Kids cook the darndest things
Writer’s Note:
With the recent passing of one of Delta County’s finest reporters and former Daily Press Lifestyles editor, Dorothy ‘Dot’ McKnight, it seemed fitting to bring back a tradition she started during her time here at the press.
Each year, Dorothy would visit local elementary schools and ask the students how they would prepare a Thanksgiving meal. Their answers, which brought humor and light to the Lifestyles page, would be published the day before the Thanksgiving holiday. It was this feature, along with countless others, that left a mark with everyone who knew her.
This one’s for you, Dot.
ESCANABA — For tomorrow’s Thanksgiving feast, put aside your cookbooks and turn off the Food Network. Don’t listen to top chefs Gordon Ramsay, Paula Dean or Rachael Ray. You won’t need them.
Just consult the 22 culinary experts of Tracy Jensen’s kindergarten class at Webster Elementary School in Escanaba for advice on how to cook a fantastic Thanksgiving meal.
These young chefs have assured me that whether Thanksgiving will be held at grandma’s or at mom’s house, the turkey, desert, veggies and all the fixings, will go off without a hitch just by using these tips.
And trust me, the recipes and methods of how these kindergarten cooks would prepare the holiday fare are something you and your family will remember for years to come.
Our culinary experts are as follows:
Brody Branstrom
For Thanksgiving, Brody said he wasn’t sure where to serve dinner, but turkey would be on the menu. To cook fully, you have to put the turkey in the oven for 30 minutes at 70 degrees. As for side dishes, Brody advised serving carrots. If you’re looking to save on some calories on the big day, Brody said no dessert will be served at his house.
“I don’t do dessert at my house, we don’t,” said Brody.
To wash down the festive feast, Brody said to serve milk.
Kallay Batchelor
To this kindergartner, Thanksgiving is more than just a meal.
“You find people you really love and write them a note,” said Kallay.
But if you’re looking to cook, Kallay suggests cooking a turkey by placing it in a pot in an oven for 16 1/2 minutes at 4 1/2 degrees.
As for veggies, Kallay will be serving corn and lettuce because he “don’t like” broccoli.
Next comes the dessert course, and Kallay said he would serve a wide variety of sweets including ice cream, candy and gummy candy that looks like food.
“It looks like real food but it’s actually gummy,” said Kallay. “I would definitely serve that.”
If you’re thirsty, Kallay advises to serve homemade chocolate milk made with chocolate syrup.
“I like that kind the best,” he said.
Chey-Leah Colburn
To begin, Chey-Leah said you have to go get a turkey from the store. The cooking process of the turkey will take 60 minutes at 40 degrees.
Along with the meat, Chey-Leah suggested to serve broccoli, corn, apples, oranges and berries — the “blue and purple” ones.
She hadn’t the foggiest idea of what stuffing was, but she said pumpkin pie, apple pie and ice cream were on the dessert menu.
“That’s what I want,” she said.
To help wash down the holiday fare, Chey-Leah said she will be drinking apple, grape and orange juice.
Destiney Hollis
After getting home from the store with your turkey, Destiney said you have to “put it in the oven” to bake for 9 minutes at 9 degrees.
No mashed potatoes or stuffing for her, but please pass the corn as her vegetable of choice. For dessert, Destiney said chocolate cake will be served, along with pop to drink.
Izzac Boggs
“My papa is a hunter and he can shoot a turkey,” Izzac said about where he gets his holiday bird.
Once the turkey is gathered, Izzac said you have to cook it for 10 minutes at “at least” 250 degrees.
No vegetables for Izzac but he would take peas if they were available.
For dessert, Izzac advised to serve “ice cream with cake” and have “juice, milk, or pop” to drink.
Issac White
Issac will be heading to grandma’s house for his Thanksgiving meal, as she is the main chef who puts the meal all together.
“My grandma makes the best stuffing ever,” he said. “She puts crunchy stuff in it.”
