Category: Chow Time

Today is officially the first day of summer! I know many of you have lots of fun plans during this break from school. How much time will you spend outside this summer?

Did you know the bodies of both dogs like me and humans like you are made up of 60 % water? This summer remember to drink water to stay hydrated. When used as a verb, hydrate means to supply something with plenty of fluid. Hydrate your body by supplying it with plenty of water. I have a recipe for infused water that is delicious!

Water helps our bodies.

Water helps make saliva so that we can eat and digest food.

Water in our bloodstream transports the carbohydrates and proteins from foods we’ve eaten so that our bodies can use them as energy.

Water helps our joints move easily so that we can run and play.

Water delivers oxygen to our bodies as well.

Water keeps us cool by allowing us to sweat.

Water helps our bodies get rid of waste.

Your brain is made up of 73% water? If you get a headache after playing outside you may be dehydrated, which is the opposite of hydrated. Drink some water and you may start feeling better.

Our bodies get water not only by drinking, but also with some of the foods we eat. Can you think of an example of a fruit or vegetable that is filled with water? (If you said watermelon, I agree!)

So this summer don’t let your brains or bodies dry out! Drink water to stay hydrated. And if you want to see my favorite recipe for water, click here for my Fruit and Vegetable Infused Water recipes.

TORTI-YUM TORTILLA BREAKFAST

If you add the words Tortilla +Yum together, you get Torti-Yums! Torti-Yums are made with tortillas, eggs and cheese. They are a perfect recipe for Mother’s Day Breakfast.

Each year on Mother’s Day my favorite humans make Torti-Yums as a breakfast in bed for their mother. Some of the recipe is easy enough to make by yourself, but to be safe, you must have an adult nearby to just in case you need help.

Did you know there is no difference between a white egg and a brown egg? They both taste the same. White-feathered chickens lay white eggs, and brown-feathered chickens lay brown eggs.

So, if you want to make an egg-cellent breakfast for your Mom or other special grownup in your life, then grab some eggs and let’s start cracking!

On Wednesdays my family travels around the world. We don’t go by train or car or plane or boat. We travel in our imagination. We gather at the table, spin a globe of the world, and see where it will lead us for the week. We read about the places that we’ve landed, learn about the people who live there and the foods that they eat. And then we try some of those recipes at home.

Today we’ll begin our travels near my home by the Sandia Mountains in New Mexico. In Spanish, the word Sandia means watermelon. Do you suppose that the first people who lived here named the mountain for its beautiful pink color at sunset, or because they had such great luck growing melons and squash in the fertile soil near the mountain? My guess is that it was probably a little bit of both.

Let’s make Watermelon Agua Fresca for Kids. In Spanish, agua fresca means fresh water. What ingredients do you think we’ll use? If you guessed watermelon and water, you are right!

Yesterday was my FurEver-Versary. 5 years ago today I joined my FurEver family after they took me home from the shelter. I knew I wanted to adopt them the minute I saw them. I am so glad they felt the same way about me.

Today is National Puppy day in the United States. I wasn’t a puppy when I was adopted. I was a full-grown dog, and the biggest, oldest dog in the shelter! But my nickname at home is Puppy Chow, so in honor of both days, I thought I would celebrate by making some Puppy Chow for Children. The snack recipe got its name years ago when people decided that the mixture looked like dog chow in a bowl.

Remember- Puppy Chow for Children is for humans only!

Let’s make Golden Carrot Coins!

Top of the morning to you, is a greeting that usually makes people think of Ireland and St. Patrick’s Day. On St. Patrick’s Day, some people like to wear green and search for leprechauns and their gold. What recipes do leprechauns like to make for St. Patrick’s Day dinner?

Today my friend Finnegan is bringing some gold to us! He’s sharing his delicious St. Patrick’s Day recipe for Golden Carrot Coins. This recipe uses roasted carrots and a little bit of orange juice and honey. Roasted vegetables turn brown at their edges and taste sweeter after roasting. This is called caramelization. Roasted vegetables are also easier to cut for cooks who are just learning to use a kitchen knife. Both carrots and oranges are full of Vitamin A which is very good for keeping your eyes healthy. Just remember, you have to eat bright colors to see bright colors!

P.S.- Finnegan says that when someone says, “Top of the Morning to You,” a leprechaun might reply by saying, “And the rest of the day to yourself!”

February 7^th is Fettuccine Alfredo day!

Fettuccine Alfredo is a dish of fettuccine noodles covered in a cheesy white sauce. Do you know who invented the dish?

One hundred and eleven years ago a man named Alfredo Di Lelio worked in a small restaurant in Italy. His wife had just had their first baby and Alfredo wanted to make her a tasty meal. He made her a dish of noodles with butter and fresh cheese and she loved it.

Soon after that, Alfredo opened his own restaurant. Can you guess what he named the new restaurant? Alfredo!

People came from all over the world to eat Alfredo’s noodles. They were so delicious that some very famous movie stars gave him a fork and spoon made of solid gold engraved with the words, “To Alfredo the King of the noodles.”

Many years later, Alfredo sold his restaurant. Later, he opened a new one with his son. The name of the restaurant is Il Vero Alfredo. In Italian this means, the true Alfredo. If you go to Rome, Italy you can still eat Fettuccine Alfredo at Il Vero Alfredo restaurant today!

I like to make my Fettuccine Alfredo with just a little bit of added milk or cream. Come cook with me! Let’s celebrate Fettuccine Alfredo day by making some Fettuccine Alfredo at home!

I have been waiting and waiting for it to snow. Last night, there was a blizzard in my town, and this morning I got to play in the snow. Today, we’ll make Snow Candy.

If you live in a place where it never snows, don’t worry, you can use a plate of shaved or crushed ice instead of snow to make this Snow Candy.

I live in the Hot Air Balloon Capital of the world. Every year in October, the skies outside my house fill with Hot Air Balloons during the International Balloon Fiesta. The sight of them makes most dogs want to bark, but they make me want to cook up a batch of breakfast burritos.

The first burritos were created in Mexico. They are often filled with meat, fish or beans. When you eat them for breakfast they can be filled with eggs. The word burrito means “little donkey” in Spanish. Some people say that the burritos that we eat got their name because they carry lots of different things inside in the same way that donkeys carry many things in their packs.

The ends of a burrito are closed before the burrito is wrapped so that all of its filling remains inside. When you are flying up in the sky in the basket of a balloon, you want to be able to hold your breakfast in one hand while waving to people on the ground with the other! Let’s make Breakfast Burritos!

Autumn is another name for fall. Hundreds of years ago people used to call the season fall of the leaf, but that was a lot to say, so over time the name of the season was shortened to fall.

October is National Cookie Month. Try my Autumn Spice cookies. I bet you’ll really fall for them!