Potato Class Success: Fun Tools and Tasty Recipes for Kids | Thank You!

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Discussion Overview

The thread centers around a class focused on potatoes, where participants share their experiences and ideas related to teaching children about cooking with potatoes and using various kitchen tools. The discussion includes reflections on the class's success, the tools used, and suggestions for future classes.

Discussion Character

  • Anecdotal
  • Opinion-based
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • One participant, identifying as a consultant, expressed gratitude for the ideas shared by others that helped in conducting a successful potato class for children.
  • Another participant inquired about the use of the apple wedger during the class, indicating interest in the tools utilized.
  • Several users mentioned the fun and engagement of the children with the tools, such as the Ultimate Mandoline and the APCS.
  • One participant shared details about how they were invited to speak at the class and the informal structure of the session, which included discussions on various potato preparations.
  • Another participant suggested a future class idea involving chicken and fruit recipes, highlighting the potential for diverse cooking topics.
  • Some participants expressed curiosity about the differences between scalloped and au gratin potatoes, leading to a light-hearted exchange about the terminology.
  • One participant shared a personal anecdote about their grandmother's experience with potatoes, adding a nostalgic element to the discussion.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Views differ on the specifics of potato preparations and the use of kitchen tools, with no clear consensus emerging on the best practices or methods discussed.

Contextual Notes

The discussion reflects a community of Pampered Chef consultants sharing personal experiences and ideas related to cooking classes, particularly aimed at engaging children in culinary activities.

Who May Find This Useful

Consultants interested in conducting cooking classes or looking for creative ways to engage children in cooking may find the shared experiences and ideas beneficial.

raebates
raebates
Staff member
Messages
18,217
Thanks so much to everyone who helped me with ideas for the class I did on potatoes. The girls (2 classes, 8 in each) found the potato information really interesting. They also enjoyed trying out the tools.

I hadn't planned on it, but we wound up making roasting potato wedges with a bit of oil, garlic, and salt. They all loved those, and the teacher decided that was a great quick dinner side dish idea.

Once again, thank you for all your help.
 
ooh! You did use the apple wedger for the wedges, didn't you?
 
Did Dan Quayle come and teach everyone how to spell it? (Has anyone asked Hillary the correct way to spell "tomorrow?")
 
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  • #4
Ann, are you crazy? Of course we used the wedger for the potatoes. That was also one of the stations I set up. The others were Ultimate Mandoline, Vegetable Peeler with Crinkle Cutter, and APCS. They really had fun learning how to use each of the tools. Well, those who weren't freaked out by the feel of raw potatoes.Side note. The Furry Guy, who never met a garage sale he didn't like, picked up two APCSs last week. One even included a PC stand. He paid a quarter for each. The girls (and the teacher) loved the APCS. They were talking about how easy that would make it to prepare the individual apple crisps they were going to make today. I already have an APCS, complete with a great stand The Furry Guy made me, plus the other APCS he just picked up. The class kitchen now has it's very own APCS with stand. I hope their apple crisps turned out well.And, KG, spelling is obviously not a required skill for politicians.
 
Rae,

Can you list all the ways to use a potatoe w/ the tool?

Thanks!

Stephanie
 
Yeah!I'd like more info on the whole class thing too!
Please!
 
VeronicaW said:
I'd like more info on the whole class thing too!
Please!
Click to expand...

Not only how you did the class, but how you got it booked as well!
 
raebates said:
And, KG, spelling is obviously not a required skill for politicians.
Click to expand...
Apparently, it was for Dan Quayle.
 
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  • #9
I was invited to speak to the class because the teacher is a friend of a friend. During the summer, Whites, which is a residential facility for young people, has "elective" classes. They are divided into modules of about a month each. The teacher, Emily, was talking to our mutual friend, Beth. She was saying that she wanted to have a guest speaker or two come in, but she wasn't sure how to find one. They were brainstorming when Beth said, "I know someone who's a Pampered Chef consultant. Would that work?"Emily was saying it might be a possibility, when Beth said, "You've met her. She's the one who comes to the plays with me." [Emily was the director for several high school productions.]Emily said, "Oh, she'd be great!"So, Beth called me to let me know what she'd sort of volunteered me for. A week or so later, Emily called to see if I was interested. We met a week before the class so she could get to know me a little better, and I could make sure that I fit my talk into her teaching plan.As for the class itself, it was really informal. I started out by sharing a bit about who I am. I pointed out that even when you can't buy a lot of different types of food, it's important to vary your menu. Then, I asked for them to tell me different ways they could think of to fix potatoes. We talked a bit about each one they came up with, and I added any they had missed from this list:fried
mashed/whipped (and the difference)
scalloped/au gratin (and the difference)
baked (as well as loaded, Mexican, taco, with tuna & cheese, etc.)
twice baked
patties
french fries
home fries
hash browns
roasted
waffle fries
cored & baked with a hot dog
potato salad
potato soupWe talked about how to choose a potato--is it good or bad, what variety to choose for each recipe, etc. I also talked a bit about fresh garlic and how to use a garlic press.Then we gathered around and wedged a few potatoes, tossed them with oil, garlic, and salt, and roasted them. While the potatoes were roasting, the girls divided up and went to stations where they each used half a potato to try out the Ultimate Mandoline, the APCS, the Apple Wedger, the Vegetable Peeler, and Crinkle Cutter.That's about it. The classes were two hours long, with one in the morning and one in the afternoon. I'll be doing something different in July. Haven't decided what that will be yet. Any ideas?
 
what about a chicken & fruit class, lots of recipes w/fruit & chicken using your forged cutlery etc.
 
