Flavored Ice CubesWe'll come up with any excuse to add more flavor into our summer!  A great tip to keep your ice coffee cold and not diluted, is freezing coffee in ice cube trays and using that as your ice cubes.  This concept of freezing your favorite beverage and using that instead of ice cubes can be applied to almost any drink, even to just flavor a glass of water.  Freeze lemonade in ice cube trays and use in your iced tea instead of ice cubes adds the perfect amount of citrus flavor.  Freezing fruit inside the flavored ice cubes is an added touch to jazz up any beverage.  In our "A Taste of Summer" camp we make "Bug Juice" which is filling up ice cube trays with your favorite juice, and a couple blueberries!

Drink A CoconutWe have been seeing coconut water everywhere these days, and had to find out what the fuss was all about!  Turns out that coconut water is not only delicious, but also really healthy for you too.  Coconut water is the liquid that comes from young coconuts.  When a coconut matures this liquid is replaced by coconut meat and air.  The coconut water is sweet and refreshing and a great way to hydrate yourself in the summer.  In South America, coconut water is packaged and marketed as a sports drink because it is high in potassium and mineral content.  In fact, one cup of coconut water contains more electrolytes than sports drinks (like Gatorade) and more potassium than a banana.  Coconut water is also a great way to boost your immune system, it helps detoxify and fight viruses and best of all, it's all natural.

It's Corn Season!When it's sunny and hot outside all we crave is a fresh ear of corn, so sweet and refreshing! Did you know corn, also known as maize, is actually a grass? There are hundreds of varieties of corn and all of them are Indian corn. The number of kernels per ear varies from 500 to 1,200, but a typical ear has around 800 kernels. Corn is planted when the soil is warm enough to germinate the seeds but not so early that the young plants care likely to be damaged by frost. It's peak harvest season is the warm summer months so be sure to head over the your local farmer's market or fruit stand to pick up some local corn soon. If you're anything like me and hate getting little pieces of corn stuck between your teeth, here's a helpful tip!  Cut the fresh corn off the cob making sure not to waste any of the liquid that oozes out. This liquid is known as milk and has tons of flavor, and is fantastic when mixed with fresh corn cut from the cob and a little salt, pepper and a touch of butter.

Fun Fact- Corn is eaten in many different ways and in all kinds of shapes, textures, and colors. Corn is an ingredient in more than 3,000 grocery products and many of these are items that may surprise you such as cereal and peanut butter. Corn is also prevalent in all stages of the food cycle - your bacon and egg breakfast, glass of milk at lunch, and hamburger for for dinner are all produced with U.S. corn.

Watermelon: a fruit or a vegetable?Drum roll please...BOTH! Watermelon is a fruit and a vegetable. It is a fruit because it grows from a seed, it has a sweet flavor and refreshing qualities.  It is a vegetable because it is harvested and cleared from the field like other vegetables and because it is a member of the same family as the cucumbers, pumpkin and squash. In fact, in 2007 watermelon became Oklahoma's official state vegetable. Either way you think about it, watermelon is very healthy for you. This veggie disguised as a fruit is rich in Vitamin C, which is important for wound healing, healthy gums and teeth. Also high in Vitamin A, this veggie-fruit will help your body make cells that fight infections.

Did you know that watermelon is 90% water? Besides its health benefits the watermelon is also a thirst quenching food and completely delicious. Try this fun recipe for ice pops at home! 

Watermelon Ice Pops
Watermelon
Chunks of fresh fruit
try grapes, strawberries, blueberries or anything you have in the refrigerator

Puree the watermelon in a blender or food processor and pour it into Popsicle molds. Drop in your favorite chucks of fresh fruit, and freeze! For an even easier recipe, free the watermelon puree in ice cube trays and add it to your favorite beverage of choice for a sweet treat.

Organic Baby FoodIt's no mystery that home-made baby food is fresher, better tasting, cheaper and less wasteful than ready-made commercial baby food, but for those of you out there still wondering "whats so bad about the jarred stuff, anyway?", heres a few more reasons to dust off that food processor in your kitchen cabinet and get steaming, boiling and pureeing!

