Guacamole!!!

After a morning of French cooking - crepes, omelettes and tarts we shared the afternoon with chefs from Chipotle! They were kind enough to join us and teach our chefs how to make their guacamole! All the chefs helped scoop out the fruit of the avocados, added salt, cilantro, jalepeno, onion and lemon/lime juice. The outcome was DELICIOUS!

Here are some pics from today - scroll down to meet our newest campers and for a link to some of the music the chefs enjoyed in yoga!

Scooping avocado!

Adding ingredients......

Look at all the happy chefs!

And now meet our newest chefs!

Chef Molly is a spunky 7 year old girl who wants to be a teacher. She loves to eat ice cream and has a cat named Speedball. Since she gets so tired from cooking meatloaf she likes to her free time she loves to sleep. She loves to make meatloaf in the kitchen.

Chef Haley is a crazy ten year old. Chef Haley is very active and enjoys soccer and ice-skating. Someday Haley hopes to use her soccer skills to coach kids soccer.

When it comes to the kitchen her favorite food to eat is brownies and she loves to bake cookies with her friends. One of her friends is her dog named Buddy - but don’t worry Buddy doesn’t bake cookies!

And here is a link to some of the songs we listened to in "shavasana" including "Butterfly".

http://www.kaleidoscopesongs.com/

Fun with Franco!

We had a very special guest join us in the kitchen, Franco, from Franco's Osteria restaurant. The chefs helped him make a delicious Italian dish, Vegetable Primavera. The chefs had a lot of fun julienning vegetables and getting a mini-history lesson about Italy from Franco.

Franco gave some very useful kitchen tips: when salting pasta water it should taste as if you have mouthful of sea-water! Also he showed the chefs how to use garlic to season the oil in the saute pan.

Franco joined the chefs for a most delicious lunch, followed by home-made biscotti from the restaurant.

THANK YOU Franco for cooking with us! Be sure to check out his restaurant

FRANCO'S OSTERIA

3900 City Avenue

Philadelphia, PA 19131

215.473.3900

http://www.francosteria.com

And meet Mollie - our newest chef!

Chef Mollie is an awesome 9 year old who loves pasta and baking brownies in the kitchen. She has one fish named Fifi.

Chef Mollie spends the hot summer days swimming (but not with her fish, Fifi). She hopes to be a lawyer someday.

Rain Barrels and conserving energy!

Today in addition to time in the kitchen, we had a special guest, Kristina from Montgomery County Conservation. Christina talked to our chefs about different types of pollution and used a model board to show them runoff into our water sources. She also showed a rain barrel and talked about ways of conserving energy and not polluting.

Our Recipes

1. Bobby Flay Bistro Burger http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bistro-burger-recipe/index.html

• Notes: We used lean ground turkey instead of beef and we paired the burger with Broccoli Slaw http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/broccoli-cole-slaw-recipe/index.html

2. Mexican Lasagna (by Rachel Ray) http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/mexican-lasagna-recipe/index.html

Lunchtime!
Burger mania!

Rain barrel!



Our delightful garden growing.....growing....growing!



Thanks Christine for your knowledge and time!

TV Chef Cook-off and International Food week!

Welcome to our final week of summer camp. This week we have been joined by some wonderful new chefs!

After the new chefs decorated their aprons, it was off to the garden as usual to water our growing plants! We have tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers all happily growing in the back.

This morning's kitchen adventure revolved around two of our favorite TV chefs: Paula Deen and Emeril Lagasse. The chefs made a classic comfort-food - chicken pot pies! While in the kitchen the chefs learned a bit more about the TV chefs while preparing the classic dish.

Lady & Sons Chicken Pot Pie (Paula Deen)
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/lady-and-sons-chicken-pot-pie-recipe/index.html

The chefs were transported to Morocco in the afternoon - making a Moroccan stew.

Morrocan Chicken Stew with Orzo (from Food Network)

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/good-food-fast-with-family-circle/moroccan-chicken-stew-recipe/index.html

Here are some pictures from today!

(scroll down to meet the new chefs and their bios)

Chefs Halle, Eliana and Nikki preparing Paula Deen's chicken pot pie.


Chefs Elizabeth and Molly busy cutting chicken.

Busy little campers!!!






NOW meet our newest chefs!!!

Chef Molly is a very funny 10 year old girl. Who’s favorite food is chicken parmesan. Molly also enjoys spending time with her two cats Pierson and Fiona. In her free time she enjoys playing soccer and sleeping. Since she loves to play soccer so much one of the things she wants to do when shes older is be a soccer player.

Chef Halle is a 10 year old cookmazing girl who loves baking cupcakes. Because of her love for the kitchen, she would love to be a chef! Her favorite thing to make are cookies. And shes not alone in her house, she has two dogs named Tillie and Stevie, a turtle named Remmie AND two hermit crabs named Kermit the crab and Physical.

Chef Eliana is a very fantastic 10 year old who absolutely loves baking cakes! She spends many hours in the kitchen cooking things from her cook-book. Her favorite food is spagetti! Like Chef Nikki, Eliana hopes to be a famous chef someday.

Chef Eliana has plenty of company at home including a dog named Rosie, a cat named Sunshine and a bird named Joy!

Chef Elizabeth is a funny 9 year old who also loves to bake and cook. Her favorite food is cookie bar. She would love to be a cake baker when she grows up. She also enjoys making mashed potatoes.

