On Saint Patrick's day my friend and I decided to get in the spirit and make green Rice Krispy treats. We went to the store and got a bag of mini marshmallows and a box of Krisp rice. To make the rice Krispy treats you butter the bottom of a big pot and then pour all the marshmallows and then wait until they are melted. When they are you pour cup by cup of the rice until you've reached six cups. As you pour the cups you are constantly stirring the rice and mixing it in the marshmallows. If you want to get in the spirit and make them green for Saint Patrick's day you can just add green food dye. Its one of my favorite foods! -Mikayla

Last weekend I made crepes for my family. I used the recipe we used in class and they turned out great. At first I had trouble making them the right thickness, but after a while I got the hang of it. I didn't make them that big, so I ended up making alot. To assemble the crepes, first I spread the inside with nutella, which is my favorite part. Next I chopped up some strawberries and put them in the crepes. I then added blackberries, and rolled them all together. Overall, they were easy to make. I had some left over so I put them in the fridge so that my family could heat them up another day because they'd be just as good. Making crepes is really easy and they are delicious! Caroline C.

On Saturday morning my brother and I made pancakes for our family. My brother got all the dry ingredients together and I got all the wet ingrediants together. After that was done we put the wet ingrediants in with the dry and mixed them together with a mixer. My brother plugged in the griddle and turned it up to 350 degrees. As it started to heat up I added in chocolate chips to the batter, which in my opinion is the best part. We started to put batter on the griddle and flipped the pancakes once they started to bubble on each side. Once they were done our whole family had breakfast together and they really loved the pancakes my brother and I made! Emily R.

I have to say, my family has had its share of baking blunders. For instance, when my dad attempted to make a cake for my older sister’s second birthday, when he attempted to make the cake mistaking the baking powder for flour twice the cake turned into melted chocolate goo, melting into the oven twice.

   I’ve had similar blunders; one time for some strange reason my mother moved the salt into a similar container the identical size and shape of the sugar.

   It was the first time I was baking alone and I was excited, so as I measured out the exact ingredients and mixed them together. I was excited and mistakenly put over two cups of salt in the cookies. I had my mother try them, she threw them all away, let’s just say now I don’t make the mistake every again.

   But now I’m sure you must be wondering if I’ve every burned something, and yes. Just before last Christmas my church had a cookie bake sale, my mother asked if I could make three different cookies. My greatest enemy that night was ginger bread men, everything went okay the dough was being uncooperative, so I was a little bit mixed up. I had put the seventh and last sheet of Ginger Bread men and Ginger Bread Cats in the oven but mistakenly forgot to set the timer.

     As I prepared the sugar cookies in the shape of stars onto sheets, I pick up a sheet and was faced with a wall of smoke. I had forgotten about the sheet of ginger bread cookies, I put down the sugar cookies, yelling at my sister to open the door, running outside. Then proceeding to bang the baking sheet on the railing of my deck until all the cookies were in the yard.

   After I came inside I told my mother, “I am never making ginger bread men and cats again, innless I have help” before I finished making all the cookies.

   In the end, the ginger bread men that came out fine, were tasty and everybody enjoy the cookies at the bake sale, though the moral of the story is, when baking cookies make one kind at a time, epically if your kitchen is very small, and really keep your eye on the time. 

Blog Entry #2

            This past weekend my mother made these tremendous brownies. But, they weren’t just brownies there were layers inside these warm moist deserts. Inside you would find a warm, soft, mouth watering oreo. That’s not all! Under that surprising treat was a layer of peanut butter… yes peanut butter the two went together so nicely and it enhanced the taste of the warm, beautifully baked brownie. And in the last layer of this artery clogging cuisine was another soft, warm, and absolutely delicious oreo.

            When you looked at these brownies they looked so ordinary, and my mother had never told me what she was making so I just assumed that they were just… regular…old…dry…brownies. But, to my surprise when I chomped down into this master piece I got a taste of all three different flavors that were jumping around, taste bud, to taste bud. Having a party in my mouth. The chocolate was the first thing I tasted then came the peanut butter, and then to follow up and punch me in the face was the oreos. They were so good and just perfectly baked I couldn’t stop eating them, even though I could just hear my arteries clogging. The taste just took my will power and threw it out the window.

            I wish you could have experienced this magical moment with me, because it just changed my whole out look on the world!

Tim K. 

There are few baked goods that I love more than my mom’s banana bread. I still don’t know how she makes it, but it’s not too sweet and has just the right consistency and amount of banana. The days that I come home to the smell of it in the oven always become instantly better, especially when I see the golden brown loaves come out. My family is not what you would really call “bakers” and we rarely bake from scratch. Even my birthday cakes are made from the funfetti mix and not that I don’t love it, but I think it’s time to branch out. After all the recipes and skills I have learned from this class, I would like to bring them home and share them with my family. Despite all of the Betty Crocker and Toll-house dough cookies, the one thing that my family does bake completely from scratch is the banana bread. I think that’s what makes it one of my favorite deserts, because it so different from any other type of banana bread. I plan on learning the recipe so that I can make for myself, although I’m sure it still won’t taste the same as my moms’. I still can add to the spectrum of dishes my family has by introducing them to the food we've made in class and steering us away from the pre-made store bought stuff. I’m hoping to broaden my horizons and have already started to do so from this class! -Ridhi S.