In order to make jarred baby food shelf-stable (it's designed to last for two years past the date of purchase), manufacturers heat the puree to extremely high temperatures and then cool it, eliminating a lot of the nutrients and much of the flavor in the original food. Many brands also add thickeners and stabilizers. Its certainly not poison, but if its all your baby is eating, its training him/her to prefer bland, empty calories. Have you tasted a jar of "beef, carrots and corn country dinner" lately? Not exactly an explosion of flavor in your mouth.

Children are also much less likely to become fussy eaters if they are exposed to a good selection of fresh foods, tastes and textures from an early age. More often than not, the picky eaters tend to be the ones brought up on jars of bland commercial purees, and babies given fresh foods from the beginning easily make the transition to joining in with family meals.

There's a health crisis plaguing Americas children today childhood obesity, diabetes, the list goes on and on and food is by far the main contributing factor. Do your children a favor and, from the start, let them recognize a variety of simply prepared whole foods, foods as close to their natural state as possible, as the familiar tastes that trigger "home" in their minds and bodies. Feed them what you eat, and make what you eat good enough to feed your baby!

Making baby food is as simple as 1, 2, 3. Join us at one of our upcoming Organic Baby Food 101 classes to help you on your journey to fresh, delicious, home-made baby food or check out one of our favorite books- Superfoods: For Babies and Children & Top 100 Baby Purees by Annabel Karmel; Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron; and Feeding the Whole Family by Cynthia Lair.

BasilBasil is an all time fav in the herb category here at Cupcake Kids and we are constantly adding it to our pizzas and pasta dishes. We were so tired of getting it at the store all the time, we decided to get a whole basil plant for our sun drenched windowsill in our new kitchen studio. The newest addition to our kitchen hails from the Union Square Greenmarket, the best place around to buy fresh herbs, produce, dairy products, and almost anything else you could think of and we can't get enough of it!

Why is basil so great, you ask? Well for one, it tastes delicious! The basil we eat here in the United States is called sweet basil. It's in the mint family and has a strong, somewhat sweet smell and taste, which is due in part to the flavonoids and oils within. These same essential oils that make each leaf taste so great also offer us some serious health benefits. Studies have confirmed that these oils have antioxidant, anti-cancer, antimicrobial and anti-viral properties! So many benefits packed into such a tiny plant! Next time you want to boost flavor and health in a dish for you and your little ones, try a sprig of basil

BananasWhat's the perfect snack for both you and your little ones? It's the vitamin- and mineral-rich super-fruit... the banana!

You probably already know that bananas are rich in natural carbohydrates, which provide a great (and healthy) boost of energy after playtime or as a snack any time of day. Or, you may have also known that bananas contain potassium, which helps to fight muscle cramps and improves nerve function.

But what you may not have know is that bananas also contain vitamins and minerals that boost immunity, help build strong bones, and improve mood! They also help with your child's digestion, and are non-allergenic, so they're the perfect solid food to introduce to your infant

But maybe the best part about bananas... they're convenient! They come in their own natural wrapping and can easily be tossed into a lunch bag, backpack, or stroller bag. So next time you're looking for a good, healthy snack for your child, choose the naturally sweet and delicious banana!

Trivia: Bananas are grown all year round in all different parts of the world, from Southeast Asia to Arizona, so, unlike other fruits, they're always in-season!

Happy Valentine's DayValentine's Day is just around the corner, and naturally we're all thinking of the sweet treats that are synonymous with this holiday. It's also the perfect opportunity to hop into the kitchen for some quality time with your budding chef!

To start the day off right, add some strawberry puree to your favorite breakfast pancake recipe. This adds a hint of color to celebrate in style, while  adding flavor and a boost of vitamins. For extra fun, shape the pancakes into hearts using a metal cookie cutter!

