Erdman Preschool

WHAT’S COOKING AT ERDMAN?

We do a lot of cooking here at Erdman and we thought you’d be interested in learning why. Much of this article comes from an old Newsletter but it is just as true and relevant today as it was a number of years ago. And just as much fun!

Cooking provides an opportunity to work in a small group and children learn best when they are actively involved in a project. Social and language skills develop as children discuss the process and take turns. While handling the ingredients we discuss the smells of spices, where they come from, the harvesting of vegetables, how things look and feel and similarities and differences -–it looks like flour, but is it? Time elements are also involved. Today we chop the vegetables and cook the soup. Tomorrow we will share the soup with our parents. First we measure the flour and then we add the milk. We observe the changes from dry to wet ingredients, from liquid to solid, from cold to hot. We identify and classify ingredients and utensils. Lots of beginning math takes place with all the counting and measuring that children do as they prepare the recipe. Small and large muscles are developed as we cut, pare, chop, scrape, beat and mix. Having a delicious homemade snack encourages children to try and to appreciate healthy, new foods.

We write out recipes and point out different letters and sounds. Here are several favorite recipes that we use for alphabet activities. They are easy and delicious. Enjoy!

Hermits
Cream ¾ cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg
¼ cup molasses

Add 2 ¼ cup flour
2 tsp. soda
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. ginger
½ tsp. cloves
about 1 cup raisins

Roll in ball and divide into fourths. Form into strips on 2 ungreased cookie sheets. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake 10 –12 minutes. Cut when slightly cool.

Lemon Bread
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 ½ cups flour
½ cup milk
½ cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. baking powder
1 lemon rind grated
salt
GLAZE: ½ cup sugar and juice from lemon

Mix all ingredients (except glaze) together. Pour into greased and floured loaf pan. Bake 50 –60 minutes at 350 degrees. Spread glaze over bread while still warm.

Pretzels
1 pkg. yeast
4 cups four
1 ½ cups warm water
1 T. sugar
1 T. salt
1 egg

Mix yeast, water, sugar and salt. Stir in flour and knead dough. Cut off lumps and roll into ropes for pretzels. Create any letter you wish. Brush with egg. Sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake at 425 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Makes about 24 pretzels.

Harvest Chocolate Bark
Recipe Source: Heather Peracchi, former Erdman Mom

1 cup of Sugar
2 sticks of Salted Butter
Premium Saltine Crackers – 1 sleeve of crackers
12 oz. bag of Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
8 oz. bag of Heath Bar English Toffee Bits

1. Line a baking sheet with foil.
2. Place crackers on baking sheet in rows.
3. Melt butter and sugar in small saucepan on stove.
4. Pour butter mixture over crackers.
5. With spatula, gently spread mixture over crackers.
6. Place in preheated 400 degree oven for 3 minutes, until bubbly.
7. Remove from oven, sprinkle chocolate chips over crackers.
8. Place in oven for 1 minute.
9. Remove and gently spread melting chocolate over crackers.
10. Sprinkle the toffee bits evenly while chocolate is still hot.
11. Let cool. Cover with Saran Wrap and freeze.
12. Remove from freezer, break by hand into bite size pieces (approximately 65 per batch) and place on tray. Be sure to keep in refrigerator till serving on trays, as butter will melt.

Note: Since the recipe can be easily frozen and thawed, this is a make a head recipe.

Cranberry Pumpkin Mini Muffins
4 eggs
2 cups pumpkin puree
1 cup vegetable oil
4 cups sugar
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups cranberries
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In bowl combine eggs, pumpkin puree and oil. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Add cranberries and mix well. Divide dough into mini muffin baking cups. Bake for 50 minutes.
Makes approximately 72 mini muffins.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Red Bell Pepper Puree
1 T. olive oil, plus more for roasting
1 1/2 lbs butternut squash, peeled and sliced for roasting (@ 1 inch thick)
2 large onions (@ 1 lb) peeled, chopped
5 cups canned vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
1 t. dried oregano
1/2 t. ground nutmeg

1. Coat squash slices with oil, lay in roasting pan. Roast 25-30 minutes at 400 degrees, until browning on bottom edges.
2. While squash is roasting, in large soup pot, saute onions in 1 T. olive oil until tender, about 10 minutes.
3. Add broth, bay leaf, oregano, and nutmeg and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer about 20 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and discard bay leaf.
5. Add squash to soup pot, and puree (a hand blender works well, right in the pot). Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Red Bell Pepper Puree
1 large red bell pepper
3 T. canned vegetable broth
1/2 t. ground coriander

1. Char bell pepper over gas flame or in broiler until blackened on all sides.
2. Wrap in paper bag and let stand 10 minutes.
3. Peel, seed, and coarsely chop.
4. Combine pepper, broth, and coriander in blender and puree.
5. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

• Soup is served with a small touch of the puree, for color and taste.