Like our other chefs, Chef Elizabeth has pet too: 3 dogs: Mo, Farley and GG and a cat named Samie.

Chef Nikki is a “cookmazing” 10 year old who loves cooking! Her favorite food is edible cookie dough. Since she loves to spend time in the kitchen - you will find her making brownies, and fruit salad. Someday Chef Nikki wants to use her love of cooking to pursue a culinary career as a chef!

Outside of the kitchen Nikki has two cats, Pumpkin and Chloe.

WEEK 3, Day 4

Phew - it's a busy week here at camp! The chefs were non-stop in the kitchen this morning making: oven-fried chicken, ham and cheese panini and carrot-apple juice. They enjoyed a quick snack of chips and home-made salsa before getting back to the kitchen for the preparation part of their lunch.

Everyone was hungry by the time lunch rolled around. After everyone was happy with the delicious meal they made and enjoyed together.

Chef Morgan looking adorable in her leaf hat.

Lunchtime with their fellow chefs.

WEEK 3, DAY 3

This might be the busiest morning yet in the kitchen! The chefs are preparing a finger feast of banana-zucchini bread with chocolate mousse, mini-pizzas and curried deviled eggs. The chefs concentrated on presentation. The curried deviled eggs went into hollowed out green peppers for a beautiful presentation.

What a great morning! The chefs skills have truly evolved. Their creations just get better and better!

Chefs, Maddie, Niya and Anna making their banana-zucchini bread.

Yes, Chef Niya is singing in the kitchen:)

Notice the green pepper bowls - so creative!

WEEK 3, DAY 2

The finger food fun continues! Today we made spinach nuggets, black bean quesadillas and mango salsa.

It was inside for yoga today since the chefs didn't feel like doing yoga in the rain:)

As promised here is our newest chef!

ANNA

Chef Anna is a 9 year old who describes herself as fun - and she is right! Chef Anna has one pet goldfish named Oliver. In her free time she loves watching America's Funniest Home Videos.

When it comes to food Chef Anna loves sushi - especially cucumber rolls. In the kitchen you will find her baking brownies.

WEEK 3, DAY 1

Finger food is fun, that is why we are devoting an entire week to just that!! This morning the chefs made chicken satay and mini burgers on sticks. They were careful to soak the sticks in water before using them so they didn't burn in the oven.

Outside activities included an egg toss and opposite-hand catch to keep everyone active and healthy.

The afternoon chefs took a walk and then spent the afternoon making quesadillas and used the extra plums to make a tart. YUM!

See you tomorrow!

Our newest chef, Anna making her chicken satay (we'll post her profile tomorrow!)

Lunch outside - with our grateful moment, of course!

WEEK 2, DAY 4

"Getty Eggy with It" is the Friday food challenge today at LYFVE Summer Camp. The chefs started off in a scavenger hunt to find their ingredients and got right down to business.

Chef Jenine and Chef Dana used the egg theme and created "Tropical French Toast" with a scrumptious mango, peach and pineapple sauce. They added oatmeal to their french toast - a great way to incorporate whole grains.

Team 2, Maddie, Erin and Niya created delicious Wild West Eggs Muffins with Corn Salsa and Sunny Side Fruit Salad with granola! They did a wonderful job of using left-overs (yesterday's salsa) to not waste food!

It was close....but in the end Team 2 won with their creation! CONGRATULATIONS!!!

The Friday food challenge isn't the only exciting part to our Friday. Philabundance Fridays started today! Thank you for those of you who contributed cans (please keep them coming!)! The chefs donated their time and skills and spent the afternoon baking oatmeal raisin cookies and carrot muffins for Philabundance. Check out the website to see who we are helping! http://www.philabundance.org/

HAPPY WEEKEND!

Sunny side Fruit Salad

Wild West Egg Muffins

Tropical French Toast

Team 2 - Chefs Niya, Maddie and Erin

Chef "Danine" with their Tropical French Toast

WEEK 2, DAY 3

The smell of banana and cinnamon pancakes filled the morning air at LYFVE Summer Camp. The chefs waited patiently for their pancakes to bubble in the pan before flipping them to their other side. The pancakes turned out extra fluffy because the chefs used seltzer water instead of flat. What a fun pancake tip!

In yoga each chef made up their very own yoga pose inspired by nature. The poses were very creative! Great job yogi chefs! There was an extra long Shavasana with two beautiful songs, Butterfly (by request) and John’s Lennon’s Imagine.

Waffles and smoothies were on the menu for lunchtime along with fresh strawberry sauce....yum!

The afternoon kitchen time included hash-browns and mini carrot muffins. The chefs spent extra time outside in the afternoon including a “celebration circle” where the chefs sat in a circle sharing one positive thing about each chef.

Here are today's pics!

Chef Lily and Chef Niya in the kitchen.

The chefs cooking together.

Chef Katherine in "chick" pose.

Chef Erin in "elephant" pose.

Chef Niya in her "puzzled snake" pose.

Chef Maddie in her pose Praying Mantis

Chef Dana channeling her energy into her "monkey" pose.

Chef Jenine in her creative "vine" pose

Chef Morgan showing off her "panda" pose

"Danine" all full of flour!

The morning crew showing off their smiles.

Mmmmm.....pancakes!

Chef Katherine doing dishes.

Chef Erin pouring her pancake.

Chef sisters!

Chef Morgan prepping the pancakes.