Make your own Whole Wheat Flour

Whole wheat flour is nothing more than all purpose or white flour with added wheat bran. Yes, believe it or not, you can MAKE your own whole-wheat flour! It is a straight 1 to 1 ratio. of every cup of all-purpose flour, you add the same amount of wheat bran. But keep in mind because whole flour has different structure and taste, not all baked goods should be substituted for whole wheat flour.
If you are making delicate sponge or chiffon cakes, I would not recommend using whole wheat flour. However, less delicate baked items such as muffins, coffee cakes, biscuits, scones and breads are very whole wheat flour friendly.

In the category of quick breads (i.e. scones and biscuits), I suggest using 2/3 cup of all-purpose flour and 1/3 cup of whole wheat flour. For breads, I like to use a 1 to 1 ratio for whole wheat to white flour. Also, because whole-wheat flour has less protein (gluten) you may want to add either gluten or bread flour which has a higher protein level to give your bread some lift and structure.

Here are some very important things to keep in mind when using whole wheat flour:

• Whole wheat flour is more dense than white flour, so you should sift, or if you are too lazy to sift, quickly aerate your whole wheat flour with a whisk.
• If you are substituting whole wheat flour, you must increase your wet ingredients ever so slightly. The bran in the whole wheat flour acts like a sponge, therefore absorbs more than the required moisture in your recipe.
• Lastly, avoid over mixing when you use whole-wheat all-purpose flour in baked goods such as cookies and muffins because the denser flour mixture will create unwanted gluten and make your baked goods tougher and chewier.

Happy Baking!

Lori Tinella
Little Chefs

Top 10 Reasons to Send your Kids to Summer Camp

Send your Kids to Summer Camp Cooking / Art Camp with Little Chefs & Pottery Parties in the Hills!

-- It's a fun "camp" experience for boys and girls ages 5-13!
-- Kids meet new friends with the same interests and passions.
-- Inspires kids creativity and independence.
-- Full days from 9-4 pm.
-- A fun way to improve math and science skills.
-- Builds self-esteem and confidence.
-- Different themes each day.
-- Expands your kids dining horizons so they will try new foods.
-- Learn to use kitchen tools and gadgets safely.
-- AND THE #1 REASON . . . They just might serve you dinner when you come home from work!

Act now to Book camp this summer for July 12-16th from 9am - 4pm!!
Loads of messy, fun days ahead!!!

Lori Tinella

Little Chefs
Call 519-940-1131 or info@thelittlechefs.ca
http://www.thelittlechefs.ca

Fresh, New idea to keep your kids busy this summer....

Have them cook with us and we take care of the mess too!

Join us for Little Chefs 2nd Annual Cook for your Dad Cookshop.
Sunday June 20th (1 & 3 pm) What's Cookin' on Main St,Erin

Come out and prepare something special for your dad for this father's day. You and Mom will have fun preparing some yummy food together at What's Cookin' in Erin, Ontario.
$30.00 per child. Limited spaces available. Call or e-mail Little Chefs to reserve your spot.

**Following your Cookshop, each participant will be emailed a $15 off coupon to use towards a Little Chefs Cooking Party! ** (some restrictions apply, can not be applied to your deposit required to reserve your party time & day)


Little Chefs Children's Summer Cooking /Pottery Camp (Pottery Parties in the Hills)
July 12-19th (9am-4pm) Westminister Church on Broadway, Orangeville

Worried about idle hands this Summer Break? Enroll your kids in our hands-on cooking / pottery camp to keep their little hands busy and their minds engaged, all while improving their culinary and art skills. Campers will take a trip to the local supermarket to source ingredients, and plan on learning how to eat locally and may even be visited by a local Chef!


Call and enroll your kids today to keep them busy, learning and of course well fed and cared for during the summer!
$350 for the week ** Limited spots for school aged children so enroll now!

Lori Tinella, founder
Little Chefs
info@thelittlechefs.ca
Cook Up Some Fun Today!
www.thelittlechefs.ca
T 519-940-1131 F 519-940-0295

Top Ten "Rules" for Successful and Positive Mealtimes with Your Kids

1. Keep meals and snack times consistent and regular.
2. Eat as a family. Model good food habits and table manners. They will follow.
3. Sit down to eat and drink – don't take meals on the run!
4. Keep a distraction-free eating area - no T.V., toys, or other distractions such as cell phones, laptops, or newspapers.
5. Provide a balance and variety of foods to keep kids interested satisfied.
6. Empower your child to make healthy choices about what to eat and how much. They will feel empowered, for example, if you offer them the option of healthy choice #1 or healthy choice #2, such as peas or carrots.
7. Don't pressure your child to eat – this will backfire!
8. Respect your child's choices and trust their natural ability to self regulate their food intake.
9. Set limits on age appropriate behavior at the table and stick to your boundaries.
10. Have fun! The less you stress at mealtimes, the more fun all of you will have!