At last year’s Thanksgiving, the turkey took 5 minutes to cook in the oven, but this year, he’s hoping it will only take 4 minutes. To help speed up the cooking process, Issac said he will boost up the oven from 3 degrees to 5 degrees. His family got the turkey from a store that has them, like Meijer.
For vegetables, Issac said he would serve broccoli, carrots, tomatoes and pickles because “they’re my favorite.”
On the sweeter side, Issac noted pumpkin pie, apple cake, cheesecake and sometimes cupcakes will be served.
Water, juice, and chocolate milk will be the drinks of choice.
Liam Demuse
At Liam’s grandma’s house, chicken is the meat of choice for Thanksgiving. The chicken, to be fully cooked, must be baked at 100 degrees for 10 seconds. In addition to chicken, Liam suggested to serve mashed potatoes and carrots.
Only cake should be dished up after the main course, said Liam.
For all of Grandma’s hard work, Liam said she will get chocolate milk, but for the rest of the group, he said they should get “cold, ice cubed water,” and juice.
Kaya Erkintalo
This Thanksgiving holiday, Kaya suggests to serve up turkey that should be cooked for 45 minutes at “a tiny bit” degrees. Vegetables on the menu should include green beans, carrots and “all kinds of stuff.”
For dessert, Kaya noted people should serve Jell-O, ice cream, and a cake.
Sprite, chocolate milk, juice and water will help the hungry eaters wash down their meals, said Kaya.
Alexis Lauscher
If you’re looking for a non-traditional way to celebrate Thanksgiving, Alexis offered an alternative meal choice instead of eating turkey and all the fixings.
“I don’t like chicken so I go to McDonalds,” she said.
Once you and your family have brought the “four chickens, fries and toy” home, she suggested heating them up for “a few minutes” and make sure the oven is “really hot.”
The meal is completed with a side of pop.
Daunte Allison
At Daunte’s Thanksgiving feast, turkey is on the menu. To properly cook the bird, Daunte said you have to cook it in the oven for 20 minutes at 60 degrees.
If you’re not looking to buy a turkey from the store, Daunte said he gets his “from the woods.”
Daunte suggested no vegetables or dessert during the meal, but noted pop should be the drink of choice.
Kieran Larson
Chicken is the meat that Kirean suggests that people choose for Thanksgiving. To prepare it, Kieran said you have to cook it for 30 minutes at 50, 60, and 78 degrees. In addition to prepping the turkey, he said corn and broccoli should be served as the vegetable.
Jell-O, ice cream, and pudding should be dished up for dessert. For those wanting to step out of their comfort zones, Kieran said tacos should also be a dessert of choice.
Add a glass of soda and the meal is complete.
Cassie Shields
According to Cassie, chicken should be cooked up for this year’s holiday feast for 1 million minutes at a “really hot” temperature. Cassie said she couldn’t think of any side dishes or vegetables to serve, and that the chicken will be just enough.
If you’re looking where to purchase a chicken, Cassie said to “get chicken from McDonalds.”
Sophia Nuernberg
Chef Sophia said chicken and mashed potatoes should be on the menu for Thanksgiving. In addition, the “brown and bumpy” stuff, that she believes to be called “stuffing,” should be served up as well.
“I think that’s it,” she said.
Cooking the chicken will take no time at all as you should cook it for 45 minutes at 30 degrees.
Vegetables to accompany the main meat dish should be green beans and regular beans.
Pumpkin pie will tie the meal together with a cool glass of juice to wash it down, explained Sophia.
Gracie Cretens
Chicken is also the meat of choice for Gracie and her family. To cook, the chicken should be placed in the oven at a “really hot” temperature for 40 seconds.
Green beans and carrots should go well with the chicken, along with cake for dessert said Sophia.
Orange juice is Sophia’s choice of beverage.
