ion of p izza toppings, l ike f resh moz-zarel la and basi l .

12 INGREDIENT

aChocolate PartyDo-it-Yourself

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a

For some people, the taste of chocolate is pure happiness. I ts sweet taste, i ts smooth melt ing tex ture, what ’s not to love? I f you love chocolate, having a chocolate -themed par t y would be an amazing way to celebrate your bi r thday with f r iends!

Goodies for Guests Ideas for EatsChocolate cake or choc-

olate cupcakes, with chocolate ice cream, of course! Chocolate mi lk i s a fun bever-

age. Make chocolate fondue or have an a l l

chocolate sundae bar !

Giv ing par t y guests a l i t t le take -home treat i s a n ice idea. Share your enthusiasm for chocolate. M aybe give : a small bag of treats from a chocolate candy buffet a jar of homemade hot fudge a chocolate bar with a customized label

Let's Do It

A Hands-on PlanAs a true connoisseur of chocolate, you want to explore the many varieties of choc-olate with a Chocolate Tasting. Prepare for a tasting before your guests arrive.

Get 5-6 di f ferent t ypes of chocolate, f rom dark to mi lk to white chocolate, to chocolate with high cocoa content to chocolate bars f rom around the wor ld. Break each bar into ver y smal l squares. Give each of your guests a piece of paper and penci l . Star t with one chocolate sample and ask ever yone to taste i t . Te l l them to let i t melt on their tongues to concentrate on the f lavor and what they do and do not l ike about i t . Ask ever yone to wr i te down their rat ing f rom 1 to 10 for that sample, with 10 being the best . Do this with each t ype of chocolate, and dr ink a l i t t le water before each new sample to c leanse the f lavor f rom the mouth. Ta lk about your favor i tes and see i f your f r iends l ike the same chocolate that you do!

14 INGREDIENT

More Chocolate D-I-Y

Try fruit like banana chunks and strawber-ry halves, plus tiny cookies, pretzels, marshmallows and crispy rice treats for dipping.

Easy FondueMakes about 20 ser vings What you need: 16 ounces dark , sweet or semi-sweet chocolate 1 ½ cups hal f and hal f or cream 1 teaspoon vani l la How you do i t : I f you have a fondue pot , break chocolate into pieces and put in pot . Add cream and vani l la and st i r gent ly unt i l melted.

I f no fondue pot , break chocolate into pieces and put in a microwave -safe

bowl. M icrowave on reduced pow-er in 30 second inter vals , s t i r r ing chocolate unt i l i t begins melt ing. St i r in cream and vani l la , and mi-crowave for 15-30 seconds or un-t i l mix ture is completely melted

and smooth.

M ake invitat ions that show off chocolate! Tr y attaching a smal l chocolate candy bar. Hand del iver invitat ions so chocolate doesn’t melt . Get a book on chocolate and learn how choco -late is made. Did you k now the pods which hold the cacao f rom which chocolate is made grow on trees?

A chocolate -themed par t y is per fec t for cel -ebrat ing Valent ine 's Day. Go a l l out and ask your guests to dress in c lothes that are brown. Decorate your par t y table with shades of brown.

15

During your party, make chocolate marshmallow lollipops or choc-olate-dipped pretzel rods and package them for guests to take home as a favor. An adult should carefully melt candy pellets (available at most craft stores) in the microwave. Pour a little melted chocolate in an individual bowl for each child. Give each child lollipop sticks and waxed paper. Show children how to skewer a marshmallow and dip it in chocolate and lay it on the waxed paper. While still melty, sprinkle with toppings like j immies, coconut, crumbled cookies or mini-M&Ms.

Make a Take-Home Treat

16 INGREDIENT

aIngredient PartyDo-it-Yourself

17

Make ingredients and cook ing take center stage by prepar ing a meal dur-ing your par t y ! L ike a group of f r iends who come together for a par t y, d i f -ferent ingredients come together to create something new and fantast ic . Truly a cook ing par t y, focus on learning and prac t ic ing a bas ic sk i l l and creat ing a del ic ious meal . This t ype of par t y is best suited for smal l groups. Plan a menu in advance together, crowd-source your ingredients f rom the group and make your own dinner—an innovat ive t wist on the old-fash-ioned pot luck!

