May 15: Chocolate Chip Day

image from twin-tables.com

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Chocolate Dough

Materials/Ingredients:

• Semi-sweet chocolate, 8 ounces
• Light corn syrup, ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon
• Bowl
• Spoon
• Plastic bag
• Vegetable spray or oil
• Airtight container

Directions:

1. Melt chocolate (can be done in microwave).
2. Stir chocolate with spoon until smooth.
3. Stir in corn syrup.
4. The chocolate will stiffen almost immediately, but keep stirring.
5. Transfer to a sturdy plastic bag and refrigerate until firm.
6. Once firm, dough can be worked by kneading. If too hard, cut off small pieces and knead.
7. You can lightly spray working surface with vegetable spray or oil to prevent sticking.
8. Store unused portion in an airtight container and refrigerate.

Source(s): From familycorner.com; featured in Toolbox Training book 100 Cooking Activities for Kids (activity L7).

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Check out the full May calendar. It includes floating holidays, specialty weeks, and specialty months.

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February 24: Tortilla Chip Day

February 24: Tortilla Chip Day

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Nacho Cheese Dip

Materials/Ingredients:

• Cream cheese, 1 8-ounce package
• Sour cream, 1 16-ounce package
• Taco mix seasoning, 1 envelope
• Bowl
• Beater
• Celery
• Onion
• Green pepper
• Tomato
• Knife
• Shredded lettuce
• Shredded cheese, 8 ounces
• 9” x 13” pan
• Chips for dipping

Directions:

1. Beat sour cream, cream cheese, and taco mix well.
2. Chop celery, onion, green pepper, and tomato.
3. Stir in chopped vegetables into the cheese mixture.
4. Spread in pan.
5. Top with shredded lettuce.
6. Serve with chips.

Source(s): From cooks.com; featured in Toolbox Training book 100 Cooking Activities for Kids (activity E9).

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Check out the full February calendar. It includes floating holidays, specialty weeks, and specialty months.

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June 20: Plain Yogurt Day

image from www.drweilblog.com

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Yogurt Pops

Materials:

• blueberries (1 cup)
• strawberries (1 cup)
• vanilla yogurt (8 ounces)
• honey (1-2 teaspoons)
• lemon juice (1 tablespoon)
• containers with spouts (2)
• blender
• small plastic drinking cups
• paper muffin cups
• plastic spoons or popsicle sticks

Directions:

1. Put strawberries, yogurt, honey, and lemon juice in blender and puree until smooth.
2. Pour into container with spout.
3. Repeat this process with the blueberries.
4. Pour mixtre in cups, alternating between the blueberry and strawberry.
5. Place a muffin cup upside down on top of cup.
6. Poke in a plastic spoon handle or popsicle stick through the center of the muffin top.
7. Freeze.

Source(s): donnasday.com, adapted for the Toolbox Training book 100 Cooking Activities for Kids (activity B3).

June 16: Fudge Day

image from armpitfudge.weebly.com

Of course you need to make fudge today in celebration of Fudge Day! Try this easy, no-bake recipe with a name that’s sure to catch kids’ attention.

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Armpit Fudge

Materials:

• powdered sugar, ½ cup
• butter, 1 tablespoon
• cream cheese, 2 teaspoons
• vanilla, a dash
• cocoa, 2 teaspoons
• sandwich-sized plastic zipper bag
• “extras” like chocolate chips, raisins, peanut butter, and nuts
• spoon

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in plastic bag.
2. Squeeze out all the air.
3. Squish under the arm until all ingredients are well mixed and there is a creamy consistency.
4. Add “extras” as desired.
5. Eat straight from the bag with a spoon.

Source(s): A now defunct geocities website, adapted for the Toolbox Training book 100 Cooking Activities for Kids (activity H8).

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Check out the full June calendar. It includes floating holidays, specialty weeks, and specialty months.

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May 15: Chocolate Chip Day

image from proteinpow.com

In honor of Chocolate Chip Day, there are a number of desserts and snacks one could prepare. Here’s one of the best-known snacks with chocolate chips.

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Trail Mix

Materials:

• Chocolate chips
• Peanuts (if kids aren’t allergic)
• Raisins
• Cereal
• Pretzels
• Sunflower seeds
• Dried fruit
• Mini-marshmallows
• Butterscotch chips
• Small paper cups
• Spoons
• Bowls

Directions:

1. Children can prepare the different ingredients in a variety of cups or serving bowls.
2. Children can then chose which ingredients they wish.
3. For the best mix, they should take one spoon of an ingredient at a time.
4. Stir!

Source(s): Toolbox Training book 100 Cooking Activities for Kids (activity F6). Other recipes in the book which use chocolate chips include activities B5, F5, F7, F8, H2, H9, I9, and I10.

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Check out the full May calendar. It includes floating holidays, specialty weeks, and specialty months.

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May 8: Coca Cola first sold to the public (1886).

image from dcgazette.com

In celebration of Coca Cola, why not take a stab at making cola?

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Make Your Own Cola

Materials:

• Sugar
• Vanilla extract
• Powdered cinnamon
• Sweetened lime juice
• Club soda
• Measuring spoons
• Measuring cups
• Ice
• Glasses
• Other brands of non-diet cola
• Blindfold
• Straws

Directions:

1. Mix 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/8 teaspoon of powdered cinnamon, ½ teaspoon sweetened lime juice, and ½ cup club soda.
2. To make it more fun, get several kinds of store bought colas and do taste tests.
3. Ask kids if they think it tastes the same as the other colas. Why or why not? Can they identify different colas if they taste them blindfolded?
4. Another possibility is to mix the cola with different amounts of ingredients than what is indicated above. What happens? How does it change the cola?

