momstown Milton Junior Chef "On Top of Spaghetti" Event sponsored by Barilla Canada was oodles of fun!

This month we were thrilled to have Barilla Canada sponsor our  monthly Junior Chef event with their new line of Barilla PLUS®!  This new multi grain pasta contains 14 grams of protein, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids AND 24% of your daily recommended fibre!

Not only is this pasta jam packed with nutrients, it is super easy to make in a short amount of time which is PERFECT for  our busy on the go mamas! In fact we were able to make a complete healthy spaghetti and veggie meatball lunch for over 30 mouths in less then 30mins - WOW!  

 

Upon arrival our momstown Milton moms and kids got busy in the kitchen at this hands on event helping chop and dice the veggies, grate the cheese for our garlic bread, pour the Barilla Tomato and Basil sauce and brown the Yves meatless precooked meatballs.

 

We were lucky enough to have Sheena our student helper and Ginny - head of the community services department at Longo's Milton help us out in the kitchen heating up the sauce, sauteing the veggies and cleaning up as we went.

While we waited for the pasta to boil, we decided to have some fun playing with our food by creating some abstract masterpieces with rainbow spaghetti. The kids were inspired by the vibrant colours of purple, blue, green and red. This is a great tactile craft for all ages to enjoy. Be warned that 1 out of 3 kids WILL taste this colourful temptation made with food colouring and oil.

 

We then had a quick lesson on how to eat spaghetti with a spoon and fork. The kids watched with amazement as I twirled the long strands around and around. Our helpers announced that lunch was ready to be served - perfect timing!

We honoured our meal with a rendition of  the song "On Top of Spaghetti" before we dove in. Some tried to mimic the demonstration once served their pasta but most opted to slurp and shovel the yummy goodness into their mouths instead.

 

 

The moms watched intently as the first bites entered their little ones mouths. Would they be able to detect the difference of the added ingredients like lentil and chickpea flour, flax seed, egg whites and oat fibre? I had already been warned that a few of our guests were picky eaters and not to be offended if they did not eat. The results were unanimous - Barilla PLUS® was a win with EVERY child and mom clearing their plate right down to the very last noodle! Some moms had to do a double check and one even looked under the table convinced that her child must have hid his under there while she was not looking.

After the event several of our participants could be seen wandering the isles looking to stock up on the Barilla PLUS® pasta and the sauce to have on hand. Click here for a variety of recipes to help with your meal preparation.  

A big Shout out to Longo's - Milton for hosting our moms and kids for this fun event. Also, huge thanks to Laurie Goodman Photography for the spectacular pictures as always. We have LOTS more pictures of our kids cooking in the kitchen on our Facebook Page.

Did you know that we run a Jr. Chef program every month? It's all included in your $45/year annual momstown membership! Sign up here: http://milton.momstown.ca/user/register to join in on the fun and be a part of our Milton Community Group!
 

momstown Milton Jr Chefs Explore Exotic Fruits!

Our momstown Milton Junior Chefs had a wonderful time being "little explorers"  with new and exotic fruits at our Junior Chef - exotic fruits event!

The beautiful display of colourful fruits on the table caught the eye of everyone. We started off with guessing the name of each fruit.  When we correctly identified the fruit, it was passed around the table for everyone to look at, touch and smell.  Pineapple and mango were easily guessed, but the others were a little more challenging.  The children enjoyed the guessing game, and everyone was happy to hold the fruits in their own hands.  

Once the fruit was passed around, it was time to dig in!  Each child got a butter knife, small plastic plate (or "cutting board") and a small plastic bowl.  It was time to guess what each fruit would look like on the inside!  Almost everyone guessed the papaya would be yellow, but they were surprised to see the beautiful salmon colour and black seeds.  Seeing the white flesh with tiny black seeds inside the dragon fruit (or "monster fruit" as one of our Jr Chefs called it) was surprising when the kids guessed "blue", "yellow" or "red" would be inside the vibrant pink skin.

The fruits we tried today were: Pineapple, dragon fruit, pomegranate, granadilla, mango, papaya, and star fruit.  Most of these fruits were very easy for our Junior Chefs to cut on their own with their butter knives. They also enjoyed picking out the delicious juicy pomegranate seeds from the yellow flesh.  Moms were close by to lend a helping hand, however the kids did a wonderful job making their own fruit salads. It was nice for the kids to be able to decide what they wanted to eat and when!  We were all so proud of them... everyone did such a beautiful job exploring the fruits and bravely tasted EVERYTHING!!
 

Us moms were especially amazed that each and every child tried the slimy, gelatinous yet crunchy, grey pulp of the granadilla (a kind of passion fruit).  Liam's face in the photo below is priceless.  He was a trooper... they all were!!
 

We had a really fun time today at Junior Chef.  It was wonderful to sit at the table for almost an hour, with all of the kids interested and taking part.  A part of the success of the event was the fun, bright and delicious fruit, but letting the children have their own knifes, bowls and cutting boards really seemed to make the experience special.  Sometimes the simple things are just so great.  

To learn more about what momstown Milton is all about - Click Here

To register for a 6 week FREE trial membership - Click Here

If you are a business that would like to sponsor our events or advertise with us please contact info.milton@momstown.ca

 

 

Submitted by Paula Porter, a momstown Milton member and

 mother of two children.

momstown Milton kids learn to make Pizza Dough

Today our momstown Milton Junior Chefs had a great time making their very own pizzas from scratch!

After washing our hands and putting on our aprons, we got to work on our pizza dough. The Jr Chefs took turns measuring out the ingredients:

3.5c flour

1.5 envelopes instant yeast

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1.5c very warm water

1 tbsp olive oil

The dry ingredients were mixed together, then the water and oil were added. The ingredients were incorporated with a rubber spatula, making sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.

Once the dough started to come together, the kids took turns putting flour on their hands to keep from sticking, then dug in to help mix the dough. The next step was to turn the dough out onto a floured table top and start kneading! We learned how to hold our hands together for kneading the dough, then got to work!

 

After the dough is kneaded and feels smooth and elastic, it is put in a clean oiled bowl and left to rise in a warm spot for at least 2 hours (ideally 3+). Cover the surface of the dough with plastic wrap, and place a kitchen towel over the bowl.

Our Junior Chefs were lucky to have magic dough on hand that had already risen, and each chef was given a small portion for making their own personal pizzas. Mamas were on hand with rolling pins to help the little ones put flour on the table and roll out their dough.
 

The fun really began as we started to top our yummy pizzas. The chefs used sauce, shredded cheese, pepperoni and green olives.

The pizzas went into a 500 degree oven for about 7 minutes.The Junior Chefs enjoyed eating their delicious creations. Everyone did such a wonderful job today!

Time saving tip for mamas: For made ahead pizza crusts to have on hand in the freezer, simply roll out personal sized pizzas, bake in 500 degree oven for 3 or 4 minutes (don't let them get brown or crisp, you will be baking them again when you assemble your pizzas). Cool on a rack. When completely cool, stack them up and freeze in a Ziplock bag. When you need one, take it out of the freezer, top it and bake in a 500 degree oven for 5-6 min. This recipe makes enough for 12 kid size pizzas, or two family sized pizzas.

Bon Appetit! See you next month at our Junior Chef program!

 

We would love to have you join us for our Jr. Chef Program next month. A fun way for kiddies to learn measurements and practice mixing and chopping!

Register here for your 6 week FREE trial.