A Hands-on PlanPer fec t for k id foodies who are fans of cook ing shows, give them some cre -at ive f reedom to plan a menu. Pr ior to the day of your cook ing par t y, guide young cooks into creat ing a menu that i s balanced and manageable. A s imple pasta dish and a sa lad with homemade dress ing is a sat is fy ing meal that requires prac t ic ing good basic cook ing sk i l l s . Young cooks can learn the impor tance of mise en place, or prepar ing a l l necessar y ingredi-ents in advance. Look for rec ipes that inc lude lots of chopping to prac t ice k ni fe sk i l l s , i f age appropr iate.

Let's Do It

Cook with your guests or f i lm your own cook ing show video before guests come and show i t dur ing your par t y ! Better yet , f i lm a cook ing show video

with your par t y guests !aGuests will be impressed with their skills as they cook their own meals!

Invitations

Fun Party Activity

Along with your invitat ions, inc lude blank recipe cards and ask your f r iends to wr i te down their favor i te rec ipes and br ing to the par t y. Make a cook book scrapbook to keep that inc ludes each recipe.

A great par t y favor is a copy of I n g r e -d i e n t magazine! Find k id-f r iendly rec ipes per fec t for a hands- on cook-ing par t y.

More Party Tips

18 INGREDIENT

More Ingredients D-I-YPrac t ice learning how to adjust seasoning and f lavors. As you cook , per iodical ly taste and de -c ide i f your rec ipe needs more sa l t or spices. Adjust the amount, and then taste again . Ask your f r iends what their favor i te foods are. S ometimes you can learn about something you have never tasted before. Perhaps your f r iend can teach you how to cook i t .

The publ ic l ibrar y is a great resource for f ind-ing great rec ipes. Look at books in the k ids ' and adults ' sec t ions, as wel l as at magazines. Does your local l ibrar y have I n g r e d i e n t ? Ask them to subscr ibe!

Really Quick Meat Sauce ser ves 4-6 What you need: ½ green bel l pepper, chopped ½ smal l onion, chopped ½ teaspoon gar l ic , minced 1 pound ground beef 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce 1 teaspoon f resh basi l , minced

How you do i t : I n a saucepan over medium

heat , cook pepper, onion and gar l ic unt i l sof t . Add beef and cook unt i l browned. Add tomato sauce and basi l . St i r, and then reduce temperature to a s immer. Al low sauce to

s immer for 10-15 minutes.

Cooking with friends is a social experience. Do focus when you need to, especially when completing some task like using a knife. Safety first !

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Caesar Salad4 ser v ings

What you need: dress ing: ¼ cup mayonnaise ¼ cup mi lk 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, f inely grated 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon mustard 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce ½ teaspoon gar l ic sa l t¼ cup croutons 4-6 cups of Romaine lettuce, cut into pieces f resh pepper to taste How you do i t : Whisk dress ing ingredients together and toss with croutons and Romaine. Plate sa lads and top with f resh pepper, i f you wish.

Some recipes for Caesar sa lad include anchovies or raw egg, t wo ingredients many people don' t l ike? What about you?

Raspberry Vinaigrette Salad DressingThis makes a great topping for a quick sa lad. Tr y baby spinach leaves tossed with pineapple bits , man-dar in oranges and chopped pecans with this del ic ious dress ing.

About 8 ser v ings

What you need:

¼ cup canola oi l1 cup apple c ider v inegar1 cup raspberr y preser ves

How you do i t : Combine ingredients in a jar. Tight ly screw on l id. Shake unt i l combinedToss with sa lad ingredients in a large bowl.

20 INGREDIENT

aGrow It, Cook ItDo-it-Yourself

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a

G ardening is a great ac t iv i t y for the summer growing season, but i t can be an ac t iv i t y that ex tends throughout the year. By keeping k ids connec ted to gardening projec ts, they remem-ber that food comes f rom the ear th , and not just f rom pack ages, pouches, bott les and cans.

Par t of the fun of food is growing i t . Potted seeds are just the beginning of the fun. Plant

some to take home and tend, and then make a meal out of a grown vers ion of the vegetable or herbs planted.

Goodies for Guests Produce ChallengeMost k ids can recognize

broccol i , potatoes and corn, but what about Japanese eggplant , Romanesco broccol i

or purple f inger l ing potatoes? Pick out some

unusual produce to t r y.

A l ittle thank you gift is a thoughtful token of appre -ciation for your guests. M aybe give : a a basil plant a packet of seeds a jar of homemade salsa

Let's Do It

A Hands-on PlanDo you have an Apr i l b i r thday? How about celebrat ing i t with an Ear th Day themed par t y? Even i f you don' t , gather up your f r iends, get outs ide, appreciate nature, and throw an environmental ly f r iendly bi r thday par t y for the Ear th .

