Back to School Lunches

Since school has just gotten back in session it's important to remember how important nutritious lunches are. Of course, it helps when they taste great too! I asked some of the moms that work in the library to tell some of their go-to lunch secrets. All of them are concerned with nutrition, but every child has different likes and dislikes. Try some of their tips with you child.

Joanie's kids really wanted Yo-Go's, and since they started making some flavors without high fructose corn syrup or artificial colors and flavors, she's started getting them. She puts them in the freezer as a special cool treat for when they get home from school.

Heather's child will only eat a peanut butter sandwich, and only if it's in the shape of a heart. She's had some creative ways to combat her picky eater: bento boxes, making wrap sandwiches, and cutting veggies into fun shapes. Even though her child wouldn't fall for that last year she's hoping this year will be different.

Lynne's children are younger, so she's involved in making lunch for them at home. Her complaint is they never seem to like the same things at the same time. One thing they do like is to have their lunch be like a sampler plate. Lynn serves whole grain crackers, cheese, lean lunch meat, fresh fruit, veggies and dip. That way the kids can pick and choose what they would like to eat without Lynne having to prepare 4 different meals.

What other things can you do to make lunch special? Jazz up their lunches by having them pick out their own lunch bag. Occasionally do special things like put stickers inside, or write them a little note just to say hi. I still remember the notes my mom would leave in my lunch box. Courtney has a great idea from her childhood too. Make your children a theme lunch. Courtney remembers eating an "all orange" lunch: cheese sandwich, Cheetos (always the puffy ones), carrots, and a clementine.

The Youth Services Department has plenty of great books that will make packing school lunches a snap. Check out some of these titles the next time you're in the library!

Make and Eat Sandwiches & Snacks by Susannah Blake

Emeril's There's a Chef in My Family! by Emeril Lagasse

Cool Lunches to Make & Take by Lisa Wagner

The Cookie Experience Trilogy, Post 3: Cookie Favorites

Keep up the Cookie Baking Spirit! Are you scheduled to bring cookies to many gatherings over the upcoming holidays? Perhaps as many as 10 dozen or more? Don't become overwhelmed. Tune in to the holiday music, preheat the oven, bring out your favorite cookie recipes, and remember, "tis the season to bake cookies!" Your children can join in the fun and help you. If you are looking for some new holiday cookie recipe ideas, here are a few of our favorites to consider trying.

Hershey Kiss Cookies (One of Judy's favorites)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
30 HERSHEY'S KISSES Brand Milk Chocolates
1/2 cup ground almonds, pecans or walnuts

Directions:
1. Beat butter, sugar, egg and vanilla in medium bowl until well blended. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; add to butter mixture, beating well. If necessary refrigerate dough until firm enough to handle.
2. Remove wrappers from chocolate pieces. Heat oven to 350°F. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll in ground nuts. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
3. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until almost no imprint remains when touched lightly in center. Remove from oven; immediately press a chocolate piece into center of each cookie. Carefully remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. Chocolate should be set before storing. About 2-1/2 dozen cookies.

Another favorite holiday cookie recipe of Judy's that can be found online is the classic Candy Cane Cookie recipe from Betty Crocker. Judy also recommends the Vegan Clementine Cookie. A delicious cookie recipe which is being shared for this post by the Vegetarian Librarian (Judy's daughter).

Vegan Clementine Cookies

Ingredients:
7/8 cup vegan shortening
3/4 cup sugar
1 tbs. vanilla
Egg Substitute, the equivalent of 2 eggs
2 cups flour
2/3 cup cornmeal
1/4 tsp. salt

Glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
the juice and zest of 2 clementine oranges
Directions:
Combine dry ingredients in medium sized bowl, set aside. Cream shortening, vanilla and sugar with an electric hand mixer in large bowl. In separate bowl, use electric hand mixer to whip 3 tsp. of egg substitute with 4 tbs. of water until frothy. Add egg substitute mixture to shortening mixture. When combined, gradually add dry ingredients. Drop on ungreased cookie sheet by rounded teaspoons.

Bake at 350 degrees for 12 - 14 minutes, until the bottoms begin to brown. Cool on wire rack.

Combine ingredients for the glaze, adding extra powdered sugar if too thin. Dip tops in glaze and let set on wire rack. Makes approximately 3 dozen cookies.