For snack time, try our Valentine's ants-on-a-log. To start, make your own strawberry cream cheese by mixing strawberry jam and whipped cream cheese. Spread this yummy pink cream cheese on celery, top with craisins, and voila! You've created a simply, healthy snack!

For even more Valentine's Day festivity join us for our upcoming Valentine's Day Sweat Heart classes on the 13th and 14th, where we'll make sweetheart cookies and pink lemonade!

Hot Chocolate Festival

We love hot chocolate! It's perfect for a cold winter day or cozy afternoon at home. For a special treat, grab your budding chef for a make your own hot chocolate party. All you need is white, milk and dark chocolate and warm milk. Start off with a little taste test so your little gourmands are introduced to the differences in flavor and then let everyone mix their own combination of chocolate in their mug. Pour in warm (but not hot!) milk and allow it to sit for 1 minute before stirring to combine. To ensure that your chocolate melts, be sure to start with small sized chocolate pieces. Serve with fresh whipped cream and marshmallows if desired. Enjoy!

For a special twist on an old favorite, head on over to City Bakery's Annual Hot Chocolate Festival! Everyday in February, they'll be serving up a different hot chocolate flavor ranging from Ginger to Darkest Dark, Banana Peel and more. And while you're in the area, pop across the street to Books of Wonder, the city's oldest and largest independent children's bookstore to make a day of it!

Trivia: Did you know that hot chocolate and hot cocoa aren't the same thing? Hot chocolate is made with chocolate and hot cocoa is make with cocoa powder or a product containing cocoa powder (think Swiss Mix). At CK, we prefer hot chocolate without a doubt!

Link: hot-chocolate-festival.com

Gingerbread AdventuresWhat fun is cooking if you can't identify the ingredients you're using to make your masterpiece? The New York Botanical Garden is currently offering a special kids program called Gingerbread Adventures that will answer all your little one's questions about this holiday staple.

Gingerbread Adventures offers your child a hands-on learning experience where he or she can smell, touch, and taste the spices and other plant parts that make up a classic gingerbread recipe. With his field notebook in hand, your child will learn about all of the special ingredients for gingerbread and match them up with the names in his pamphlet. A good time in guaranteed for all, and there's still time to get in on the fun. Over the next few weeks, you and your child can experience this fun, behind-the-scenes look at gingerbread in the Everett Children's Adventure Garden starting at 1:30 p.m. everyday and at 10:00 a.m on December 21, 24, 28-31 and January 1 and 4.

Be sure to also check out the illuminated winter wonderland of the Holiday Train Show in the Conservatory as you step into a freeze-frame of the perfect holiday season in New York - twinkling lights surrounding replicas of historic landmarks and model trains speeding along more than a quarter mile of track. All recreations are made entirely from natural materials the towering Brooklyn Bridge in sugar pine cones, a pomegranate torch for Lady Liberty. It's spectacular!

Link: www.nybg.org

Happy HanukkahIt's time for the yearly Festival of Lights, and Cupcake Kids is ready to celebrate with yummy gelt, latkes, doughnuts, rugelach and dreidel games!

Every holiday has keystone traditions that help to make the celebration extra special, and Hanukkah is no exception. The traditional foods celebrate the miracle that Hanukkah commemorates by heavily incorporating oil into their ingredients or preparation. Latkes, doughnuts and other fried foods pay tribute to the purified oil that burned in the menorah at Jerusalem's Temple for eight days when it should have lasted for only one.

This year, take your Hanukkah traditions to the next culinary level by experimenting with your recipes. Keep your latkes crispy by draining them on a drying rack instead of paper towels and top them with applesauce brightened by the unusual addition of cranberries. Also try using sweet potatoes as opposed to the favored Yukon Gold potatoes for a sweet twist on an old favorite. Happy Hanukkah to everyone, and enjoy a great meal!

