Alexis wrote:
> Okay, here's the deal :-)
>
> I'm trying to seriously revamp the cooking portion of my math, reading,
> and fine-motor development curriculum. I usually have about 24
> students, ages 5 and 6. When we cook, it's in small groups (usually 6
> or so students, depending on what else is going on and how much adult
> help I can get). I don't have ready access to either a stove or an
> oven (we're an old building and our one stove was recently placed "off
> limits" by the fire marshall). Losing the oven -- as old and
> inaccurate and spotty as it was -- is going to mean that I have to get
> rid of quite a few cooking projects that I've done in the past few
> years.
>
> In addition to the benefits to the reading and math programs, cooking
> has also been an important part of my science, art, and health
> curriculums. Alaska children rank pretty low, nation-wide, for their
> overall nutrition and exercise levels, and my students are no
> exception. A big part of what I do is to expose them to food
> alternatives. Our cooking projects are usually the class snack for
> that day, and ideally I try to do one majorish cooking project each
> week.
>
> So here's what I'm looking for -- recipes that are at least
> semi-healthy (no more no-bake cookies <g>) and that can be prepared by
> young children with adult help and that don't require either a stove or
> an oven and which aren't too expensive to make for 24 children (the
> cost is a *big* factor, because we're not allowed to use budget money
> for any food products. Either it gets donated by parents - which
> happens occasionally - or I buy it all myself.
>
> In my classroom I have:
>
> - bread maker (we make bread about once a month already)
> - microwave
> - hand mixer
> - dehydrater
> - blender (I don't have one yet, but I'll either purchase one myself
> for my room, or bring mine in when we need it)
> - toaster oven (Again, I don't have one yet, but it's going into my
> newsletter as a "wish list" item. Hopefully someone will have one
> they're ready to get rid of)
> - hot plate
> - minifridge and I have access to a full-sized fridge and freezer.
> - crockpot
>
> Typically we make things like stop-light jello when we're learning
> about safety signs, alphabet pretzles (back when we had an oven <g>),
> crockpot applesauce, loaves of bread, cut-fruit animals (this is an
> expensive one -- fresh fruit in Alaska isn't cheap -- but the kids love
> it and their creativity shines and they all eat the fruit once they've
> turned it into a sea monster), fruit-bat snacks (generally fruit
> kabobs, ditto the expense note) when we do our Stellaluna unit,
> butter-in-a-jar around Thanksgiving (that's a great one for a
> high-energy day <g>), energy bars, bear biscuits and honey to go with
> Goldilocks (again though, the oven issue now) -- we typically do about
> 30 different cooking projects over the course of the year, and frankly
> *I'm* getting bored with some of them.
>
> I want things that involve preparation that students can do --
> measuring, easy cutting (butter-knife stuff), recipe reading (with
> heavy picture clues -- I do those myself when I make the student
> materials for the project), mixing, timing, and assembly that can be
> done by children. So many of the no-bake recipes I have and that I've
> found are either desserts/cookies/pies or things that need the stove
> (and that doesn't work well with a hot plate -- it's just not quite the
> same. Also, I'm not thrilled with having my students use the hot
> plate. If I were working with one or two students at a time it would
> be different, but with a full class in the room I want to be the only
> one working with the hotplate -- 90% of the time it would be no
> problem, but if there were a burn-accident with the hotplate, well,
> it's not an issue for which I want to be responsible).
>
> Now, if I were being difficult already, I'm also trying to pull away
> from peanut butter based recipes. I haven't had a peanut allergy in my
> room for several years, but peanut butter is expensive and it's good to
> have a solid file of non-nut recipes for when a student with a peanut
> allergy is there.
>
> So I'm drawing on the expertise here. Anybody have tried-and-true
> favorites that fit the above criteria? I've done a lot of Googling,
> but again so much of what I'm finding is dessert oriented.
>
> Thanks, folks!
>
> Alexis
>
How about sprouting seeds? It is healthy, easy, fun, educational and
inexpensive. It is a project that would take two to three days. You can
then use the sprouts in a sandwich or a salad. I am sprouting now
sunflower seeds with my 4-year old daughter and she has a lot of fun
with that.
You could make groups of two or three children and ask them to sprout
each a different type of seeds. I have only experience with sunflower
seeds, but I know there is a number of seeds that can be sprouted in a
couple of days.
To sprout sunflower seeds:
Sunflower sprouts
Category: Salads
1/3 cup hulled sunflower seeds
1. Take hulled sunflower seeds (raw ones, not toasted and salted!)
2. Separate the good ones (unbroken with germ) from the broken ones. My
daughter found out that it is easier to do by arranging them first on
one long row on the table.
3. Soak the good ones in water a couple of hours or overnight. Drain.
4. Rinse and drain (avoid using a colander as it can break the germs).
5. Put in an open container that you place on the side at a small angle
so that the water flows out but the seeds stay in. Let it rest out of
direct sun light.
6. Repeat 4 and 5 two or three times a day.
After one day, the seeds should have sprouted. Eat them before the
roots reach 1/4 inch, as they tend to become bitter when they are long.
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