February: It's All About the Heart!

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     February is the month of celebrating love and we would hope that includes the love of reading. This is the month to gift loved ones with heart shaped chocolate, cookies and cakes and we encourage you to make those home-made goods with the kiddos and include a book, and even read a book while you are waiting for those goodies to bake!

     February is most often associated with Valentine‘s Day but the Home Baking Association (HBA) has designated February as Bake for Family Fun month. The HBA encourages families to take this month to share family love and traditions through baking. Since it is also Chocolate Lovers month, consider combining the two. Baked goods are always extra yummy when chocolate is added (for adults a fun read is Chocolate: The Consuming Passion by Sandra Boynton.) February can sometimes include Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday, which here in Michigan we know as Paczki Day but in other cultures it is also known as Pancake Day or Mardi Gras. You can celebrate the day with a stack of pancakes and the story If You Give a Pig a Pancake by Laura Numeroff.

Remember that baking and cooking builds:
Stronger bonds with children
Reading skills
Math skills
Science skills
Responsibility
Self-esteem
Confidence
Creativity & Imagination
Communication skills
Life skills
Background knowledge
Life-long memories

~Food Calendar & Suggested Reads~

     Once again, we are including a food calendar to assist in some family cooking, baking and reading suggestions. As we recommended before, find a food you want to celebrate and then look through recipes with your child(ren) and spend some time creating something delectable together. Always look for additional titles and fun ways to cook and read as a family.

February
National Bake for Family Fun, Cherry, Chocolate Lovers, Potato Lovers, Snack Food & Sweet Potato Month

National Bake for Family Fun Month

Alpha-Bakery Children's Cookbook by Gold Medal Flour

Sun Bread by Elisa Kleven

A Fine Dessert: Four Centuries, Four Families, One Delicious Treat by Emily Jenkins

The Peanuts Family Cookbook: Delicious Dishes for Kids to Make with Their Favorite Grown-Ups by Weldon Owen

National Cherry Month

Hidden Cherries by Anne Margaret Lewis & Susan Hammon

Hi-Ho Cherry-O! Board Game

National Chocolate Lovers Month

Lily's Chocolate Heart by Kevin Henkes

If You Give a Mouse a Brownie by Laura Numeroff

Curious George Goes to a Chocolate Factory by Margret & H. A. Rey

No Monkeys, No Chocolate by Melissa Stewart and Allen Young

1st Friday: National Bubble Gum Day

Pop!: The Invention of Bubble Gum by Meghan McCarthy

Bubble Gum, Bubble Gum In a Dish by Tracey M. Cox

4th: National Homemade Soup Day

Stone Soup by Marcia Brown

Everybody Serves Soup by Norah Dooley

Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert

Cucumber Soup by Vickie Leigh Krudwig

To Market, To Market by Anne Miranda

9th: National Bagel Day

Bagel in Love by Natasha Wing

Jalapeño Bagels by Natasha Wing

9th: National Pizza Day

Pizza Party! by Grace Maccarone

The Little Red Hen (Makes a Pizza) by Philomen Sturges

Pete the Cat and the Perfect Pizza Party by James & Kimberly Dean

Pizza!: An Interactive Recipe Book by Lotta Nieminen

*For our favorite pizza recipe and additional titles take a look back at our blog Pizza, Pizza!.

13th: National Tortellini Day

Tony Baroni Loves Macaroni by Marilyn Sadler

15th: National Gum Drop Day

17th: National Cabbage Day

20th: National Muffin Day

If You Give a Moose a Muffin by Laura Numeroff

21st: National Sticky Bun Day

Bizz & Buzz Make Honey Buns by Dee Leone

23rd: National Banana Bread Day

23rd: National Toast Day

Toast! by Heywood Banks

25th: Fat Tuesday (changes annually) & National Pancake Day

Pancakes, Pancakes! by Eric Carle

Pancakes for Breakfast by Tomie dePaola

Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast by Josh Funk

If You Give a Pig a Pancake by Laura Numeroff

27th: National Strawberry Day

The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry and The Big Hungry Bear by Don & Audrey Wood

4th Thursday: National Chili Day

Armadilly Chili by Heather Ketteman

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     Celebrate Chocolate Lovers Month with some chocolate biscuits and a glass of milk or a cup of tea. A great dough for youngsters to help roll into balls!

Chocolate Biscuits
(Originally from kidspot kitchen)

2 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tbsp baking powder
½ cup cocoa, sifted
¼ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°. In a bowl beat eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla until well combined. Stir in flour, baking powder and cocoa. Roll spoonfuls into balls and flatten slightly with hand or fork. Bake on parchment covered cookie sheet for 12 to 15 minutes. Makes 2 dozen biscuits.

Happy baking and reading!

-Kate @ BTBL

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Author

We are three generations that seek a way to get back to basics. It’s not that we eschew technology, but sometimes simpler is better, especially in raising our children. Mom was a reading teacher, Amanda is an early childhood educator and Kate a children’s literature specialist and former school librarian along with the latest additions, a daughter (now 4) for Kate, and two sons (now 1 and a newborn) for Amanda. We advocate reading aloud, the simple toys that use imagination and encourage creativity and learning in the kitchen, which can be a fun mess but also teaches life skills. Join us in raising healthy, happy, inquisitive and intelligent children.