Sara-Lily Barron
Sara-Lily’s grandma will be busy this Thanksgiving, as she will be preparing most of the feast for all of the family.
For the perfect turkey, Sara-Lily said the bird has to cook for 10 minutes at 11 degrees. To get a turkey, she said you simply “go to someone’s house and ask them to get one.”
Cherry pie should be served as the dessert item, along with milk, juice, or water to drink.
Trevor Finnerty
Thanksgiving will be traditional at Trevor’s house as turkey and mashed potatoes with gravy will be dished up. To obtain a tender turkey, Trevor suggests cooking it for 17 minutes at 6 degrees.
According to Trevor, you can get a turkey by “hunting with my grandpa with a gun” or by simply buying the turkey at Walmart.
No vegetables will be allowed in this feast’s recipe, said Trevor, but pumpkin pie is a must.
“I love pumpkin pie, it’s so good,” he said. “No other pie can beat pumpkin pie.”
Coca-cola will accompany the meal perfectly, noted Trevor.
Jordan Schlenvogt
Jordan has a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, especially one thing he wanted to give a special shout-out to.
“Want to know what I’m thankful for?” he asked. “I’m thankful for the Army.”
As for a meal, turkey will be served at Jordan’s house this year. Cook it for 12 minutes at a “really hot” 300 degrees.
Broccoli is the vegetable Jordan suggests to cooking, along with mashed potatoes.
You can create the mashed potatoes by “putting them in your hand and smooshing them,” said Jordan.
Apple juice and your choice of chocolate or white milk should be the beverages at the holiday meal.
Jack Johnson
Chicken or “meat” is a good idea for Thanksgiving, said Jack. Whatever you choose, Jack suggested that you cook chicken for 1 minute at a “super hot” 50 degrees.
Broccoli was the choice vegetable for Jack but any others he turned his nose at.
For dessert, Jack said chocolate ice cream will be the perfect end to a hearty Thanksgiving meal. Apple juice and chocolate milk should also be served.
Kolton Wickstrom
Turkey or “maybe ham” is a good idea for Thanksgiving said Kolton. Either way, you put the meat in the oven for “51 minutes” and at a “super hot” 51 degrees. You can get the ham at Shopko, said Kolton.
Forget the stuffing, as Kolton did not know what that was. Instead, lettuce, broccoli, carrots and yogurt will do.
As for desert, Kolton said chocolate chip cookies should be made. In order to make them, Kolton said you will need “cookie dough and put it in the oven for 70 minutes at 52 degrees.”
A variety of milk choices, along with orange and apple juice should be the beverages of choice.
Mikayla Moyle
At Mikayla’s house, “really everything that you need” is dished up during the Thanksgiving holiday.
This year, turkey and ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes and green beans will be on the table. For the meat, Mikayla said it should be cooked for “2 minutes at 20 degrees.”
Your choice of ice cream should be on the dessert menu, said Mikayla, including chocolate, vanilla and strawberry.
To get all the holiday fare, Mikayla said you can go to Walmart because “we go to Walmart a lot.”
Guests will be well hydrated at Mikayla’s Thanksgiving, as Gatorade in “red, orange and blue” will be served.
Masen Bellefeuille
You only have to go to Meijer to begin your Thanksgiving feast, said Masen. Chicken is on the menu and it should be cooked for 5 hours at 10 degrees. Masen turned up his nose at the thought of serving vegetables and even dessert.
But, if you’re thirsty, Masen suggested serving up glasses of milk.
Caleb Walker
Caleb likes to start his Thanksgiving meal backwards, as he likes to serve dessert first.
“We usually have rainbow ice cream,” he said.
In addition, rainbow cake should also be available.
For hot dishes, ham is the meat of choice which can be purchased at Walmart. Ham should be cooked for 5 minutes at 7 degrees, said Caleb.
Carrots and mashed potatoes will be the vegetables of choice.
Soda drinks complete the meal that Caleb said he helps make.
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