Lori Tinella

Little Chefs
www.thelittlechefs.ca

Little Chefs Cooking Camp!!

New this year Little Chefs Cooking Camp this summer!

Are your kids looking for a fun summer adventure they will never forget?

Little Chefs has partnered with Pottery Parties in the Hills to have some messy, creative fun in July and August.

The July camp is to be held July 12-16th in Orangeville and the August camp is August 3-6th in Belfountain

Here are some more details.........

Pottery Parties in the Hills Activities include:

-painting ceramics
-playing with clay
-spin the pottery wheel
-painting wood
& more

Little Chefs Activities include:

-various hands-on cooking
-food science
-cooks and books
-grow your food
& more

July Session
This one week day-camp is designed to provide children who love cooking and pottery with a safe, fun, exciting and creative atmosphere in which to enjoy their school break. Daily outdoor time can be a component of this flexible schedule.
Westminster Church, Orangeville Monday July 12th – Friday July 16th 2010
(5 day week)
9:00 am - 4:00 pm
All materials included
*must bring own lunch & snacks

August Session
Belfountain Community Hall
Tuesday August 3rd – Friday August 6th 2010 (4 day week)
9:00 am – 4:00 pm
All materials included
*must bring own lunch & snacks
School age children

Sign up today- Limited spots available
PREVIEW CAMP DAY - May 15th 10-1pm at Westminster Church in Orangeville.
Sign up early and receive special rate!

Lori @ 519-940-1131 or lori@thelittlechefs.ca

www.thelittlechefs.ca

Food Allergies

For those of you that know me know that I am the biggest advocate for allergy awareness because of my oldest child. My sweet Alyssa is 8 years old and has been diagnosed with an allergy to peanuts. We discovered this when she was 3 years old and the whole family lives like we all have the same allergy. What is most important is educating our daughter as well as others on dealing allergies.

May is Food Allergy Awarness Month so I decided to post this from Anaphaylaxis Canada's news release.

I hope that all of you can understand abit more whether you have to deal with any allergies directly or indirectly. Thanks for understanding. Lori

May is Food Allergy Awareness Month taken from Anaphylaxis Canada's news release May 4th 2010

Anaphylaxis Canada applauds Parliament's motion recognizing Food Allergy Awareness Month and will be commemorating the occasion by promoting a number of initiatives intended to support the 1.3 million Canadians who live with food allergies. Food allergy is a growing public health issue in Canada. More than fifty percent of Canadians know someone with a food allergy. While allergic individuals must take responsibility for their condition, awareness and support of the community are key to keeping people, especially children, safe. Without treatment, anaphylaxis, the most severe form of an allergic reaction, can cause death.

Anaphylaxis Canada will be recognizing Food Allergy Awareness Month through a number of planned initiatives and events. This includes the organization's annual conference, hosted this year in Toronto, during which exciting new food allergy research will be presented by leading Canadian experts. Anaphylaxis Canada will also be launching two key initiatives for teens and young adults: a new French version of its website especially created for allergic teens to help them manage their food allergies more effectively; and the Sabrina Shannon Memorial Award for youth involvement in community anaphylaxis education.

Lori Tinella
Little Chefs
http://www.thelittlechefs.ca

Yummy Carrots in a Muffin!!

This past weekend I made a carrot cake for my sister's shower because she really likes it. Well it turned out yummy and everyone enjoyed it!
Today I am home with a sick child so I made carrot muffins and they are yummy too!

Here is my recipe....

I used Agave nectar which comes from the agave plant. It is a sweet liquid with a consistency a bit smoother than honey. Agave is also low on the glycemic index and is metabolized by your body slower than sugar so it has a less severe effect on blood sugar fluctuations. You can find it at any health food store and I bet you’ll find many ways for it to replace sugar in your kitchen. If you want more of a treat you can put icing on them!



Carrot Cupcakes

1 Cup Flour
3/4 Tsp Baking Powder
3/4 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
3/4 Cup Agave
1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
2 Large Eggs
1 1/2 Cup Carrots, peeled and shredded
1/4 Cup Pineapple, drained, crushed in juice

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon into a medium sized bowl.
3. Using a mixer, beat the agave, oil and eggs until thoroughly combined.
4. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl.
5. Add the carrots and pineapple and beat until all the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
6. Line 12 1/3 cup muffin cups with paper liners.
7. Scoop batter into cups, filling 3/4 full.
8. Bake for 30 minutes.
9. Cool (cupcakes can be made 1 day ahead, cover and store at room temperature).
10 Spread top of each cupcake with 2 tablespoons of cream cheese icing and serve.

Cream Cheese Icing (Make 2 Cups)

1 8 oz Package Cream Cheese, room temperature
1/2 Cup Butter, room temperature
4 Tbsp Agave Nectar
1 Tsp Vanilla
1. Place all the ingredients in a mixer and beat on medium to high speed until fluffy.
2. Spread on cupcakes.
Enjoy!

Lori
Happy Cooking!

519-940-1131