You could:pick up trash in the park ,go bird watching,hike in a nature preser ve,plant seeds,make craf ts f rom rec ycled i tems,star t a compost heap,sketch the landscape,organize a scavenger hunt , and then cook something amazing to eat together !

22 INGREDIENT

More Grow It D-I-Y

Dirt & Worms Cupcakes A per fect treat af ter a day spent digging in the dir t .

What you need: cupcakes f rost ing chocolate sandwich cook ies gummy worms How you do i t : Prepare your favor i te cup -cakes and f rost ing. Crush chocolate

sandwich cook ies in a bowl us ing a wooden spoon.

Generously f rost a cupcake and gent ly press i t into the crushed cook ie "dir t ." Top with a gummy worm.

M ake invitat ions that preview what you are going to do by adding a packet of seeds. Vis i t a farmer 's market , garden, orchard or arboretum.

I nvite f r iends to plant in your garden and give them veggies when they f inal ly grow. M ake a mini - greenhouse or terrar ium.

Plant seeds at your par t y and send them home as par t y favors.

B e eco-conscious. What can you upcycle? Make seedling pots from yo-gurt containers. Paint rocks to make garden markers. Use food waste to start a com-post pile.

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Tortellini Primavera

This rec ipe is great for t r y ing new

vegetables. I n-stead of zucchini , t r y eggplant or asparagus. For a

saucier d ish , add a ¼ cup of the

pasta water when you add the tor te l l in i

and cheese. S er ves 6 What you need: 1 tablespoon ol ive oi l2 tablespoons gar l ic , minced½ cup onion, d iced1 cup broccol i f lorets1 cup yel low squash, s l iced1 cup zucchini1 cup tomatoes, d iced½ cup red bel l pepper, d iced½ cup green bel l pepper, d iced½ cup snow peas¼ teaspoon sal t¼ teaspoon pepper1 (8 ounce) pack age of cheese tor te l l in i¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated¼ cup f resh basi l , f inely chopped How you do i t :Prepare tor tel l ini according to pack-age directions. Place a large sk i l let over medium heat. Add ol ive oi l , gar l ic and onion and sauté unti l on-ions are soft . Add broccoli , yel low squash and zucchini and cook unti l vegetables begin to soften. Add the rest of the vegetables, season with salt and pepper, and cook unti l al l vegetables are tender. Add tor tel l ini and cheese and toss with vegeta-bles so cheese melts. Top with basi l .

Teaching k ids about the benef i ts of l iv ing an eco - conscious l i fest y le is both fun and reward-ing for parents and k ids.

24 INGREDIENTaCupcake PartyDo-it-Yourself

25a

Maybe the quintessent ia l k ids’ par t y t reat i s the cupcake. Cake and f rost ing and toppings—the sweet confec t ion can be a blank canvas for ar t ist ic cul inar y creat iv i t y and pat is-ser ie pass ion. S ince cupcakes wi l l be an inevitabi l i t y, why not let k ids make them as the main event?

Fun for Guests Ideas for EatsAl l ow g u e s t s to b r i n g

h o m e t h e i r d e co rate d c re at i o n s a n d at t h e p a r t y s e r ve a n a s -s o r t m e nt o f f l avo r s

o f m i n i - c u p c a k e s a l o n g w i t h t a l l , co l d

g l a s s e s o f m i l k .

Love those cupcake competit ion te levis ion shows? Have each guest make a cupcake for your cupcake competit ion. Provide l i t t le pr izes or cer t i f icates for "most color ful ," "most imaginat ive," "most interest-ing" and more. Award each cupcake decorator one of these specia l honors. They wi l l be ver y proud.

Let's Do It

A Hands-on PlanGive young bakers a br ief lesson in frosting and decorating cupcakes. For a s im-pler par ty, have cupcakes on hand already. Make your own from scratch, use a mix or buy plain cupcakes at a baker y or grocer y store. Bakeries and grocer y stores also often wil l sel l f rosting by the pound, an easy way to avoid more par ty-related prep tasks. Chi ldren wil l enjoy t inting and color ing frosting as a hands- on activity. Frosting a cupcake is a subtractive process rather than an additive one. This means that the best way to avoid getting crumbs in frosting is by adding more frosting than needed and taking it away—subtracting it—rather than adding more.

