Hosting a Kids Cooking Party: Tips & Kid-Friendly Recipes via Marcia Selden Catering Kids Bites Features Kids kids activity Recipe Kid Friendly Marcia Selden Catering September 10, 2015 Marcia Selden Catering & Event Planning, a top caterer in Stamford, CT, loves kids and enjoys teaching them all about food. They host cooking parties for kids and adults in their commercial kitchen space and they know a thing or two about cooking and partying at the same time. Kids cooking parties have become a super popular birthday party theme, and it’s easy to see why. Children love to be part of the action especially when they get to ‘help out’ in the kitchen. Food is one of life’s pleasures, and preparing it is tons of fun too. Here are some of their top tips for having a fun, interactive party for kids between 6-12 that won’t leave your kitchen looking like a war-zone. Read More
Kids Bites: Snow Ice Cream Dessert Recipes Kids Bites kids activity Recipe Kid Friendly Dessert CTbites Team January 26, 2015 Every year, CTbites pays homage to the first storm of the season with this classic recipe. If you're in the house with your kids and things are getting ugly...why not put that white stuff falling out of the sky to good use and make dessert ? Remember, only use clean snow. Stay away from the yellow stuff. Ick. Grab your mittens and a spoon and head outside while the snow is still fresh for some "Snow Ice Cream" and "Frosty The Snowman Ice Cream Delight." Read More
Guide to Kids Summer Cooking Camps & Classes in Connecticut Kids Bites Features Restaurant Cooking Classes Education Kids kids activity kids cooking party April Guilbault May 22, 2014 Is May about the newly arriving crocuses (crocii?)? Or about the greening of our lawns after the longest winter ever? Nah. Let’s get down to business-it’s about finding camps for your kiddos before the summer hits and all of those spots are filled! The emails have begun flying and the scramble is beginning. What’s new? What’s fun? How about forgoing the traditional Camp Gitchigoomee canoes and bonfires and, instead, fan the flames of summer creativity in some area kitchens with cooking camps for kids! Here is a list of 8 Kids Cooking Classes & Summer Camps for 2014: Read More
Elm Restaurant's Lil' Foodies Event w/ Chef Brian Lewis Kids Bites Education Farm to Table kids activity Kid Friendly CTbites Team December 05, 2013 Asher is an 9th grader at Fairfield Country Day School. He has a true passion for food and started his blog, AsherZeats, in September of 2012. “A little chocolate a day keeps the doctor at bay” I recently had the absolute pleasure of being a part of a unique experience called Lil’ Foodies. During this special event, Brian Lewis, the chef/owner of well regarded restaurant, Elm, and his wife Dana, guided a group of children from the age of 8 to the age of 16 through a culinary extravaganza. All for the fantastic price of… nothing! Our first stop on the journey was the New Canaan Farmers Market. During this time, Chef Lewis generously bought for us the freshest ingredients the market had to offer. We obtained fresh, crisp, juicy apples (of all varieties), a heap of straight from the ground fingerling potatoes, brightly vivid purple cauliflower, and much more. Chef Lewis taught the group about the importance of supporting local organizations and also about picking the freshest foods from the stands. Read More
5 Ways Kids Can Help Fight Hunger in CT Kids Bites Volunteer kids activity Kid Friendly Stephanie Webster March 18, 2013 People often write in to CTbites asking how their kids can get involved in helping the hungry in our local community. We decided to go to the source, Connecticut Food Bank, to see how best to assist in their efforts. It turns out there are quite a few ways kids can get involved. Here are some places to begin: Organize a Team to Walk Against Hunger. We just opened Registration for the 2013 Walk Against Hunger, www.ctfoodbank.org/walk. There are now four dates to choose from. There also may be opportunities for young people and families to volunteer at the walk. It’s truly a fun family event. Organize a food drive at school, with a sports team/club or the neighborhood, here’s a link to the info. on our site, http://www.ctfoodbank.org/how-to-help/donate-food Volunteer. Contact Kim Damien, our Volunteer Coordinator to learn about volunteer opportunities for young people and families. There’s volunteer information the CT Food Bank's volunteer page, or you can contact Kim at kdamien@ctfoodbank.org, or call 203-469-5000. Read More
