Dear Reader,
This Blog is designed for the parents, grandparents and caregivers of young children. Each post will highlight a great book that all children should hear, with tips to enrich beginning reading skills. You will also find fun recipes that go along with each story. Enjoy reading and cooking with the children in your life.
*Read to the children in your life every day. You are giving them a gift that will last a lifetime!
Turkey’s Valentine Surprise By: Wendi Silvano Illustrated by: Lee Harper
This is our fourth “Turkey” book and they are all so much fun. In this story, Turkey wants to surprise his friends with Valentines, so he dresses up in different disguises. As usual, they didn’t work all that well. In the end, he tried to surprise everyone to make it a perfect Valentine’s day and it worked, almost. Children will love all of these wonderful books by Wendi Silvano.
Tips for Reading:
- After reading, ask the child to tell you why Turkey used a disguise to deliver his valentines and did that work.
- After reading, ask the child to describe some of the disguises that Turkey used.
- After reading, ask the child to tell you how all of Turkey’s friends knew that he was the one who organized the pizza party.
Additional “Turkey” books:
- Turkey Goes to School
- Turkey Trouble
- Turkey’s Sandtastic Beach Day
- Turkey Trick or Treat
- Turkey Claus
- Turkey’s Eggcellent Easter
Cooking Time:
Deviled Strawberries
These sweet treats are easy to make and absolutely delicious and perfect for Valentine’s Day. Children can help by preparing the strawberries and measuring and mixing the filling.
18 to 24 large strawberries
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sour cream
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, optional
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
- Cut the stems off of the strawberries and slice them in half.
- Cut a small sliver off of the back of each strawberry half so that it will sit up straight.
- Use a small melon scoop to carefully hollow out the middle, being careful not to take too much.
- In a medium mixing bowl, beat the whipping cream until stiff peaks form, around 5 minutes.
- In a separate mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, vanilla and lemon juice (optional) until smooth.
- Fold the whipping cream into the cream cheese mixture until incorporated.
- Fill a piping bag with a star tip, with the cream cheese mixture.
- Pipe the cream cheese mixture onto each strawberry slice.
- Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs over each.
Makes 12 to 15 servings.
Heart Calzones
This is the perfect lunch or dinner to serve on Valentine’s Day. Children can help by cutting out the hearts, filling the calzones and sealing the edges.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
1 can (13.8 ounces) refrigerated pizza crust
Marinara or pizza sauce
Fillings such as pepperoni, mushrooms, veggies, etc.
Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Melted butter to brush the tops of each calzone
Salt or garlic salt
- Spread the dough on the counter and use a heart shaped cookie cutter to cut as many dough hearts as you can.
- Take a heart and spread with the sauce, fillings and cheese, leaving a little room around the edges to seal the calzones.
- Place another heart over the fillings.
- Seal the edges using a fork all the way around the hearts.
- Brush the top of each with melted butter.
- Sprinkle each with salt or garlic salt.
- Place in a 400 degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes.
Makes 6 to 8 calzones, depending on the size of the cutter.
Strawberry Kiss Cookies
This is the perfect cookie to make and serve for Valentine’s Day. Children can help by measuring, adding the ingredients, cracking the egg, dipping the cookies and adding the kiss to the top.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
1 Strawberry Cake Mix
1 stick butter, melted
1 large egg
1 teaspoon strawberry extract or vanilla extract
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
Pink sanding sugar
48 chocolate kisses (we used lava kisses)
- Take wrappers off of each Hershey Kiss. Place in a bowl and then into the freezer.
- Using a mixer, combine the dry cake mix, butter, egg and vanilla. Mix until a soft dough is formed.
- Add the cream cheese and mix completely.
- Refrigerate dough for at least 60 minutes.
- Using a scoop, form 48 dough balls.
- Roll each ball in sanding sugar.
- Bake in a 350 degree oven for 8 minutes.
- Allow to cool on a rack for 2 minutes.
- Remove cookies back to the rack.
- Immediately, top each cookie with a frozen kiss.
- Allow to complete the cooling process on the rack.
Makes 48 cookies.
