Explorers: Summer Dips (Fun in the Sun)

Today,  we engaged in one of our favorite activities: COOKING.

Hands-on cooking projects are not only great fun for kids of all ages and skill levels but address all areas of development:

Social/Emotional: turn taking and sharing the different materials and tools; working together toward a common goal, namely preparing a meal together; promoting independence and self-direction by following a recipe; helping each other; trying new things; sitting down together and enjoying a meal as a group.

Language/Communication: learning new vocabulary (e.g., names of ingredients, cooking utensils); practicing asking questions and making comments while cooking; requesting; expressing an opinion (likes/dislikes);

Fine-Motor Skills: pouring, squeezing, cutting, mixing.

Cognitive Skills: following multiple directions; attention to task; understanding a sequence, organizational skills; measuring and counting.

We split up into two small groups and each group prepared a different summer dip: HUMMUS OR GUACAMOLE. YUMMY!!! And it was a toss up at the end: Some of us liked the hummus better and others preferred the guacamole.

HUMMUS

• 2 cans garbanzo beans: drain, keep liquid   

• 1 clove garlic crushed with garlic press
  
  

•  2 teaspoons ground cumin

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  
  

• 1 teaspoon salt (or less: TASTE)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
  
  

Combine ingredients in a blender. Blend on low speed, gradually adding bean liquid, until desired consistency is achieved.

Guacamole

• 4 avocados: slice avocados in half the long way (adult), pull out the pits. Use a spoon to scoop out all the soft, green insides. Put them in shallow dish and mash them with a potato masher.

• Add 4 tablespoons of lemon juice

• Add 1 teaspoon cumin

• Add 1 clove of garlic, crushed with garlic press

• 1 teaspoon salt (or less: TASTE)

• Mix all the ingredients together until the guacamole is completely blended. Tip: If you are not going to serve the guacamole right away, put the avocado pits back in. The pits will keep it from turning brown.