Little House Molasses Snow Candy via "Fix Me A Snack" Kids Bites Features kids activity Recipe Kid Friendly Dessert Fix Me A Snack January 01, 2013 The other day, we finally made Molasses-On-Snow Candy from The Little House Cookbook. And let me tell ya that nothing enlivens a snowy New England day like playing with molten sugar! Last winter, books from the Little House series dominated our bedtime reading. I don’t recall reading them as a child so I was enjoying them as much as the kids were. Laura Ingalls Wilder’s retelling of her childhood transported us back in time. Given our heartfelt connection to the Ingalls family, it’s unclear who likes the whole idea of making foods out of the Little House Cookbook more, me or the girls. Either way, they did a spectacular job making molasses candy. Nobody had to go to the hospital with third degree burns. Another successful day of parenting! Read More
Visions of Gingerbread @ The Stamford Museum Opens Nov 17 Kids Bites Education Holiday kids activity Kid Friendly Sarah Green November 10, 2012 CTbites is proud to be the media sponsor for Stamford Museum and Nature Center's “Visions of Gingerbread: The Sweetest Architects” exhibition. Every year, I buy one of those boxed gingerbread house kits and my kids and I go at it. We glop it together with that glue-like petroleum by-product substance that they call icing, we decorate with the stale jelly beans and mini gum balls they provide, and we call it a day. It’s fun and the kids enjoy it. Do yours? If so, head to the Stamford Museum and Nature Center (SM and NC) this month and next to see how the pros do it. “Visions of Gingerbread: The Sweetest Architects” is the name of the exhibition that the museum is presenting as both a showcase for local bakers and as a fundraiser for the SM and NC. Read More
Rizzuto’s: A Day of Italian Food, Wine & Cars, June 10th Kids Bites Restaurant Events Italian kids activity Kid Friendly CTbites Team May 30, 2012 On Sunday, June 10, 2012, NOON – 4 PM, Rizzuto’s, located in the Saugatuck community of Westport, has teamed up with The Ferrari Club of America and FIAT of Larchmont for a day-long event filled with Italian food, wine, and cars. The event takes place during the Formula 1 Grand Prix Du Canada race, which will be shown on 2 large screen HD TVs. Race car fans can take a virtual lap around the track in a GoSimRacer Race Car Simulator. Kids feeling the need for speed can race through an on-lot GoGo-Kart track presented byGrand Prix New York Racing. Rizzuto’s is pulling out all the stops with classic Italian dishes and an Italian wine tasting. San Pellegrino will be keeping things cool and Rizzuto’s will be grilling outdoors this year, preparing sausage and pepper wedges and meatball sliders. Read More
Visions of Gingerbread Opens Saturday, Nov 12 Kids Bites Events kids activity Kid Friendly Dessert Stephanie Webster November 04, 2011 A holiday tradition returns to the Stamford Museum & Nature Center on November 12th with Visions of Gingerbread III: The Sweetest Architects exhibition. Visions of Gingerbread is a tribute to architectural confections that truly make your jaw drop. Created by some of the area’s finest bakers, these edible wonders will display the chefs’ extraordinary creativity and gingerbread skills. It is the Museum’s desire to elevate these creative structures to the art form they so truly are, and put them on proper display. Last year, CTbites jumped on board and created an entry (much sleep was lost). This year, CTbites will help judge the winner. Read More
