What's Cooking with the Pearl Peanuts

So yesterday the Pearl Peanuts group and I tried our first cooking element, which is part of the new and improved Pearl Peanuts Story Time. The library has received quite a few compliments on how the program has a fresh new look. About 16 children and 11 adults attended the program.

While they colored their individual cookbook pages, we sang "Hola Amigo" without the prerecorded music. Era muy fantastico! (It was very fantastic!) I read Gary Soto's Too Many Tamales. They enjoyed this story despite it being a holiday book. They (most of them) realized the message the author was trying to convey~always take responsibility for one's mistakes.

After the story, I started the cooking portion of the program by stressing the importance of hand washing and adult supervision (when in the kitchen). I probably should have heated the oil before I began the story so that the oil would be ready for me to drop the tortillas.

I could not believe that they (most of the group) were sitting in their places. I only cut a sampling of tortilla chips and I chose one of the older children to help cut more tortillas into triangular shapes. Susan and a few moms helped put hot and crispy tortilla chips into brown paper sacks. The children either put sugar and cinnamon or salt into their bags. Then they shook their bags with their seasonings and (of course) ate the chips. After the last chip was eaten, all were happy and delighted. Until next time...Adios! (Bye!)