Source(s): SolarNavigator.net. Featured in Toolbox Training book 100 Cooking Activities for Kids (activity A5).

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Check out the full May calendar. It includes floating holidays, specialty weeks, and specialty months.

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May 7: Potato Day

image from freshfoodcentral.com

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Potato Activities

Possible Activities:

• Try an interactive online Mr. Potato Head at SchoolExpress.com!
• You can also get Mr. Potato Head kits and real potatoes. Also consider how you can make facial features for real potatoes or carve them like pumpkins.
• Would you believe you can use a potato as a battery? Check out kidzworld.com for directions to make a potato clock.
• Try familiar relays with potatoes – like passing it from one person’s neck to the next, rolling it on the floor with your nose, or over one person’s head, under the next’s legs.

Source(s): Check out the Toolbox Training book 100 Cooking Activities for Kids for directions on baked potatoes (activity G2) and 100 Science Activities for Kids for directions on growing sweet potatoes (activity E6).

Check out the full May calendar. It includes floating holidays, specialty weeks, and specialty months.

May 6: Beverage Day

image from slushiespot.com

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Blender Slushies

Materials:

• Unsweetened Kool-Aid drink mix
• Pop of your choice
• Water
• Sugar, ½ to ¾ cup
• Ice, 4 cups
• Blender – best to have one with an ice crushing feature
• Cups
• Straws

Directions:

1. Combine Kool-Aid or pop of your choice with water and sugar and blend.
2. Add the ice and blend again.
3. Pour into cups.
4. Add straws and drink!

Source(s): FamilyCorner.com. Featured in Toolbox Training book 100 Cooking Activities for Kids. Check out activities A1-A7 in that book for even more drink recipes.

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Check out the full May calendar. It includes floating holidays, specialty weeks, and specialty months.

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May 4: Orange Juice Day

image from organicfacts.net

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Making Orange Juice

Materials:

• Oranges (two per 8-ounce serving)
• Strainers (to lessen the amount of pulp)
• Paring knives
• Pitcher
• Drinking glasses
• Spoon

Directions:

1. Squeeze oranges repeatedly to soften them.
2. Wash thoroughly.
3. Cut into halves and remove seeds.
4. Carefully cut circularly around the edge of an orange half, slightly separating the fruit and peel.
5. Grip the orange half tightly and squeeze into the pitcher.
6. Continue squeezing and periodically rotate the orange until liquid is no longer produced.
7. Scrape the orange with a spoon and add fruit directly to the juice for additional pulp.
8. Put the juice through a strainer for less pulp.
9. Repeat with the other orange halves.

Source(s): From ehow.com; featured in Toolbox Training book 100 Cooking Activities for Kids (activity A3).

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Check out the full May calendar. It includes floating holidays, specialty weeks, and specialty months.

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October 14: Dessert Day

image from 89handbroke.com

In honor of dessert day, kids can choose from a variety of possible desserts to make or, with a large group, make a variety of desserts for a dessert bar! There are plenty of cookbooks and online sources for dessert recipes. Toolbox Training’s book 100 Cooking Activities for Kids has the following:

• Rock Candy
• Chocolate-dipped Marshmallows
• Peppermint Patty Mints
• Vanilla Wafer Pie
• Strawberry Pretzel Dessert
• Applesauce & Oats Dessert
• Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
• Armpit Fudge
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Pizza

Source(s): Toolbox Training’s book 100 Cooking Activities for Kids (activities H1-H9).

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Check out the full October calendar. It includes floating holidays, specialty weeks, and specialty months.

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October 10: Chili Week

image from cookingclassy.com

The second week of October is Chili Week. Kids can try this simple recipe for chili cheese dip:

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Chili Cheese Dip

Materials:

• Cream cheese, 8 ounces
• Square glass pan
• No-bean chili, 1 can
• Shredded taco cheese, 8 ounces
• Tortilla chips

Directions:

1. Spread cream cheese on bottom of pan.
2. Empty can of chili on top.
3. Sprinkle shredded cheese over chili.
4. Microwave for 2 minutes.
5. Turn and microwave 2 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.
6. Serve with tortilla chips.

Source(s): Toolbox Training’s cooking card set (activity E10). Adapted from cooks.com.

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Check out the full October calendar. It includes floating holidays, specialty weeks, and specialty months.

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October 7: Apple Month

image from reavespartyofthree.blogspot.com

October is apple month. There’s plenty of activities you can do with apples. Here’s one:

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Apple Smiles

Materials:

• Apples (4-5)
• Peanut butter
• Miniature marshmallows (10-ounce bag)
• Knife

Directions:

1. Cut apples into wedges.
2. Spread peanut butter on one side of an apple wedge.
3. Place marshmallows on peanut butter to form teeth.
4. Spread peanut on one side of a second apple wedge.
5. Place on top of the marshmallows to create the other side of the mouth.

Source(s): Toolbox Training’s cooking card set (activity D1). Adapted from familycorner.com. Also check out activities D3, D4, E6, and I6 from the cooking card set.

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Check out the full October calendar. It includes floating holidays, specialty weeks, and specialty months.

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Book: 100 Cooking Activities for Kids

These 100 activities are focused on food. While they have been collected under the banner of “cooking,” one of the criteria is that these projects do NOT require an oven or stove. In some cases, a microwave, fridge, or freezer may be necessary. Activities are divided into the following categories: drinks, frozen treats, gelatin, fruit, toppings/spreads, snack mixes, meat & cheese, desserts, campfire cooking, animal creations, other creations, and play dough. 136 pages. Catalog number: CKBK1111; Price: $9.95 Also available from Amazon.com.