Fun Christmas Facts - The History of Gingerbread Men

By Gwen Nicodemus 

Gingerbread has been around for a long time, but the recipes used to make it have changed considerably over the years. Initially gingerbread was made from breadcrumbs, ginger, and a sweetener, like honey. People discovered that ginger has preservative properties and used it accordingly.

The recipe for gingerbread changed, and by the 15th century (the 1400s), the breadcrumbs had been replaced by flour. Honey was replaced with molasses. The biscuit became lighter. Some recipes made sweet, thin crisps of ginger and others were thicker and more biscuit-like.

Pictoral scenes that told stories were carved in wood and the gingerbread was rolled and pressed into them.

It was first made into figures (like people) n the 16th century (the 1500s). Queen Elizabeth I of England is credited with the first gingerbread men.

Queen Elizabeth was queen of England starting in November of 1558. (She was the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn.) Queen Elizabeth was known for having well dressed courtiers in her court. She has been credited with the first gingerbread men. The story goes that she had gingerbread cookies made and decorated to look like her favorite courtiers, and had the cookies presented to them.

Gingerbread men tend to have vague shapes. For instance, the legs do not have definite feet, and they certainly don't have any toes. The arms don't have definite arms, and they definitely don't have any fingers. Gingerbread women are equally simple in design. Gingerbread expands when it bakes, even recipes without eggs. As a consequence, the cookies work better when they are not overly detailed.

The detail work comes into play when you decorate these cookies.

So, gingerbread men and women needed houses, chairs, tables, beds, wagons, trees, and livestock that is also made out of gingerbread, and bakers created these.

The Brothers Grimm wrote Hansel and Gretel in 1812. The story told of a witch that wanted to eat the children, Hansel and Gretel. She fattened them up with candy and other sweets, and the children munched on a house made of gingerbread. Gingerbread houses became popular at that time, especially in Germany.

Gingerbread houses are popular in the United States and many parts of Europe, but oddly, not England. These houses are most common during the Christmas season, but also work well for every other holiday. Valentine's Day houses are decorated with pink, red, and white candy. Halloween houses have ghosts popping out of them and are often purposely constructed "wrong." The only limits with gingerbread houses are your imagination and the size of your cookie sheets. (I like to design one or two each year from index cards. Remember that gingerbread is thicker than paper, but put together the cards into whatever kind of house you can design.)

My favourite recipe for gingerbread houses is called " the alternate recipe." I replace the shortening with butter and use corn syrup instead of molasses.

Gwen Nicodemus is a freelance engineer/writer and a homeschooling mom. Visit her website, Notion Nexus, for unit studies, worksheets, notes, and educational videos.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Gwen_Nicodemus/776087

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Tips to Make Delicious Smoothies With Kids

By Heather Boger  

Safety is a priority anytime children are helping out in the kitchen, so before your children come in to help you must check to be certain that all knives are put away and burners are turned off and cool. Encouraging children to assist in their own food preparation increases the odds that they will like it and eat it, no matter what you make. Smoothies are no exception, and many children find the actual process of creating a homemade smoothie rather intriguing.

Here are the elements that you will require to make homemade smoothies with children: Blender or food processor, Silicone Spatula, Juice smoothie ingredients, crushed ice, cups, aprons, straws, aprons, and food coloring (optional).

The blender is essential because it is the tool that finely chops vegetables and combines all of your ingredients. Blenders can range in price anywhere from $10 - $500 but you can use any brand of blender as long as your ingredients get mixed together thoroughly. The blender I use is a Oster 18-Speed with a very powerful ice crushing mode. The Vitamix is considered to be the best blender on the market, and could be a worthy investment if you plan on making smoothies often.

I use a slanted silicone spatula to scrape down the sides during blended (if needed) and also to get all the smoothie out of the blender when I'm finished blending. It is important to scrape the sides of the blender to ensure that you don't end up with any unblended ingredients. A chunky or chewy green smoothie is not appetizing to children of any age. The spatula that I use a basic one that was purchased inexpensively from QVC.

There are thousands of healthy smoothie recipes, so your ingredients will vary greatly depending on what kind of smoothie you are trying to make. You can use fresh or frozen produce, although including at least one frozen ingredient will make the smoothie much colder, and therefore more appealing. Fruits such as strawberries, blueberries, and bananas are very popular for smoothies. Green smoothies are growing in popularity. Green smoothies are made by using vegetables such as baby spinach, celery, and cucumbers. Most smoothies are made with a liquid ingredient as well. You can use milk, fruit juice, water, or even thin yogurt as your liquid ingredient. Smoothie ingredients can be purchased from your local grocer or farmer's market. It would be ideal to use a combination of fresh, seasonal and frozen ingredients.

Adding a little bit of ice to the blender during the smoothie process will keep your smoothie colder longer - which is always a good thing. Be careful to not add any more ice than you need, as it will water down your smoothie, and also your smoothie's nutrition. As smoothies warm to room temperature they can separate and be less visually appealing to children.

You can use a regular cup, insulated cup, or travel mug depending on when and where you plan on drinking your smoothie. In the Summer, you may opt for an insulated cup to help keep your smoothie cold, or you may want to use a travel mug if you drink your breakfast smoothie in the car. Children also like fun straws to drink their smoothies! Tervis Tumblers are great because they are double wall insulated and don't sweat, and you can use hygienic disposable straws from the dollar store or Walmart. Reusable straws are difficult to clean properly, and you don't want to take the chance.

Kids find a way to make a mess! Children can wear a store bought or homemade apron or even an artists smock to keep their clothes clean. If an child-size apron is not handy, at least be sure they are wearing play clothes, or clothes that you do not mind getting dirty, as certain berries and juices will stain.

The use of food coloring can help make several smoothies more interesting to younger girls and boys. Just a bit of red or pink will make a festive Valentine-themed smoothie, red and blue layered smoothies are fun for the Fourth of July. Orange and black swirls could be a real treat on halloween, and red and green smoothies are appropriate for the Christmas holiday. Just be careful to understand your coloring wheel - because no one wants to consume a dark brown or black fruit smoothie every day!

Now that you have all the tools to make great smoothies, click here for the best smoothie recipes for kids.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Heather_Boger/495825