Kindermusik Corn Bread

In a 400’ oven place a buttered 10” iron skillet

In one bowl mix together these dry ingredients:

1 C. whole wheat flour

1 C. corn meal

2 tsp. Baking Powder

1/2 tsp. Salt

In 2^nd bowl combine

4 Tbs. melted butter

4 Tbs. maple syrup

1 Cup apple cider or apple juice

2 eggs

Add the dry ingredients to the 2^nd bowl

Stir only until the ingredients are combined

Add 1 Cup chopped cranberries

Pour into the HOT skillet

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes

Enjoy hot with or without butter and jam

Even though you probably used corn meal that was pre-ground you will still want to sing our Grinding Corn song (from Kindermusik Young Child 3). In class we “grind” a rhythm of TI TI TAH TI TI TAH ,while singing a rhythm that is sometimes matching and sometimes different. This activity is challenging and helps children (and their parents!) learn how to do an activity that is similar to strumming a guitar and singing along at the same time….trickier than you might think!

Grinding Corn, grinding corn.

Here we are grinding corn.

Grains of red and yellow,

Blue and white corn

We are grinding……

Serving Suggestion!

The Holland Farmer's Market was in full harvest yesterday. The colors are spectacular. At the Boeve's stand, where I work there were big rainbow piles of sweet peppers, cauliflowers of white, orange, purple and green Italian cauliflower! Huge, dense cabbages (I sold one which weighed 9.99lbs for $1.25!), sweetest onions you've ever had, piles of tomatoes, bright green delicious broccoli.....

It was cold too! The change of seasons is coming through.

So I have lots of veggies in my kitchen right now. It takes time to make a meal when you start by chopping the vegetables instead of opening the plastic bag! Do we have time for this? Yes, we must! Here's my philosophy.

First cut up a red or orange pepper. (They are THE sweetest!) Arrange on a dish and leave on the counter. As the hungry children come by they nibble! Then Get out a second cutting board and knife and have them start chopping vegetables with you.

How young do you start them with this kind of work? As SOON as they are interested in dragging a chair over to the counter and standing on it begging to help. It does increase the time it takes to make the soup but this is an investment you will want to make. Because now when we are cutting and chopping we are also talking. It is a way of creating time and space for sharing what's on their minds and what's on your mind. It works well if you don't have an agenda...if the door to conversation is just open. Maybe you are just going to listen for a while. Maybe you are going to ask them open ended questions. Maybe you'll sing: "This is the way we chop the tomatoes..."

(Claire was watching some children here at the house and they helped us cut and chop a huge mound of peppers for salsa and for freezing last year. We all had great conversation. This year they came over ASKING "Do you have any vegetables we can chop?)

What happens when they grow up and everyone is so busy running from here to there that no two people are in the kitchen at same time? Well, yesterday I came home and the Moussaka was already made. And it was SO delicious. Who chopped for that? Not me! Thanks Claire.

Leek Soup
Clean and chop 2 leeks
Melt 1/4 cup of butter in a skillet
Saute the leeks until tender
Heat up 2 quarts of chicken broth
Peel and chop 5 potatoes
Chop 4 carrots
Simmer everything in the chicken broth until cooked (about 45 minutes)
Add 1/2 Cup of half and half
Grate in about 1/2 tsp. of fresh nutmeg
Shake in about 2 shakes of cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste.

TIME FOR SUN PICKLES!!!

Many of you know how to find me in the summer! Every Wednesday and Saturday I'm at the Farmer's Market on 8th St. in Holland...(That's how I make ends meet so I can keep teaching Kindermusik!) I love to people watch and listen to the street performers. I also greet my fan club...the Kindermusik Kids know where to find me: at the Boeve's stand!

As you can see from what's in Anne's basket, pickles are really in season right now. They'll still have a quantity this Wednesday but the peak was probably today.

Here's my favorite pickle recipe:

Sun Pickles

in a gallon crock or glass container (not metal) combine

6 1/2 C water

3 1/4 C White Vinegar

1 tsp Alum (Keeps the pickles crisp)

2/3 C Pickling salt (regular salt has additives and won't work)

Take the very ends off of pickling cucumbers and layer in the container with peeled garlic cloves and dill. (The amount of dill and garlic varies with the family's taste. My kids LOVE the garlic.)

Cover the pickles with the brine solution. Leave in the sun (or on the counter) for 10 days. Refrigerate and enjoy within 6 weeks.

I like to sing the "Spirit of the Sun" song from Imagine That! Hello Weather CD in thanksgiving while I layer everything in the containers:

Spirit of the sun

Spirit of the rain

Warm the earth and feed the grain

Hi ya hi ya hi ya

Hi ya hi ya

Hi ya hi ya hi ya

A little bit tart!

Ahhhhh, summer.

Yvette