S'MACLocated in the heart of the East Village, S'MAC (short for Sarita's Mac and Cheese) serves up many varieties of Mac & Cheese to comfort food craving customers every day. Can't decide between Pizza or Mac? Not a problem, try the Napoletana Mac made with fresh mozzarella, roasted tomatoes, garlic and fresh basil. With over a dozen different Macs to choose from, S'MAC will satisfy even the most picky of eaters--and if you don't find one on the menu that strikes your fancy then you can build your own! With a bright orange interior and a gourmet twist on a kid friendly staple, S'MAC is the perfect place to take your young foodies for a bite. They offer four different sizes, the "Nosh" is under $7 and it's perfect for little ones. S'MAC even offers Gluten free versions of their menu favorites so that everyone can enjoy this cheesy classic. Visit S'MAC to get your Mac & Cheese fix, or if you can't make it out of the house, just call for delivery!
S'MAC, 345 East 12th Street, between 1st and 2nd avenues, 212-358-7912

Join us for a special Urban Foodies class on
October 3rd for Sarita's private tour of S'MAC's
kitchen and the chance to build your own Mac!
Sign up now

New York City Wine & Food Festival EventWe are pleased to announce that Cupcake Kids! will be teaching a cooking class as part of Kids Get Cooking at this year's New York City Wine & Food Festival! We'll go layer by layer to learn how to make delicious parfaits. Join us for good food and fun! Tickets are $12 and all proceeds benefit Food Bank for NYC and Share our Strength.

Event Details
When: Sunday October 11th, 2009, 11:00 AM-12:00 PM
Where: Chelsea Market Event Space, 75 Ninth Avenue, btw 15th & 16th
For more info and to purchase tickets click here.

Link: www.nycwineandfoodfestival.com

PastryScoop.com Fall ConferenceCupcake Kids! is excited to be joining the 2009 PastryScoop.com Fall Conference happening Sunday, October 18th at the International Culinary Center. Join us and some of NYCs top culinary talent for a day of cooking and learning through a series of two-hour classes. From 10am-12pm watch as we bake delicious vanilla cupcakes iced with rich vanilla and chocolate butter cream. Then, we'll teach you to decorate your very own cupcakes using specialized fondant and piping bag techniques. Parent & child class (ages 12 and up).

Event Details
When: Sunday, October 18th from 10am-12pm
Where: The International Culinary Center, 462 Broadway at Grand Street
For more info and to purchase tickets click here. 

Link: www.pastryscoop.com

Organic, local, or neither? Oh my!With so many places to buy fruits & veggies, it's hard to know what's best. Should you shop at the grocery store, the farmer's market or your local street vendor? We decided to do some digging and we think you'll be surprise by what we found. Your standard grocery store shelf produce has the same nutritional value as most organic and local food but they may contain more pesticides and heavy metals. What about those street vendors with their colorful display of produce and signs showing insanely low prices? These fruits & veggies are best for same day consumption--the prices are enticing, but you don't want to let these sit in the fruit bowl too long. Onto the farmer's markets where you'll find produce grown locally and often organically (produced without pesticides, fertilizers, growth hormones, and additives).

So where do we shop? Everywhere! If we're walking down the street on a hot day, street vendor it is. Saturday morning? Meet you at the Union Square green market! For everyday staples, we'll head to the grocery store around the corner. However, there are a few fruits and veggies that you'll get your money's worth when purchasing organic: apples, peppers, carrots, lettuce, and strawberries are among the foods that are grown with the most pesticides, so spring for the organic label if you can. Whatever you decide to buy, don't forget to wash all produce before serving!

Trivia: did you know that the typical carrot has to travel 1,838 miles before it reaches your dinner table? That's over half of the distance of the US. In addition to how produce has been grown, it's important to also consider how far it's had to travel to get to us.

Family Fun Day: Saturday, September 12thIn honor of Cupcake Kids! second birthday and the start the school year, we're throwing a party and it's FREE for all. Bring the whole family for hands-on cooking fun, crafts, and lots of giveaways! Chefs-to-be will have the chance to make their own delicious pancakes for breakfast and tasty and healthy fruit yogurt parfaits. Parents can enjoy free coffee and tea while mingling with other budding chefs and families. Attendees can enter to win multiple prizes, including a free CK class and even STAND Burger freebies! Did we mention that admission to CK's birthday bash is free?! So bring the family to get skilled in the kitchen, eat tasty snacks, and learn more about the events that Cupcake Kids! offers. The first 25 families to arrive will receive goody bags!

When? Sat, September 12th, 10:00-12:00
Where? STAND, 24 East 12th Street
Why? Cooking fun for the whole family!

Chef of the Month - RyanFrom day one, Ryan wowed CK with his eloquent descriptions of food and cooking. His favorite sweet treat is anything with chocolate, especially chocolate chip muffins. This budding chef loves to taste and is always stealing a sneak peak of the batter to be sure his recipe is just right! Ryan is currently working on mastering cracking eggs and making Shirley Temples. When this mixing guru is not in the kitchen, he enjoys swimming, tennis, and playing with his new baby sister Hope and brother Aidan.

Name: Ryan
Age: 6 years
Neighborhood: West Village, NYC
Favorite Food: Penne pasta with butter and Parmesan cheese
Favorite Kitchen Utensil: Tongs for picking up stuff

Giveaway: Barney ButterDid you know that one out of every 125 kids suffer from a peanut allergy? We have a solution! Barney Butter  is an all-natural, peanut free, almond butter spread. And best of all, it's just like peanut butter, but it's made from almonds so it's healthier and more friendly to those of us who suffer from peanut allergies. Cupcake Kids! loves BB because it tastes fresh, healthy, nutty, and delicious. Spread it on your BB & J sandwich or try this recipe for Barney Butter Sandwich Cookies!

This month we're giving away a jar of Barney Butter to three lucky CKsers! Join our e-mail updates to be eligible to win. The winner will be notified via email the first week of October.

Barney Butter Sandwich Cookies
Cookie:
Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafer Cookies
Cream Filling:
1/2 cup Smooth Barney Butter
1/2 stick butter, room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Cream the BB and butter together with an electric mixer. Add the powdered sugar and beat for a minute more until thick and creamy. Drop by teaspoons between two chocolate wafer cookies and press together to make a cookie sandwich! Recipe compliments of barneybutter.com