Video Tutorial: Berry Simple Fruit Tart – Friday, July 17, 2009

Hey Young Chefs!

This is my very first cooking tutorial video on YouTube! I am making Berry Simple Fruit Tart. Here is the recipe:

Berry Simple Fruit Tart

Ingredients:

1 pkg. of ready-made refrigerated sugar cookie dough

1 8 oz. pkg of cream cheese, softened

1/4 – 1/2 c. sugar

splash of vanilla extract

3 c. seasonal berries

Directions:

Roll out the cookie dough on a small cookie sheet until it is about a 1/4 inch thick. You can even use a small pizza pan if you want. Bake the cookie dough according to the package instructions. You may have to bake the dough a little longer because of its size. While the cookie is baking, mix cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in a bowl with an electric hand mixer. After the cookie dough has fully cooled, spread the cream cheese on top of the cookie, going all the way to the edges. Sprinkle your favorite berries on top. Cut into squares and serve. Great chilled too! Serves 8-10

Cool kids cook and get creative in the kitchen!

Bon Appetit, Eliana

Eliana’s Spookover – Saturday, October 18, 2008

Hey Young Chefs!

Saturday was the night of my Spookover! 7 friends came to my house for a spooky sleepover. We were treated to ghoulish games, frightening food, creepy crafts, and spooky stories. The above picture is me dressed up as a pirate girl – Argh! Below, you can see all the costumed cuties!

First, we did the ghoulish guessing game where we had to guess which monster was pinned to our backs. Then we did a cool costume contest. I won first place. The princess bride and the hip hop dancer won second place.

Next, we played “Pin the Hat on the Witch.”

The “Creepy Clothes Race” was so much fun. We had to race and put on different clothes – shirt, shorts, gloves, scarf, cape and hat. My team didn’t win but we laughed a lot.

The last game was “The Mummy Wrap.” We were divided into 2 teams. The smallest person on each team had to be the mummy. The other team members had to wrap the mummy with toilet paper. We had to finish by the end of the song “Monster Mash.” Afterwards, we had a toilet paper explosion.

Check out our terrifying table display. We had Jack-O-Jam cookies, bloody pigs in the blanket, petrifying pizza party pinwheels, and popcorn chicken parts. Fun and frightening food!

Look at the bubbling Witches Brew! (Here’s a secret recipe: it’s just one 2-liter bottle of 7Up and 10 scoops of Lime Sherbet ice cream).

After we ate, we started making crafts. We made Batty Sock bats out of foam, googly eyes, socks, and Fiberfill.

After that, we made mummies out of strips from an old t-shirt wrapped around toilet paper rolls with googly eyes.

Then we made boo bags from white paper lunch bags, markers, stickers, and chenille sticks.

After crafts, we headed outside to the patio for marshmallow roasting and spooky stories. My favorite story was “Blood Red Lips.”

Finally, after spooky stories, we set up our sleeping bags on the living room floor and watched Ghostbusters. My cousin, Camrynn; my friend, Bienelyn; and I were the last ones to fall asleep after the movie was over.

I loved having a Spookover! It was tons of fiendish fun with a bunch of goblin girls. I can’t wait to do it again! Have a spooktastic time with your friends.

Throw a party because cool kids cook and get creative in the kitchen!

Bon Appetit, Eliana

Nine Roses Vietnamese Restaurant – Friday, October 3, 2008

Hey Young Chefs!

Tonight I ate at Nine Roses, a Vietnamese retaurant. An old family friend treated us to a marvelous meal. Above, you see Bo Nuong Vi, a sizzling beef dish. You spread butter on the portable burner. Then you place the thin slices of marinated beef on the burner and cook it. Next you take the rice paper and dip it in warm water to make it flexible. Finally, you make a wrap with the beef, lettuce, cilantro, mint, basil, noodles, and pickled cucumbers and carrots. Yum! Yum!

For an appetizer, I ordered Vietnamese egg rolls. They are hot, crunchy and delish!

Here I am, happy and full! Maybe Mommy and I will be inspired to cook Vietnamese!

Cool kids cook so get creative in the kitchen!

Bon Appetit, Eliana