Tokeneke's Pumpkin Carnival in Darien October 15th Kids Bites Events Holiday kids activity Kid Friendly CTbites Team September 30, 2011 Tokeneke’s annual Pumpkin Carnival will take place Saturday, October 15th from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. The rain date is October 16th. For over forty years, Tokeneke’s Pumpkin Carnival, held at the Tokeneke Elementary School on Old Farm Road, has been an annual tradition for families in and around Darien. The Carnival features attractions for all ages, including a haunted house, rides, games and crafts, rock climbing, bouncy castles, a bake sale and raffle prizes. In addition, food will be provided by Burgers, Shakes & Fries, Upper Crust Bakery & Café, and Heights Pizza. Read More
11th Annual Ambler Farm Day Kids Bites Events Local Farm kids activity Kid Friendly Stephanie Webster September 27, 2011 The 11th Annual Ambler Farm Day is Sunday, October 2, 2011, 12pm-4pm at Ambler Farm, 257 Hurlbutt Street in Wilton CT. This is a wonderful local family friendly event celebrating the Fall harvest with a hay maze, farm animals, children's crafts, live music and more. (Plus, you will want to visit your local pumpkin patch early this year. We hear the rains were tough on crops and pumpkins may not be as plentiful) Below is a full list of activities. Grab the family and head on over. Read More
Macdaddy’s Macaroni and Cheese Bar in Monroe Kids Bites Restaurant Monroe Special Dietary Needs kids activity Comfort Food Kid Friendly CTbites Team September 20, 2011 And now a word from our 10 years old food critic.... Hey kids, guess what? Want to win a free Mac Daddy’s T-Shirt? Mac Daddy’s will give the first 10 kids to correctly guess the amount of macaroni boxes used to fill the pan on the wall (described below) a free t-shirt Contest ends on November 20th. Mention CTbites to enter. What do you think of when you think of macaroni and cheese? A small box of Kraft mac and cheese? Well… now I think of Macdaddy’s Macaroni and Cheese Bar, an amazing macaroni and cheese restaurant with at least 20 different kinds of macaroni. I had thought that Macdaddy’s was going to be bigger than it was (they can seat about 25 people) but that didn’t mean it wasn’t good. Macdaddy’s is a quick service restaurant (which means that you order at a counter and they bring the food to your table). Read More
Cooking for Kids: Camp Fine Dining w/ Chef Paul Desiano Kids Bites Cooking Classes Education kids activity Amy Kundrat August 01, 2011 Camp Fine Dining is a two week camp for teenagers that will run this August led by Paul Desiano, Chef and Owner of Cello (formerly Plate) located in Copps Hill Plaza in Ridgefield. In the first week, Camp Fine Dining will focus students on basic skills including knife cuts, butchering, sauces, and pasta making. By the second week, the students and Chef Desiano will brainstorm a 5-course tasting menu. The class will spend the first week preparing and the program will conclude with the students cooking that menu for their families. Dates and time: August 16 -18, August 23 – 25 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Read More
Cooking Camps For Kids in Fairfield County Kids Bites Cooking Classes kids activity kids cooking party CTbites Team April 14, 2011 I don’t remember any of my peers taking cooking classes when I was a kid, but the world is different now, what with the Food Network and all the other TV cooking shows, websites, special events and the general blossoming of our foodie culture. At the same time, it’s no longer a given that a child learns to cook at home with Mom or Grandma, so a little outside instruction is often welcome. Whatever the reason, cooking classes for kids are a phenomenon of our times, and Fairfield County has many options for kids who are so inclined. This will be an occasional series on opportunities for kids to learn to cook (mostly) in the Fairfield County area. Because right now is the time to think about summer camp, let's start there... Read More
Kids Make Pizza Every Sunday @ Coalhouse in Stamford Kids Bites Restaurant Pizza Stamford kids activity kids cooking party Kid Friendly Liz Rueven March 11, 2011 Sundays are pizza making days for kids at Coalhouse Pizza in Stamford. First rule co-owner, Gerard Robertson, puts out there? DON’T BE AFRAID TO MAKE A MESS! Better his place than yours, and a lot more fun, for sure. If one too many rainy days has given your clan cabin fever, this is a great way to get out, make your own pizza and learn something too. Robertson invites kids of all ages to pull up a stool and gently work a ball of dough on the long stretch of white marble that wraps around the pizza prep area and the enormous coal oven. Read More