It's Time For GingerbreadWhether they're crispy gingersnaps, soft cookies, spiced cake or fantastically decorated houses, Gingerbread is a staple of the holiday season. This treat made with molasses and flavored with ginger, dates back centuries although it didn't officially get it's name until the 15th Century. Quickly a favorite in Europe, Queen Elizabeth I honored guests in court with a gingerbread portrait decorated with cloves dipped in gold. Over the past century, Gingerbread has been further popularized with stories such as Hansel and Gretel and The Gingerbread Man making it the treasured Holiday tradition that it is day.

At CK, we love this time of year as we get to help hundreds of kids and their parents decorate their very own Gingerbread House Masterpieces! Join us at one of our upcoming classes or invite us to your corporate holiday event, birthday or play date to decorate a house of your very own. If you can't make it this year, don't be intimidated by gingerbread. Check out this easy recipe for gingerbread cookies. Your kids will remember rolling and decorating them for years to come.

Gingerbread Cookies

3 C all-purpose flour
3/4 t ground cinnamon
3/4 t ground ginger
1/2 t allspice
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/4 t fresh black pepper
1/2 C butter
1/4 C vegetable shortening
1/2 C light brown sugar
2/3 C molasses
1 egg

Sift the flour, spices and baking soda in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the butter and shortening with an electric mixer. Add the sugar, molasses and egg and mix until well combined. Gradually mix in the flour mixture by hand to make a stiff dough. Form the dough into two disc shapes and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until chilled. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of 1/8 inch (slightly thicker for softer cookies). Using floured cookie cutters, cut the dough into a variety of shapes and sizes. Decorate the cookies with raisins, currants or white chocolate chips to make eyes, a nose, a mouth and/or buttons before baking (optional). Place the cookies on a baking sheet, about 1 inch apart, and bake until firm, about 8 to 10 minutes. Allow cookies to cool for 1 minute on the baking sheet and then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Decorate and enjoy! Makes 1 dozen large cookies.

Turkey TimeWhat would Thanksgiving be without the turkey? Although you may just think of your turkey as the centerpiece to your holiday meal, it turns out the turkey is a much cooler bird than you probably know.

Besides being renowned for its keen intelligence and sharp vision when avoiding hunters, the turkey was also the favored bird of founding father Benjamin Franklin. He even wanted it to be our national mascot. The wit and cunning turkeys possess are matched only by their superhero strengths, which including the ability to glide for one mile without flapping their wings and the ability to run 18 miles per hour.

The average American eats 15 pound of turkey a year, and nearly a third of that is over the holidays. In the spirit of the Thanksgiving holiday, the president takes pity on one turkey every year by granting it a Presidential pardon. That's one lucky bird!

Cranberry Sauce: Yum!What's Thanksgiving without a generous helping of cranberry sauce? We dare you to dream beyond the can this year, and give the homemade stuff a shot. Surprisingly easy and quick as this recipe is, we suspect that we might be starting a Thanksgiving trend! Don't be afraid to jazz things up by adding some ginger, apples, pears, raspberries or other fruit into the mix, or even replace the water in the recipe with orange juice or apple cider for a kick of flavor.

Basic Cranberry Sauce
3/4 C water
1 C granulated sugar
1/2 t salt
1 (12 ounce) bag of cranberries

Bring water, sugar, and salt to boil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add cranberries and simmer until slightly thickened and two-thirds of berries have burst, about 5 minutes. Transfer to serving bowl and cool completely, at least 1 hour. Serve. (Sauce can be refrigerated 1 week)

Late Season Treats!If you thought the end of the summer meant the end of its yummy produce, too, then think again! Now is the perfect time to take advantage of late-season produce. Summer staples like snap peas, tomatoes, and peppers can be found on the cheap at your local farmer's market well into the fall. Take advantage of their bargain-basement prices by adding some corn to a creamy chowder, jazzing up an apple crisp with peaches or plums, and roasting some delicious stuffed peppers. Mmm, the last tastes of summer on a chilly fall day!

Fun Fact: Produce gets sweeter as the weather turns colder. Sounds good to us!

