Hooray for Books: Children’s Reading Program Nurtures a Love for Books Through Hands-on Cooking (Podcast #160)

by The Meal Makeover Moms on September 15th, 2011

Who knew reading could be so delicious! At Hooray for Books in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, Mary Murphy, a former kindergarten teacher and mother of five (yes, you heard that right!), blends a love for reading with a dash of humor and a pinch of cooking.

On this week’s Cooking with the Moms podcast, we take a road trip to Hooray for Books where Mary reads a book to these pint-size “Chefs in Training” and then gathers them ’round for an afternoon of cooking.

For today’s class, Mary reads The Pea Patch Jig by Thacher Hurd, a story about a family of mice living on a farm. When baby mouse falls asleep in a head of lettuce that Farmer Clem is about to pick, chaos breaks out in the garden. The book opens the door to a lesson on “eating your vegetables” and a recipe featuring farm-fresh zucchini.

“Wash your hands.” Check! “Wear an apron.” Check! “Have fun.” Check!

Ms. Murphy’s Famous Zucchini Bread recipe is as easy as pie. With everyday ingredients like flour, eggs, sugar, and our favorite, zucchini, it comes together quickly.

Ms. Murphy’s Famous Zucchini Bread

  • 2 cups peeled, grated zucchini
  • 3 large eggs, beaten
  • 1 cup canola oil
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • Small loaf pans

1. Very carefully, peel a vibrant green zucchini using a grater. Grate 2 cups of this summer vegetable.

2. Put the zucchini and all the other ingredients into a very large bowl. Mix lightly. Pour into your very own mini loaf pan.

3. Bake at 325°F for a very long time … about 1 hour!

(Recipe courtesy, Hooray for Books)

Want to teach young kids how to cook without making too much of a mess (tee hee)? Measure and level flour by doing “the snow plow.” Mary says by showing children how to cook, they become “more invested” at mealtime and more likely to try new foods.

How many hands does it take to break an egg?

The kids take a break from cooking for a little lesson on the letter V and a discussion about vegetables.

Hooray for Books offers an array of classes from Book Lovin’ Babies to the Chefs in Training class that we observed to First Grade Book/Cook Club. Mary’s engaging lesson plans have been so successful teaching kids to cook and read, that she is now offering select franchise opportunities throughout the U.S. Give her a call if you’re interested!

Adorable :)

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3 Comments | Filed Under CulinaryAdventures, Snacks, Vegetables 

3 Responses to “Hooray for Books: Children’s Reading Program Nurtures a Love for Books Through Hands-on Cooking (Podcast #160)”

  1. Hooray for Books: Children’s Reading Program Nurtures a Love for Books Through Hands-on Cooking (Podcast #160) « Feeds « MOMMY BLOGS NETWORK- Mommy Blog Aggregator on September 15th, 2011

    [...] Recommended Article FROM http://mealmakeovermoms.com/kitchen/2011/09/15/hooray-for-books-childrens-reading-program-nurtures-a… [...]

  2. Neil | Butterfield on September 19th, 2011

    Very clever idea!. Kids should learn to cook as soon as possible and boys especially can use this opportunity to become self reliant.

  3. eatingrd on September 30th, 2011

    How neat!! So great to get kids involved in the kitchen. They all look like they are concentrating so hard on their tasks! lol

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