Okay, I have to ask...what is the difference between scalloped and au gratin potatoes?

It sounds like you really did your homework. You did a really good thing Rae!! Did you send the kids home with a catalog or anything or were you totally altruistic?
 
My first thought was apples.

Fried
baked
apple pie
apple fritters
applesauce
fresh with dips - carmel, peanut butter, etc
apple breads or muffins
carmel or candy apples
bobbing for apples (just kidding:p )
apple butter (probably just a tasting)
apple jelly

How to pick good apples
How to keep them from getting brown
How to keep them fresher
How to peel them in one strip (could be a contest:) )
 
And don't forget Mom's Apple crisp (In the All the Best Cookbook !!)

And Apples and Pork recipes
 
Last edited:
Chef Kearns said:
Okay, I have to ask...what is the difference between scalloped and au gratin potatoes?
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They are basically the same recipe, but the Au Gratin potatoes has cheese in it. Here is the recipe for both from Cooks.com

SCALLOPED OR AU GRATIN POTATOES

3 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
3 c. milk
6-8 med. potatoes (pared or not) sliced thin
2 tbsp. chopped onion

Make white sauce out of first 5 ingredients. (Add 1-1 1/2 cups sharp Cheddar cheese for au gratin when white sauce thickens.)
Place half the potatoes in a greased 2 quart casserole dish (9 x 13 inch). Cover with half the onions and half the sauce. Repeat layers. Place 2-3 pieces of bacon on top. Cover and bake at 350 degrees about 1 hour. Uncover and bake 30 minutes longer. Serves 4-6. Enjoy!
 
Here is an interesting page about apples that I found

http://www.nyapplecountry.com/index.htm

All kinds of tips, recipes, and facts... and it has an education and kids section!
 
Chef Kearns said:
Okay, I have to ask...what is the difference between scalloped and au gratin potatoes?
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They both end up the same in my refrigerator, when I find them three weeks later and I exclaim, "Aug! Ratin!"
 
The_Kitchen_Guy said:
They both end up the same in my refrigerator, when I find them three weeks later and I exclaim, "Aug! Ratin!"
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As a child, we would often go out to eat w/ my grandparents to a favorite restaurant - but I could never understand why grandma always ordered the "All Rotten" potatoes!:eek: :o :D
 
My grandmother sometimes worked at a potato processing plant (in season) in her little north-central Wisconsin town - lots of 'taters grown in Antigo Silt Loam in that part of the state. She had lots of variations for cooking pototoes - as long as they all started out peeled and boiled.(I wish you could hear the sarcasm in my typing.)All Rotten potatoes were something I never experienced until Betty Crocker made 'em in a box.
 
I wish the UMandoline had the Julienne blade! I LOVE that one for potatoes! I kept the ones from my US &G's before they went in the garage sale, but they don't fit too well.
 
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  • #20
Apples are a great idea!The difference between scalloped and au gratin (or, as we call them, old rotten) potatoes is basically the cheese. When you make scalloped potatoes, you mix the cheese in with the milk or cream sauce. With au gratin potatoes, the cheese is sprinkled on top for the last 5 minutes or so of baking.I offered each one a copy of The Incredible . . . The Edible . . . The Amazing . . . Potato! booklet that Nicole put together. They loved it.
 
Paige Dixon said:
I wish the UMandoline had the Julienne blade! I LOVE that one for potatoes! I kept the ones from my US &G's before they went in the garage sale, but they don't fit too well.
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You must have a really small garage.
 
Just now reading this post....but how about EGGS? You can cover safety, storage, use in sauces, appetizers, breakfast, etc. In addition to the egg slicer, you can demo the food chopper, the egg separator, and even the garlic press to use in making deviled eggs. Good luck with the class--it does sound like fun!
 
Duh, meant to include the prep bowls in the demo suggestion-- for the one-minute omelet in the micro.
 
Eggs are a great idea. Here is a web site with lots of info.

http://www.aeb.org/Index.asp - The Incredible Edible EGG

They have tons of recipes, main dishes, side dishes, appetizers, desserts, etc. What a great way to bring in safety about food storage. How to crack an egg (on a flat surface vs. edge of bowl).

It also has an education section.

Besides what a way to have a FUN class, when someone mentions what happens when you eat a lot of hard boiled eggs.

(GAS) (DH has this a lot)
 
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  • #25
Eggs are a really good idea, but it's a little trickier to keep and transport enough to do what I'm hoping to do with the kids. I'll store that idea, though for other circumstances.I talked with the teacher, and she's excited about the idea of using apples. We'll taste different types, talk about which varieties work best for which types of recipes, and use various tools. We'll also make Taffy Apple Pizza. I'll take a crust already prepared, and we can finish it there. I think it will be a big hit.In addition, she's doing two shows in one. We'll do an open house at her home between classes. Then, the next evening, she'll host a Yak & Snack. It's a great group of people, so I'm excited about spending time with them again.
 
raebates said:
Eggs are a really good idea, but it's a little trickier to keep and transport enough to do what I'm hoping to do with the kids.
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Eggsactly.

While you might be helping the kids come out of their shells, if you're holding eggs on your lap and one breaks, the yolks on you.
 
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  • #27
Very punny, KG.
 
Most people thought it was fowl.
 
Were they chicken to admit it?
 
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  • #30
Probably. That one really laid an egg.
 
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