Edible Spa TreatmentsWho doesn't love going to the spa? We do, but we don't always have the extra cash on hand to splurge on a day at the spa. So why not bring the spa to you? These edible treats sound like they taste good but are used as great spa treatments!

To rehydrate your skin after a long day in the sun, try our Avocado Mask. Mix 3T yogurt, 1T honey, 2T oatmeal and 1/4 avocado until they form a paste.  Apply to face using fingertips.  Leave on for 15 minutes and rinse off with warm water.

To rehydrate your hair, try our Honey and Apple Smoothie. Combine 1 apple (peeled, cored and cut into large pieces), 2T baking soda, and 1/2 C seltzer in a blender and mix until smooth.  Apply to clean, dry hair.  Wrap hair in a shower cap and let sit for 30 minutes.  Shampoo and condition for soft silky hair.

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!

Basil Is Growing Up!The Cupcake Kids mascot and our favorite herb, "Basil" the basil plant has quadrupled in size this summer so we had to come up with more basil recipes to keep up!  Salads are a great way to use basil and still keep that bright green color. One of our favorite ways to eat basil in the summer is in a fruit salad.  Adding basil to warm dishes releases the herb's flavor and scent, but be careful because it blackens fast.

Strawberry Basil Salad
1 Qt Strawberries
2 Tbsp Confectioners Sugar
5 Basil leaves
2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

We like using strawberries but you can use any fruit.  Cut the strawberries into quarters and toss with balsamic vinegar, sugar and a handful of torn basil and you have a refreshing summer salad! 

Fun Fact: Basil is part of the mint family and goes great as a substitute in recipes that call for fresh mint leaves.

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.

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.

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)

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!

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

Jacques Torres ChocolateJacques Torres Chocolate--the only place in NYC you can watch a cocoa bean transform into a chocolate bar. Move over Willy Wonka, Jacques Torres is in town. This chocolatier specializes in hand-crafted chocolate made from only the best ingredients. With one location downtown and another in Brooklyn, JT has got your sweet tooth satisfied. A special "kid's space" in the downtown location makes little ones feel at home as they watch the master at work while making friends with other budding chocolate enthusiasts. Our mouthwatering favorites include hot chocolate, chocolate covered ginger, and truffles galore. Or best of all, try JT's famous Chocolate Chip Cookie, deemed "The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie" by the New York Times. Jacques Torres does chocolate better.
Jacques Torres Chocolate, 350 Hudson St, 212-414-2462

Join us for a special Urban Foodies class on
September 19th for a tour by Jacques Torres
himself! Sign up now.

Jacques Torres's Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes about 2 dozen cookies
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

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!