every monday this summer, i've been cooking with the kids at the library.

it's harder than it sounds. i'm usually juggling 75 kids, a small space, 2 toaster ovens and two hot plates (only two of which can be plugged in at any time without blowing a fuse), and a limited bugdget.

i try to make one sweet thing and one salty thing.
it has to be something that can be made easily by kids and that includes lots of stuff they can measure or stir or crush (the day we crushed graham crackers for crust will ring in our heads for a while).
one thing can involve heating, the other can't (aforementioned fuse problem).
it should be something kid friendly - so that when they've made it, they will actually want to eat it.
it has to have cheap and simple ingredients so that i can buy enough for all the kids that show up.

the biggest hits this summer were:
dirt cake
fake cheesecake
pancakes
smoothies
cinnamon tortilla crisps
rice krispie treats
mini tacos
bread pizzas

as the summer went on, the cooking program was suddenly of interest to parents because their kids started coming home and making orange tea or rice krispie treats. the parents started asking me for recipes (a little hard when the recipes i used with the kids were mostly "then you dump some of this in...") for the easy sweet stuff. who knew that fake cheesecake and instant pudding could be so appreciated? (they mostly sell cook-and-serve in their neighborhood)

it was fun, but complicated and stressful too. which pretty much sums up the whole summer reading program.

and now, we have come to the end of summer reading. and while the rest of you are girding up your loins (i have to admit, i have always hated that phrase) and getting back into the school grind, i am finally leaning back a little and finding time to breathe.


instead of five programs a day, i'll only be doing two or three.
instead of children climbing on me from ten to six, they'll be there from ten to twelve and from three to six.
instead of trying to calm them down, i'll be helping with homework.


it's a less creative time of year, but it's a lot easier for public librarians, i'll tell you that.


on the other hand, i already have class visits scheduled, so i'm not sure how long this resting is going to last. till tuesday, probably. but hey, i got three days of vacation out of the labor day deal and that is worth a lot.

let's start the year.