If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
Welcome to Captain Cook’s Cooking School for Kids, founded in 2008. We believe that when you introduce a child to the joys of cooking, you set the foundation for a lifetime of healthy eating habits. Our mission is to inspire and excite kids about creating, cooking and tasting new foods. We offer a variety of exciting hands-on kids cooking classes, summer cooking camps, holiday workshops and San Diego’s best kids birthday parties.
Want a healthier family and healthier planet?? Here are some great ways to improve both and they are not as difficult to implement as you may think…..
1. Support your local farmers and economy and shop at your local Farmers Markets. Why buy truck ripened produce from 1500 miles away from your grocery store when you can get fresh, seasonal produce grown close to home at your Farmers Market??? There are so many wonderful Farmers Markets in San Diego almost every day of the week and most feature organic produce. Even if its not organic, many small farms are still pesticide free but cannot afford to become certified organic even though they use the same methods. There is a lot of paperwork and red tape to get through…..Get to know your local farmers and listen to what they have to say. I’d trust one of them over the USDA or FDA any day!!! Visit www.sdfarmbureau.org to find a Farmers Market in your town.
2. Join a CSA….A CSA is a Community Supported Agriculture group. Basically you pay a monthly fee to a local farm which in turn they provide you with a box of their fresh seasonal bounty each week that you pick up from a specified location. Visit www.localharvest.org for a list of CSA’s in San Diego. Be Wise Organic Farm and Seabreeze are two wonderful farms……might have a waiting list though….
3. Choose organic whenever possible. Obviously we don’t want our children consuming any food treated with pesticides and synthetic fertilizers, which not only are bad for our bodies, but for our environment as well. This is especially important in dairy products. Dairy cows are commonly injected with growth hormones (RGBH) and antibiotics, which means their milk will contain these things……I don’t want my kids drinking that!!! Always buy organic dairy or at least find products that don’t contain these items. Chicken eggs as well… I want free range, CAGE FREE, organic fed birds that hopefully haven’t been abused…..I still don’t trust this system wholeheartedly, but its the best I can do for now until we get our own chicks for our backyard…..and yes you can do this too even if you live in a tract home in San Diego….
Read More…
I get it, we are all busy, especially this time of year. Between work and shuffling the kids around, shopping, helping with homework and managing a household, it is difficult to find time to cook healthy meals every night for your family. But however impossible you might believe it to be, the benefits of home cooking are huge. On top of that, when you bring your child into the kitchen to help you cook a meal, the results are priceless. The health advantages, bonding opportunities, creative expression and essential life skill development of cooking are essential to raising a well adjusted child. Here’s why….
Better for their body: In this day and age most children are growing up in busy households where their parents may not have the time or energy to cook wholesome healthy meals every night. As a result, kids and parents today are too often relying on fast food and processed foods, thus creating an overwhelming increase in childhood obesity rates. Home cooking allows you to choose fresh, organic ingredients free from pesticides, preservatives and all sorts of other chemicals and unnecessary food additives that are prevalent in the grocery store aisles.
Read More…
We all know the state of our school lunch program….It’s disgraceful….Many districts would like us believe the food that they serve our children is healthy and nutritional because it follows federal and state guidelines and meets the RDA requirements for protein, calcium etc. But those guidelines are, well, misguided. Read More…
Cows eating corn instead of grass, how absurd?? Think about it…cows aren’t suppose to eat corn or any other grain….they are ruminants (along with buffalo, deer, goats, etc) which means they have multiple chambered stomachs designed for eating and digesting grass, like no other species can do. Then why are the majority of our beef cattle being force fed corn in feedlots instead of being allowed to graze on the pasture? Read More…
Many companies these days are using safe and natural food colorings in their products overseas because of a ban of many artificial food dyes throughout many countries in Europe. But in the good ole US of A, the same companies still continue to use these artificial food dyes in the exact same products. Why are these products banned in Europe but not in the US? Do American consumers have a false sense of security when it comes to our food? Read More…
Summer is upon us, and if you are like me, the zucchini in your garden is beginning to get out of control. No fear though, this abundant vegetable can be used in a multitude of delicious recipes. Since zucchini contains a lot of water, when baked into goodies it results in a moist texture and subtle sweetness that kids will love……
Here are just a few of my favorites:
Read More…
McRIB is back….give me a McBreak!!!
McRib is back…..A cult phenomenon they call it…. there are websites dedicated to finding the McDonalds Stores that offer this elusive sandwich……there are facebook shrines and twitter posts….I even heard them talking about it on a radio talk show the other day……whats all the hype about???
Read More…
Watching the T.V every night it appears like we are under siege from the fast food companies. I cannot remember so many dollar menus and value menus being promoted. Loss leaders are being used as ‘carrots’ to entice people into the stores, ( how can it be possible to sell 2 Big Macs for $3.50 and make money? the PZone from Pizza Hut 1lb of food for $1… cmon!!). Read More…
ARSENIC IN KIDS APPLE JUICE? ONE MORE REASON TO BUY ORGANIC
In light of the recent findings of arsenic in apple juice in an independent study of Dr. Oz and his associates, I thought it would be a good idea to reiterate, once again, the importance of eating organic food, especially when it comes to feeding your children. Read More…
