Cougar Kitchen Vol 2

Cougar Kitchen

Issue 2 | May 2021

SUMMER
ACTIVITIES

All children need time away from
tech - Summer is the time to do it!

SUMMER
SCIENCE

Making Butter With Kids

SUMMER
EATS

Healthy, Kid-Approved
Recpies for Summer Eating

summer activities

In an increasingly tech world, our children are suffering from an extreme deficit of outdoor
time. Hybrid and virtual learning has not helped us this year. So now is a good time to take
stock and use the summer break to recalibrate our littles' brains with a healthy prescription
for outdoor activities. Let's talk Forest Bathing (spoiler alert: you don't need a forest).
Forest bathing is a Japanese traditional practice that allows people to spend reflective time
outside in nature. The benefits for our kids (and ourselves) are enormous:

1. it reduces blood sugar levels
2. it increases immunity
3. it stimulates creativity
4. it helps develop their senses
5. it helps them appreciate nature
6. it encourages curiosity/discovery
7. it teaches the importance of

silence and how to be alone with
one's thoughts!

DEDICATED NATURE TIME Look no further than your yard - anywhere with nature or
greenery. Inevitably, for certain ages or kids, suggesting an activity that boils down to
reflective time outdoors may invite scowls, eye-rolls, and sighs. But the best way to teach our
kids to put down the tech, is to do it ourselves, and get outside with them. Here are a few
simple nature activities you can start with:

1. Be the follower. Invite your child to lead you on a walk outside.
2. Create. Make leaf or bark rubbings, create a nature collage, paint outside.
3. Find direction. Without a compass.
4. Identify. Explore the flowers, leaves and plants around you and try to identify them.
5. Outdoor bedtime story. Pick an evening to read a book outside every week.
6. Picnic Supper. Pack a simple supper and eat it outside.

Want to learn more? Richard Louv has a great book called "Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our
Children From Nature Deficit Disorder". It is full of excellent ideas. See you in the Fall.

Source: https://barleyandbirch.com/2016/06/discover-shinrin-yoku-kids/ accessed May 3, 2021

by HOW TO:
JOANN KILPATRICK 1. Fill your glass jar about halfway with cream, you
DIRECTOR OF NUTRITION need room to shake the cream.
2. Make sure the lid of the jar is tight. Cream is hard
how to make to clean up!
butter with 3. SHAKE! Making butter requires a bit of arm
kids strength, so you might be trading off with your
kids and anybody else in the house.
Science learning does not have to stop during 4. Check your homemade butter every 5 minutes
summer vacation. Bring on the classic science and and taste test at will. Add a little salt as you mold
make homemade butter with the kids. This is one the butter if you prefer the taste of salted butter
of the simplest science projects ever, and it has NO rather than sweet butter.
WASTE because it is completely edible. There is
nothing better than a simple experiment that THE RESULT:
provides a wonderful, tangible result. It is also very 5 minutes: No real change
gratifying for younger kids to be able to see and 10 minutes: Whipped cream
taste the final product of their hard work. It also 15 minutes: Butter and buttermilk
helps introduce them to new foods and homemade
butter is a blank canvas for many additions that THE SCIENCE: Heavy cream contains a great deal of
make it extra-special with very little additional fat. Shaking separates the fat from the liquid in the
work. So grab your ingredients and lets get cream. The more it is shaken the more the fat
started. You might also want a lot of warm fresh molecules clump together to form a solid - which
bread on hand for taste testing. becomes butter. The leftover liquid is called
buttermilk and it can be used to make bread and
YOU WILL NEED: waffles or even as a refreshing drink.
Glassware with lid (like a mason jar or reuse a
jelly jar) THE EXTRAS:
Heavy whipping cream Add some fresh mashed strawberries (or any other
Salt (optional) in-season berries or fruit) into the butter for a
deluxe strawberry butter that is amazing on
That's it! You might even have everything on hand croissants, toast or warm bread. Enjoy!!
already no need to head to the grocery store.

Source: https://littlebinsforlittlehands.com/make-homemade-butter-thanksgiving-edible-science/ accessed May 3, 2021

summer eats

Ready or not folks, the summer 4 Rise and Shine Parfait. 6 Easy Beef Taco Skillet. Save

vacation is almost here. Make Serves 4: Combine 4 cups of time and money in this stovetop
the most of it with these vanilla yogurt, with 2-4 cups of supper. In a large skillet cook 1
yummy, healthy, kid-approved, whatever fruit is in season, pound of ground beef, and 1 small
budget-friendly recipes. cheap, and looks good in the red onion, chopped, until meat is
grocery. Top with granola, no longer pink. Add 1, 15-oz can
1 Frozen Banana Cereal Pops. with or without raisins. So whole kernel corn, drained, 10, 6-
Peel bananas, dip them in easy, so tasty. YO!! inch corn tortillas cut into 1 inch
yoghurt, roll them in cereal, pieces, 1, 8-oz bottle taco sauce,
1 and 1/4 cups shredded cheese.

then freeze. Simple! 5 Basic Banana Muffins. Serve with hot pepper sauce,

Ready in half an hour! optional. Makes 6 yummy

2 Strawberry Watermelon Combine 1 and 1/2 cups of all- servings.

Slushy. Place 1/3 cup lemon purpose flour, 1 cup of sugar, 1 7 Pizza Sandwiches. Give
juice, 1/3 cup sugar, 2 cups
cubed seedless watermelon, 2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 your kids a real treat by
cups fresh strawberries, halved
in a blender. Cover and process teaspoon salt in a bowl. In upping the ante on a grilled
until smooth. Add 2 cups of ice,
process covered until slushy. another bowl mash 3 ripe
Serve immediately. YUM! bananas, add 1 egg, 1/3 cup of cheese sandwiches. Add
vegetable oil, and 1 teaspoon mozzarella cheese, some
3 PBJ on a Stick. Take the vanilla extract. Stir into dry slices of tomato, a teaspoon of
classic PBJ on the go. Make 2 grated Parmesan cheese, a
peanut butter and jelly ingredients until just
sandwiches. Cut into 1-inch moistened. Fill greased paper- sprinkle of garlic salt, a few
squares. Thread on skewers or slices of pepperoni to your
lined muffin cups half full.
Bake at 375 degrees for 18-20 standard sandwich. Serve
minutes or until a toothpick with warmed pizza sauce for
inserted in the center comes dipping and you better believe
out clean. Cool for 10 minutes. it - there will be no leftovers!

thin pretzel sticks, alternating Makes 1 dozen. They won't

with 1 cup of red or green last long!

seedless grapes. POW!!

Source: https://www.tasteofhome,.com/collection/fun-recipes-for-summer-vacation/ accessed May 3, 2021