momstown Milton Jr Chefs learned how to make quick and easy meals with Chef Boyardee

This month our momstown Milton  Jr. Chefs were eager to get busy in the kitchen at our Chef Boyardee Sponsored Event. The moms were interested in finding out just exactly how they could take this out of the can product (with  no preservatives)  and turn it into a nutritious and delicious meal that the entire family would enjoy.

On the menu was Chef Pizza-Roni Skillet. The kids started off by chopping up the brightly coloured red, yellow and orange peppers. Adding vibrant colours to your food makes it fun and appealing to little ones.

Next we tore up the leaves of  spinach and scooped the olives out of the jar to add in with the other veggies.

The kids then opened the cans of Chef Boyardee Beefaroni, poured it into the bowl and mixed up all of the yummy goodness. The pull tab made it easy for little hands to open up the cans themselves.

Then came the layers. We choose to try out vegetarian pepperoni. We had the kids count out loud as we added each one. I believe we had a grand total of 36! Handfuls of cheese were poured on top and then it was time to heat it all up. I opted to put it in the oven so that I was free to do our craft while we were waiting for it to heat up but you could easily do it in the skillet to save some time.  We also used a disposable foil container - great when you are going to a potluck dinner so that you don't have to worry about dishes!

 

While lunch was heating up we had some fun making tomato plants. What you need:

 

paint brush

paper

green yarn

red and green paint

glue

cans of chef Boyardee

 

We glued on the green yarn to make the vine and then the kids painted the bottom of the cans and stamped them all over to make the tomatoes. The stamp left an outline so they used their brushes to paint it in,. It was great practice trying to keep the paint in the circle. Thumb and finger prints were used to make the leaves.

 

 



 
 We served up the Chef Pizza-Roni Skillet onto whole wheat pitas which the kids had fun rolling up themselves. I wish I had a stop watch on me because the kids cleared their plates in record time! 

This easy to assemble hearty meal is a great go to when you need to whip up something in a pinch.

Here's what our mamas had to say:

"What an easy meal! I never thought of using Chef Boyardee as an ingredient vs a stand alone meal. Laura loved the skillet and ate the whole thing! The event was so fun! Thanks for putting it together!"

J.Sibbitt

"Emily absolutely loved this class! She loved preparing the food and nana was very impressed with the different ideas for chef Boyarde products and we will for sure be trying these recipes. Thanks so much! These recipes are great for busy mamas"

J.Freedman

"My kiddos had a great time preparing and making the casserole! I'd never thought to add anything to a can of pasta before! We will definitely try out more!
My kids loved the meal!! Hannah even requested that we make it again for dinner that night on our car ride home! We actually made it tonight using whatever veggies we had on hand. My hubby also gobbled it up!"

S.White-Ferris

 

 



Thank you Chef Boyardee for such a terrific event! The kids had a blast and loved the free swag they got to take home!

 

 

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

 



Easy, Delicious and Fast Turkey Caesar Salad Wraps that are Kid Friendly.

Today our Jr Chefs enjoyed making Turkey Caesar Wraps courtesy of EtTu Salads. The moms were a little surprised to see salad on the menu and some even admitted that they had not yet introduced salad as a food choice item to their children. When asked why not, the common response was it had not even crossed their mind as a "kids" food. While checking out the package, they were pleasantly surprised to learn that ALL of the ingredients required to make this salad were provided in this grab and go complete EtTu Salad Kit. All you need to do is add the lettuce! They were eager to give it a try and most of all to see if their little ones would eat it?

 

We started off with washing the lettuce. Since we were outdoors we got a little innovative and used spray bottles to complete the task at hand. The kids took their job seriously. Just look at the focus and concentration making sure each piece was properly washed. Spray bottle triggers are great for working on fine motor skills.

Next was tearing the leaves into small pieces. Even our youngest chefs could help to complete this job and there was plenty of leaves to go around. This was a terrific way to keep all siblings occupied, each doing something at the same time and not having to wait their turn.

We then added the convenient ingredients from the kit - multi grain croutons, real bacon bits, Parmesan cheese and creamy Caesar dressing. Voila Easy Peasy!

We decided to get a little fancy and dress it up with chunks of turkey breast, cucumbers, and fresh lemons. The kids had a blast squeezing the wedges and tossing the salad with the tongs to mix it all up.

We grabbed the wraps and stuffed all of the goodness into them - Lunch was served.

Now came the real test, would they eat it? Success! They wasted no time shoving the wraps into their mouths and their messy faces were a testimonial that our Turkey Caesar wraps were a hit.

 

After all of our "hard" work we had some outdoor fun with spray bottle water fights and a dip in the pool.

 

 

 Thank you EtTu for an easy, delicious and fast meal that all of our participants enjoyed!

Don't forget to enter to win a "Stock Up Your Pantry Shopping Spree"!

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: to join in on the fun and be a part of our Milton Community Group!

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.

momstown Milton kids Jr. Chef program - learning to cook chicken quesadilas and salsa

What a great time the kids had this week learning to cook at our momstown Milton Junior Chef program! Our salsa and chicken quesadilla creations were a huge hit. Not only did the kids enjoy eating the food they made with their own hands, the moms were reminded of an easy, nutritious and tasty meal option.

 

We started on the salsa. We learned about two kinds of salsa - salsa fresca, made with fresh tomatoes, and salsa roja - salsa made with cooked tomatoes. We were making salsa roja and our recipe called for fire roasted canned tomatoes.

The children took turns emptying the cans into a food processor. Next we added two green chiles (also the canned version). We took turns measuring out the next ingredients: 1/4 tsp of dried oregano, 1 tsp of salt, 1 clove of crushed garlic, 2 tsp red wine vinegar, 1 tbsp olive oil. After blending in the food processor, we stirred in 2 chopped green onions and 1/4c of chopped fresh cilantro. Our easy and delicious salsa was ready for eating, and we got to work right away with some yummy chips. The salsa was a hit!

While the kids munched on chips and salsa, we got started on our quesadillas. Heating up the tortillas is a job for an adult. We added approx 1/2 tsp of oil to each of our pans (we used one non stick pan, and one cast iron pan). We placed a large flour tortilla in each pan and heated it for 10 seconds per side, flipping to avoid the tortilla getting too browned. The tortillas were removed and placed on plates so that our Junior Chefs could add shredded cheese and diced cooked chicken. The tortilla went back into the hot pan and was folded over and flattened with a spatula. The quesadillas were flipped several times to ensure even melting of the cheese, and even browning of the tortillas. Once they were cut, we were sampling our delicious quesadillas, topped with sour cream and our salsa roja. Several of the chefs and several moms asked for seconds! Success!

Quesadillas are a quick and versatile meal option for our little ones. Tortillas can be kept frozen so that they are always on hand, and defrosted in a matter of minutes. Similar to the idea of a personal pizza, it is a meal option that can be tailored to individual tastes - great for picky eaters!

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.