Incorporating new ideas....

So I am thinking of havin a meeting with my kids when they come in next month. Find out what other kind of things they want to do and rewards they want to get from it. In May, could we celebrate Cinco De Mayo, learn a little of the mexican heritage, eat tacos and start on pinatas? The wouldn't be big pinata's. Just small ones. And they'd use glue and glitter to decorate and some paint instead of crepaper to decorate them.

If I start teaching them bible verses and stories and set up a reward chart for them would they still want to come and learn more? Maybe we could learn about Sampson and his hair and make that something goes along with that? What about taking a recipe directly from the bible and having the kids make that instead? I guess there is a million little things that we can do it's just to do them is the thing.

If I did start making the classes longer and do more things would more kids come? That'd be wonderful! I guess I will have to have a meeting with my kids! :) We shall c what happens. Need prayers!

God Bless You!

Recipes...

Recipes from our past cooking class:
Fry Bread:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups warm water

Oil, for frying

Directions

Put flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Mix well, add warm water and stir until dough begins to ball up. On a lightly floured surface knead dough. Do not over-work the dough. After working dough, place in a bowl and refrigerate for 1/2 to 1 hour.

Heat oil to 350 degrees in a frying pan or kettle. Lightly flour surface and pat and roll out baseball size pieces of dough. Cut hole in middle with a knife (so the dough will fry flat) to 1/4-inch thickness and place in oil and cook until golden brown and flip over and cook opposite side until same golden brown. Dough is done in about 3 minutes depending on oil temperature and thickness of dough.

French Silk Pie:1 sheet refrigerated pie pastry

2/3 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup butter, softened

2/3 cup heavy whipping cream

2 teaspoons confectioners' sugar

Whipped cream and chocolate curls, optional

Directions

• Cut pastry sheet in half. Repackage and refrigerate one half for another use. On a lightly floured surface, roll out remaining half into an 8-in. circle. Transfer to a 7-in. pie plate; flute edges.
• Line shell with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Bake at 450° for 4 minutes. Remove foil; bake 2 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.
• In a small saucepan, combine sugar and eggs until well blended. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture reaches 160° and coats the back of a metal spoon. Remove from the heat. Stir in chocolate and vanilla until smooth. Cool to lukewarm (90°), stirring occasionally.
• In a small bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy. Add cooled chocolate mixture; beat on high speed for 5 minutes or until light and fluffy.
• In another large bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add confectioners' sugar; beat until stiff peaks form. Fold into chocolate mixture.
• Pour into crust. Chill for at least 6 hours before serving. Garnish with whipped cream and chocolate curls if desired. Refrigerate leftovers.

Hello,
My name is Chantel McGleno. I live in Nett Lake, Minnesota. It's a small Native American reservation in Northern, Minnesota. Each and every month I host a cooking class for the children on the reservation. I am averaging 16 kids on a month to month basis. I teach healthy based cooking and just let the kids get down and dirty in the kitchen!
This month, (Feb. 18th, 2012) my class had an asst. cook. It was my grandma Flora Skinaway. She took the time to come up and teach not only the VBS team that was there as well! The kids each rolled out dough and then cut it out with cookie cutters! It was fried in hot oil in fun shapes and then served with homemade butter! So okay the frybread may not have been the best choice for healthy food but everyone had a great time making everything!
That wasn't the only thing we did, one of my older girls, (She is the one in the white hoody in the background) made French Silk Pie. Then there was coconut cream pie made. (The little girl in the front of the picture wearing purple.) Team members all made butter and enjoyed the work out of all the shaking! :) It was so much fun!

Even with all the fun that we do have doesn't mean that it's been this easy. I do this many times a month completely solo. Also been paying for things out of pocket so the kids can come do something and not get bored. That's what started it all! Anyways, this is our story.
I am no one special. I don't have a degree, I don't have my own children. I'm just a grown native woman, who lives on the reservation, I volunteer each month at the local church, helping to show my kids how too cook.
Recipes, class times and updates will be posted quite frequently on here. :) Would love to get more people inspired in all that we do and maybe even start it up in their church! :) God Bless you!