Spice Rack FactsEven the most ordinary of dishes can turn extraordinary with the addition of a few herbs or spices. Add a sprinkle of nutmeg to just about anything and you've got yourself a gourmet meal! So how can you get the most from the spices and herbs you've got stored in the pantry? To keep herbs and spices fresh, store them in airtight containers in a cool, dark place. Dried herbs and ground spices will keep for up to 6 months, and whole spices will last for up to 2 years. To release more flavor from dried herbs, crumble them between your fingers before adding them to a dish; toast spices in a dry skillet until fragrant (15-30 seconds) to bring out more flavor.

Trivia: Terrified of garlic breath? Chew on some parsley after eating garlic to neutralize odors and freshen your breath!

Current CK Fave: Parmesan-Herb Popcorn
For a yummy, quick, and easy after-school snack, whip up some Parmesan-Herb Popcorn. Start by following the instructions on a plain bag of microwavable popcorn. Once the popcorn is popped, add 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese, a teaspoon of rosemary, a teaspoon of thyme and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Give it all a good shake right in the bag, then serve! Yum!

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.

Zany ZucchiniHave you ever mistaken a zucchini for a cucumber? Mistake no more! Zucchini is a green summer squash whereas a cucumber is in the gourd family. To tell the difference between cucumbers and zucchini use your sense of touch; cukes are cold and waxy while zucchinis are prickly and dry. Zucchini is very healthy because it's low in calories and high in fiber and Vitamin A. It is delicious served raw with dip, cooked as a side, and as a substitute for butter or oil in baked goods. Because Zucchini is easy to grow, especially during the summer months, it has a reputation for producing an overwhelming crop for home gardeners! CK has a way for you to make use of this abundant, healthy, and tasty veggie that will keep you eating it well into the fall months.

Zucchini Boats
1 zucchini, ends cut off and sliced in half
Olive oil
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 egg yolk
2 T bread crumbs
1/2 of an onion, diced
1/2 t garlic, minced
1 tomato, diced
Shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)

Cut zucchini in half and scoop out the seeds with a melon baller or spoon. Sprinkle both halves with olive oil, salt & pepper. Place on a baking sheet in an oven preheated to 350 degrees F. Bake until zucchini is soft, about 15 minutes. Mix together ricotta, egg yolk, and bread crumbs; set aside. Sautee onions over medium heat with oil until translucent and then add garlic and tomatoes. Sautee for a few more minutes until tomatoes are soft. Next, mix this in with the ricotta cheese mixture and add in a bit of Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper. Spoon the mixture into the zucchini boats and sprinkle with Parmesan and drizzle with olive oil. Broil in the oven until ricotta mixture cooks up and cheese is lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add salt & pepper to taste and enjoy!

Tomato, Tomahto, Potato, Potahto...It's the age old debate: is a tomato a vegetable or a fruit? Botanically speaking, a tomato has seeds which make it a fruit, just as other foods we think of as veggies are fruits too, including avocados and cucumbers.

Tomatoes are just as nutritious as they are delicious. With over 7500 varieties, they contain a powerful antioxidant called Lycopene and help with Vitamin C intake. Tomatoes are in peak season in August so check out your local market or grocery store for the perfect snack, salad, or sandwich topper. Our favorite is the Heirloom variety.

Trivia: The first time tomato juice was served was in 1917 when a chef in Indiana ran out of oranges to make his morning OJ and he used tomatoes instead. It was an instant hit!

Watermelon HeavenIt's Watermelon season and we can't wait to sink our teeth into a sweet slice of watermelon on the 4th of July. While most of us will agree that Watermelon is a most delicious fruit, here are a few things that you may not know:

• Watermelon is over 92% water, and early explorers used watermelons as a canteen.
• Every part of a watermelon is edible, even the seeds and rinds. Contrary to popular belief, eating watermelon seeds will not cause a watermelon to grow in your stomach.
• While most Americans associate watermelon with the 4th of July, it is actually consumed much more heavily in other countries making it a truly international fruit.