Demonstrate how to use a piping bag, couplers and decorat ing t ips. Prepare a piping bag by dropping a coupler and t ip in the bag. To f i l l , fo ld the bag ins ide out to create a cuff. Add f rost ing and fold cuff up and t wist bag to c lose. For younger chi ldren, add a rubber band. Expla in how to squeeze f rom the end of the piping bag with consistent pressure. Demonstrate what di f ferent t ips can do, l ike make smal l or large dots, l ines, squiggles and f lowers.

Give each chi ld a work area , a smal l spatula or k ni fe and a toothpick for "sketching" cupcake designs in f rost ing before complet ing a design with pip -ing bags. Provide color ful spr ink les, nonparei l l s and dragees.

26 INGREDIENT

More Cupcake D-I-Y

Basic Buttercream Makes 2 cups ½ cup vegetable shor tening ½ cup unsalted butter 1 teaspoon vani l la ex trac t 4 cups confec t ioners ' sugar 3 tablespoons mi lk

Use an e lec tr ic mixer to beat shor ten-ing, butter and vani l la unt i l i t i s f luf fy. Add sugar by the spoonful whi le mixing on low speed. Once a l l sugar is incor-

porated, add mi lk and mix on medi-um-high speed. Frost ing should be

f luf fy and somewhat st i f f. and microwave for 15-30 seconds

or unt i l mix ture is completely melted and smooth.

Love creativity? Look at books l ike Hello, Cup cake! for instructions on how to make cupcakes decorat-ed to look l ike puppies, owls, penguins and more. Vis it their website at www.hellocupcakebook.com.

Learn unique ways to make different colored frost-ing, including str iping a bag. Use a clean, new paintbrush to paint str ipes inside a piping bag, then add white frosting to the bag. When you squeeze it , str ipes wil l appear. Tint sugar yourself. In a plastic bag, combine a small scoop of white sugar and a few drops of food color ing. Close bag t ightly and then shake to make color uniform. Use to decorate cupcakes.

G et bakery b oxes s o party guests can take home their tre ats t o share with their families .

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Resources

Guess that Spice Get 8-10 envelopes and number them. Place a ½ teaspoon of a dif-ferent spice in each one and seal. Give each guest a piece of paper and penci l . Pass around the envelopes and sniff to see i f they can guess the spice. Ever yone can write down their guesses. The player with the most correct answers can win a pr ize (maybe a basi l or oregano plant to put on his or her window si l l ) .

Party Games

Ingredient Memory Col lec t around 20 common cook ing ingredients on a large t ray or bak-ing sheet . You might include a sa l t shaker, a few chocolate chips, some pasta noodles, unpopped popcorn, honey…raid the pantr y. Cover the t ray with a c loth and place on a table. Give guests 15 seconds to look at the t ray, and then cover i t up. Give guests paper and a penci l and have them wr ite down ever y-thing they remember.

Blind-folded Chef Break guests into t wo teams. B l ind-fold one team and give them 10 di f fer-ent ingredients that they have to ident i fy us ing a l l their senses but s ight . Have players pass the ingredi-ents around and see how many they can guess. Re -peat with the other team, us ing di f ferent ingredients. Fun ingredients inc lude a bag of f lour, an egg, a lem-on, a l ime, uncooked r ice, an eggplant , dr ied beans and pasta noodles.

Shopping

Paper Chef HatsAn apropos par t y hat ! Keep hair out of the way for cook ing. w w w.growingcooks.com

Reusable ApronsGet outf i t ted for cook ing and then let young cooks take their home. w w w.k ng.com

Packaging for TreatsAsk at grocery stores, bakeries or piz-zerias, or find all different kinds of packaging at www.containerstore.com.

Cooking Party InvitationTry www.etsy.com stores printmagic and cardsbycarolyn.

Cake Decorating Supplies Find piping bags, couplers and t ips for creat ive cupcake decorat ing.w w w.wi l ton.com

Chocolate SuppliesFind meltable chocolate wafers and suppl ies at craf t stores or w w w.makenmold.com.

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A per fec t gi f t for any k id who l ikes to cook . S ix i ssues inspire, educate and en-ter ta in young readers ages 6-12 years. Ad-free and with no over t health agenda and a phi losophy of moderat ion.

Loved by even pick y eaters and re luc tant readers !

ISSN 2160-5327

INGREDIENTa magazine for kids curious about food