Now for some favorites from Liz:

Rogaliki (literally meaning little horns because of the cookie's crescent shape)

Ingredients:
1 cup milk, lukewarm
1 cup butter, melted
2 pkgs of dry yeast
1 egg
1 egg for egg wash
4 cups of flour
Jam filling (I like the solo brand almond or raspberry cake and pastry filling or thick jam)

Directions:
Dissolve 2 pkg dry yeast in 1/2 cup of lukewarm milk. Let rest for 10 minutes. Sift flour into bowl. Add yeat mixture, remaining milk, 1 egg (beat with fork before adding), 1 cup of melted butter. Mix to form dough. Remove dough from bowl and divide up, shaping into 4 balls. Cover each part with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Take out one piece at a time and roll out into about 1/4" thick circle on floured surface. Start at the center and cut into eight triangles (like slicing a pie). At base of each triangle, place a teaspoonful of filling and roll up towards peak. Arrange on lightly greased baking sheet, bend the ends towards each other, to create the crescent shape. Take the remiaing egg and beat with fork. Brush rogaliki with egg. Allow to rest for dough to rise a little. Bake at 350 degrees F until golden brown. Yummy!

Pierniki (honey-spice cookies, similar to gingerbread cookies)
Recipe from: The Polish Country Kitchen Cookbook

Since the middle ages, the polish city of Torun has been famous for its baking of honey-spice cookies and cakes. Traditionally, the unbaked dough should rest for weeks to yield the most flavorful cookie. The dough would be prepared around the feasts of St. Andrew (November 29) or St. Lucy (December 13) and then baked on Christmas Day. Presently, this cookie is also popular for the feast of Saint Nicolas (December 6). There are many versions of the traditional recipe, some including ginger.

Ingredients:
2 cups of flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t cloves
2 T butter
1 egg
3 T sugar
1/2 cup honey
1 egg yolk
30 whole almonds

Directions:
Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and set aside. In a large mixer, beat butter with egg, sugar, honey until blended. Add flour mixture and beat until combined. Cover and chill overnight. Next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. On a light floured surface, roll out half the dough at a time to 1/8 inch thickness. Keep remaining dough chilled. Cut with cookie cutters or a glass. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet. Lightly brush cookies with beaten egg yolk. Press 1 almond into center of each cookie. Bake 8-10 minutes. If desired, use a drinking straw to make a ¼ inch hole near the top of the cookies before baking. After baking and cooling, thread ribbon through the hole and tie a bow or make a loop for a tree ornament. Also, icing or glazes can be used for decorating these cookies. My favorite is Nutella!

The Cookie Experience Trilogy, Post 2: Give the gift of cookies

Does thinking about holiday gift exchanges with family and friends make you wish that you could blink and gifts would be magically sitting right in front of your eyes just waiting to be delivered?

With today's economy making money tight for many right now, a good gift suggestion that costs little but is always received with much appreciation is homemade cookies! Taking the time to bake cookies for somebody to enjoy is a thoughtful, relatively inexpensive way to say "Happy Holidays."

One way to have fun while creating the cookies for gifts is to plan a party and invite an eager group of cookie bakers to attend.

A great book that gives suggestions on how to host a cookie party as well as providing good recipes and information on how to package cookies for gift giving is The Greatest Cookies Ever by Rose Dunnington. Two other excellent choices for recipes to try are Batter Up Kids : Delicious Desserts by Barbara Beery as well as Bake and Make Amazing Cookies by Elizabeth MacLeod.

A great website with recipes that kids can help with is The Best Christmas Cookie Recipes Ever.

Coming up soon in the third part of the Cookie Experience Trilogy we will share our favorite cookie recipes with you!

The Cookie Experience Trilogy, Post 1: Teaching Values

One of many favorite Christmas memories has been baking with my mom and grandma. I can close my eyes and remember the warm kitchen, mixing and kneading doughs, and of course the sweet aroma of spices as the wait continues for the first bite. Every year, especially at Christmastime, we took the time to bake my favorites: of course sugar cookies (the decorating possibilities are endless) and also a mix of Polish cookies- jam filled, chrusty, poppyseed and kolaczki to name a few.

And so, when I first saw the cover of Cookies: Bite-Size Life Lessons by Amy Rosenthal I had to take a peak...and I loved every bite or I should say page of it!

This book is a sweet surprise in that there are no recipes; instead the wonderful cookie is a means for defining the life lessons and values we teach and model for our children every day. Now, as a mother, I can definitely see how one simple and fun activity can lead to moments of understanding, moments of patience, generosity, cooperation, fairness and contentment. Yes, the cookie experience can really accomplish it all at any time of the year. This book leaves you with the sweet taste of many of your memories of cookies and sharing time together.

Perhaps it was the special memories of Amy Rosenthal's own holiday baking that naturally lead to Christmas Cookies: Bite-Size Holiday Lessons. A Christmas celebration that defines life's lessons of hope, to be charitable, perseverance, moderation and even frustration! A sugar cookie recipe is included. These books are beautiful with illustration, words and message.

So let's get started with those holiday memories of baking with your children- from the youngest to your teenager! Enjoy this Thumbprint cookie recipe from the book, FamilyFun's Cookies for Christmas.