Local Chef Competes in Obama’s LET’S MOVE Campaign Kids Bites Events kids activity Recipe Liz Rueven January 06, 2011 CRUSTLESS QUINOA AND KALE QUICHE was served and critiqued in elementary school? That is precisely what happened last month as 200 fourth and fifth graders at Holland Hill Elementary School in Fairfield tasted the dish they had voted to “try” in response to First Lady Michelle Obama’s LET’S MOVE! campaign to combat childhood obesity. Green Gourmet to Go chef and owner, Linda Soper-Kolton jumped on the opportunity to participate in the nation wide contest to create a tasty, highly nutritious, child friendly dish by approaching her own son’s elementary school Principle, Frank Arnone. Lucky for the students and the chef, Mr. Arnone loved the idea of involving his students in the process of discussing ingredients and tasting the contest entry. Read More
Homemade Apple Chips c/o Fix Me a Snack Kids Bites Features kids activity Recipe Kid Friendly Fix Me A Snack December 09, 2010 This easy recipe for homemade apple chips is a new favorite at our house. My kids love them. I love them. Everyone’s happy. It’s been a while since I made something so simple yet brilliant. Hooray Apple Chips! Apple Chips Recipe via Fix Me A Snack I use Macoun and Empire apples to make these and they didn’t require any measures to prevent browning. If you think your apples will brown excessively, dip them in a solution of 2 cups water and 2 tablespoons lemon juice right after they have been sliced. Read More
Gingerbread Contest: Part 2 Kids Bites Events kids activity Stephanie Webster November 01, 2010 Gingerbread House Day 3: After a fitful night full of dreams involving houses crashing down with disastrous effect, we gathered to set the foundations and raise the walls for our edible CTbites farm stand. For those late to the game, this exercise in amateur baking is all part of a plan to raise money for The Stamford Museum's "Visions of Gingerbread" Exhibit" where professional bakers will show and then auction off gingerbread houses far more spectacular than ours. Read More
Visions of Gingerbread @ The Stamford Museum Kids Bites Education Events kids activity Kid Friendly Stephanie Webster October 25, 2010 CTbites is proud to be this year's media sponsor for the 2nd annual "Visions of Gingerbread: The Sweetest Architects" exhibit at the Stamford Museum and Nature Center. Opening November 6th, this show will feature unique and amazing gingerbread creations by many of your favorite bakers. Check out the lineup: CakeSuite, Sugar & Olives, DiMare's Pasty Shop, SoNo Baking Company, Karin Krumpelbeck, and (are you sitting down?) CTbites will be working on an entry. (If you are a baker and want to help team CTbites, contact us!) Here's the best part...You can bring one of these incredible edibles home to your family. These sweet structures will be put up on the silent auction block, with proceeds going to the Museum's educational programs. Read More
Great Programs for Kids & Adults @ Ambler Farm Ingredients Kids Bites Events Holiday Local Farm kids activity Kid Friendly Stephanie Webster October 22, 2010 Don't miss these spooky, educational, & tasty activities @ Ambler Farm. Fright Night: Friday, October 29 & Saturday, October 30 Drop off the kids (grades 3-5) for haunted activities and frightful (and not so frightful) storytelling. Those who were present last year are still talking about the ghost dog who frequents the Farm! Creepy sights and mysterious sounds abound when the moon rises at Ambler Farm. Refreshments included. Enrollment limited. Haunted Halloween Ride, Guessing jar to win the Farm's largest pumpkin, Games, if you dare play... Launch the Trebuchet: Sunday, November 14 If you've been to Ambler Farm Day, you've probably fired the apple slingshots, taken a hay-ride or two, and witnessed pumpkins flying through the air. If the pumpkin-launching trebuchet has intrigued you, now's your chance to get a closer look at this medieval-inspired machine. Read More