Late last year when it was time to sign up for classes I was unsure of what to do. I had one spot left to have a class and wanted to do something new and exciting. Ever since middle school in Home Education when we cooked a few meals and made some food, I have had an interest in baking. I have always loved to eat baked products, but I have never really made them, besides cake box mix etc. But this year I wanted to try it so I signed up for baking and pastry. Let me tell you, it is defiantly worth it. I been in it for a little over a month now and it is the best experience ever. It has opened my eyes to something I am not used to. Before this class I never thought I would enjoy baking like this. It was never something that crossed my mind as something I would like to do. So far this year I made so many creations and want to make more. My favorite so far was the New York style pretzels. They were amazing to eat and fun to make. One of the motivations that made me do baking and pastry was Cake Boss the show on TLC. It is a funny show full of Italians that have drama and make great cakes and pastries. I thought it was amazing how they make such detailed cakes that look like real objects but in reality are just food. That right there made me want to do baking and pastry. Being in baking and pastry is just a small step in getting to the goal of making a cake like that. One day I just want to do it. Hopefully in the cupcake challenge my group can make something very interesting and detailed that everyone is blown away with. Basically, baking and pastry is turning out to be a great experience for me and I really want to get somewhere in it eventually and make cool food products. -Ryan King Class 2 

Food is everything you want, love and need.

It keeps you going all day and night long.

Food can be used a prize or a deed

Giving food to homeless there is no wrong

Whether you make it or just eat the food

It is all still very enjoyable.

You can decorate food or leave it nude.

The best kind of food does not have labels.

Pears and berries and bananas, oh my

Fruit salad and a bacon egg and cheese

Or a yummy deli sandwich on rye

I want it all oh please, oh please, oh please.

Baking a big cake is oh so much fun

It may not be healthy but it's yummy.

Do not eat too much you'll have to go run

Cause all that food will stay on your tummy.

Food is there when you are happy or sad

So eat some good and get glad not mad.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Water, flour salt

are in every recipe

baking and pastry. 

Mashed potatoes yum

Colored eggs and some candy

It's an Easter feast.

-Emma B.

As I sit here staring at an empty document, I am wondering if these Shop Rite Oreos will taste like cement. Come on mom cant you splurge? These circular coins don't give me the urge. My favorite cookies on this earth, Has had a makeover and gone through re birth. They don't look the same, but do they taste just as good? Let me just get out a glass of Hood. I begin to dip until the cookie is submerged I bite into it slowly until I am encouraged. I eat more until they are gone, They passed the test, I will eat these till dawn. All my life I have been paying too much It's safe to say that Shop Rite Oreos are very clutch.

I have a French kid staying with me this week, so for breakfast on the first day, we decided to make pancakes-a pretty American breakfast. Usually, my family makes pancakes from mix that comes in a box because it’s easier. However, when I opened the pantry to get out the mix, there wasn’t any. I asked my mom if we could make it from scratch, which is slightly more difficult, but not very. They also taste better when they come from scratch. We had all the proper ingredients, so she agreed and we began to make the pancakes. The batter turned out great, but the French person staying with us is a boy. Everyone knows that boys eat a lot. We needed more batter than we had made, but double that amount would have been too much. Instead, we just added a little more of everything, estimating how much we would need. With that mix it ended up too liquidy, so we added more flour. I wasn’t sure how the pancakes would come out because there hadn’t been any exact measurements. Trying to stay optimistic, we began to fry the pancakes with my mom’s griddle pan. I flipped a few of them (not well) and left the rest for my mom to do. We sat down with a large plate of pancakes, some sausages, and raspberries-a nice balanced meal. My whole family, including the French boy, sat down at the table-something we rarely do for breakfast. I grabbed a pancake and began to eat. They were wonderful! Light and fluffy, with just enough chocolate chips mixed in. The sausage and raspberries were nice compliments, as well. I had three pancakes and was full. But, the French boy had at least 5, maybe 6! That was quite a compliment to my pancakes! If only I had saved my recipe from pancakes in class, I wouldn’t have had to estimate the ingredients and risk my pancakes! But, I’m so proud they came out well, anyway. Cari W.

A Love of Comfort Foods, and their  Deliciousness

Even though this is my first time blogging ever, I would have to say my favorite thing to eat, and make would be comfort foods. Well more specifically my every year holiday Mashed Potatoes.

    Since they are a only in my house a “Holiday Food”  I can only make it on huge holidays, or when my mother determines I should make them. But when I do make sed. Mashed Potatoes, I have to admit I can never really achieve the perfection or the exact or even similar taste to the batch before.

   But I have to admit, making them even though peeling some many potatoes could be tiresome, was delicious  and I don’t think I will stop making them, or complain. But the true secret to making wonderful Mashed potatoes would have to be in the amount of milk you put in the mixer.

  Too much milk or too little can make you end up, with either a big soupy mess or a giant dry ball of mashed up potatoes that have no taste. So the real key procedure is the amount of milk.

    Yeah, I must be rambling but, I love and always have loved making mashed potatoes, either if it’s peeling the potatoes, or chopping and boiling, or my really favorite part is mixing, (including taste testing). I have to say my favorite comfort food is the amazing Mashed Potatoes.

 Rory, S ~

Whenever I go out for dinner, and I find this dish offered on the menu I always give it a try. Let me just say my favorite choice is Franco’s in Newtown Ct. Not only is this pasta cooked to a perfect al dente, they time it to perfection. I think the trick behind their perfect sauce, is that it is made with heavy cream. At other restaurants the sauce is thin, and watery. They use only the freshest ingredients. So don’t waste your time at other restaurants, if you’re like me, and love penne alla vodka,go ahead and try it next time your out! Jenna F.

   I first discovered just how amazing crepes were when I went to Paris just over a year ago. You could get them just about anywhere you went with just about anything on them. We even stopped for dinner at a restaurant that’s sole purpose was to make specialty crepes.

 

 Crepes can be found all over the world but were originally created in Brittany, France. Ones made with buckwheat are traditionally more for savory meals like lunch and dinner. A crepe made with white flour is usually for breakfast and dessert crepes that are sweeter.

-Devon C.