Harvest Caramel Corn
Recipe Source: Cottage Living Magazine

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
¼ cup light corn syrup
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
½ cup (2 oz.) sliced almonds, toasted (optional)
12 cups popped popcorn

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
2. Combine first five ingredients in a small saucepan.
3. Cook over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.
4. Bring to a boil.
5. Cook, without stirring, 8 minutes or until sugar reaches 260 degrees on a candy thermometer.
6. Remove from heat: quickly stir in baking soda and vanilla.
7. Pour hot caramel over popcorn, add almonds (optional), and quickly coat popcorn.
8. Spread popcorn mixture on lightly greased baking sheets.
9. Bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour stirring every 10 minutes.
10. Remove from oven, and let cool.
11. Fill each bag with approximately ½ cup of popcorn, secure ribbon and affix label.

Earlier Is Not Better

Many parents are concerned when their children aren't learning letters and numbers. They feel that ditto sheets and homework in preschool programs will prepare their children for elementary school.

We could give your children workbooks. We could make them memorize the alphabet. We could drill them. We could test them. But we know that if we do, your children are going to lose something very important.

Children who are rushed into reading and writing too soon miss important steps in learning and may suffer later on because they lack the foundation they need for using language. Children who are taught to read in preschool may be able to sound out and recognize words, but they may also have little understanding of what they are reading. If they haven't been given time to plan, they won't have explored objects enough to know what words (like "hard, harder, hardest") mean. If they aren't allowed to string beads, button, dress up, cut, paste, pour, and draw, they won't develop the small muscle skills they need for writing.

Because math involves more than memorizing facts (like 2+2=4), because it involves logical thinking, children shouldn't be pushed into paper and pencil arithmetic too soon. To acquire the foundation for logical thinking, children need many opportunities to count objects, sort them into piles, and add some to a pile and take some away. It is by playing games like these that they will learn to truly understand addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication. Without these concrete experiences, children may give correct answers, but probably won't understand what they are doing and why.

Worst of all, if children are rushed into academic subjects too soon, they may lose their enthusiasm for learning and lose their sense of themselves as learners. If children are told what to learn and memorize by the teacher, they may become more passive and dependent learners, and be less excited about learning something new. Children who are given plenty of time to play, however, learn to ask their own questions and figure out their own answers. They are responsible for their own learning. They see themselves as explorers, discoverers, problem solvers, and inventors.

CHILDREN NEED...

APPRECIATION
For all they bring into our lives
BALANCE
Somewhere between too much and too little
COMMITMENT
It’s the little things we do each day that matter
DREAMS
To touch the future
EMPATHY
Remember what it was like to be child
FAMILY AND FRIENDS
Everyone needs someone to love
GUIDANCE
Actions speak louder than words
HEALTHY HABITS
To nurture body, mind and spirit
INSPIRATIONS
To explore beauty, wonder and mystery
JOY
Sprinkle laughter and happiness daily
KINDNESS
To learn to care for others as they are cared for
LIMITS
Set boundaries and consequences together
MENTORS
To give wings to their aspiration
NATURE
To delight in rainbows, butterflies and shooting stars
OPPORTUNITIES
To discover what truly makes their hearts sing
PLAY
The “work” of childhood
RESPONSIBILITIES
To build self-esteem and self-confidence
SECURITY
Feeling safe is essential to growth
TRADITIONS
Keep the family tree alive and sprout new branches
UNCONDITIONAL LOVE
For who they are, not for what they do
VALUES
Live yours and encourage them to find theirs
WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT
You can do it, I believe in you!
XXOXOXO’S
Hug and kiss them each and every day
YOU
Your presence more than your presents
ZZZZZZZZZ’S
A good night’s sleep

Written by Merji Stewart

Here are three of our favorite recipes that you and your child can enjoy making and using when the winter weather keeps you inside. You probably already have all the ingredients in your kitchen cupboard!

Playdough
2 cups of flour
1 cup of salt
4 t. cream of tartar
A little oil

Color with paint of food coloring if desired.
(Don't use blue paint - it smells!)
Mix together and then cook until thick.
Cool and have fun!

Cornstarch Dough
1 cup of cornstarch
2 cups of baking soda
11/4 cups water

Mix and cook over low heat until thick like mashed potatoes.
Can be painted when dry.
It's great for air-dried beads and other small objects.

Goop
Cornstarch
Water

Mix together until "goop" consistency.
Color with paint of food coloring if desired.