What's Cooking (or Baking), Doc?

Good evening! So sorry for the late post. I had a very busy day today and didn't have a chance to sit down and write until now.

My mother wasn't exactly a gourmet cook, and the little baking she did left a lot to be desired. As a result, I really hate cooking--the shopping, the preparation, the clean-up, everything about it. However, I do enjoy watching cooking shows such as "Hell's Kitchen," "Master Chef," "The Chew," and "Chopped,"  With the growing popularity of cooking shows, along with the opening of gourmet bake shops over the last few years, it's no wonder that kids are aspiring to be the next Gordon Ramsay or Rachael Ray. With a cooking or baking party, kids can make pizza or cupcakes from scratch and learn valuable math skills at the same time. Every child leaves with homemade goodies. A cooking/baking party can be tailored to all age groups. Below are some fun ideas:

A successful party always starts with a great invitation. From the shop Mary Had a Little Party on Etsy, I love these adorable chef's hat invitations.

All guests at a cooking party should have chef's hats and aprons. When Jessica from Fantabulosity created a cupcake-baking party for a 7-year-old client, she added an apron-decorating station. She also personalize the chef's hats with letter stickers.

Jen from Passion for Parties styled a party for her daughter based on the show "Cake Boss." The party featured a baking challenge, where the guests measured, mixed, stacked, rolled, sprinkled, decorated, and displayed their homemade treats. They also set up an old-fashioned bake shop in keeping with the theme.

The blog Chickabug shares a customer's cooking party for her 5-year-old son. Although they did not do any cooking, they decorated aprons as well as their own cake slices with frosting and sprinkles. The goody bags featured a cookbook for kids, along with cookie mix, a potholder, and gummy "foods" such as fries and ice cream cones.

Pizza is one of the most versatile dishes for kids. There are so many different ways you can make and top a pizza pie. Jen from Sweeten Your Day Events made a pizza party for the kids in her church class. She seat up a table featuring toppings such as mozzarella, pepperoni, pineapple, and olives so each child could make his or her personal pizza.

Another fun activity at any cooking party would be a blind taste-testing contest, as done once each season on "Hell's Kitchen." Food Science Experiments shows you how. Use simple foods like pretzels, cheese, yogurt, fruit, or chocolate.

These are just a few examples of how you can throw a memorable cooking or baking party for your child. There are thousands of cooking schools, bake shops, pizza parlors, and restaurants that host all-occasion cooking parties. Check out the options are in your area!

Now for today's lists:

Black History Month Fun Fact of the Day: When the performer Josephine Baker moved to France, she smuggled military intelligence to her fellow allies during World War II. She achieved this feat by pinning secrets inside her dress, as well as hiding them in her sheet music.

Today's Birthdays: Taylor Dooley (22), Corinne Bailey Rae (36), Kyle Norman (40), Rico Wade (43), Erykah Badu (44), Jennifer Grant (49), Greg Germann (57), Michael Bolton (62), Jonathan Cain (65), Mitch Ryder (70), Bill Duke (72), Paul Cotton (72), and Fats Domino (87).

Holidaze: Once again, we have two foodie days today, National Pistachio Day and National Chili Day. I love pistachio nuts, but I avoid the ones that are dyed red. They tend to get all over my hands. Although pistachios have been cultivated in the Middle East since ancient times, they first arrived in the U.S. in the 1880s.

National Chili Day is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in February. Chili is a favorite dish in cook-offs. With meat, beans, and cheese, chili provides plenty of protein and comfort on a cold day. Chili can be used in hot dogs, hamburgers, baked potatoes, "Frito" pie, and much more.

Today is also National Tell a Fairy Tale Day. This is a day for all to read their favorite fairy tales or make up one of their own. Fairy tales originally catered to an adult audience but became associated with children's literature during the 19th and 20th centuries. Most fairy tales being "Once upon a time. . . ." and end with "Happily ever after. . . ."

We continue our foodie parties tomorrow with my personal favorite, candy.

Have a PRINTASTIC night!

Kathy