Family Meal Plan: Cottage-Cheesecake Pancakes + Balsamic Strawberries + Strawberry Butter + Orange Smoothies

Cheery Cottage-Cheesecake Pancakes

Happy & Healthy Cooking,

Fun-Da-Mentals Kitchen Skills

• blend :

  to stir together two or more ingredients until just combined; blending is a gentler process than mixing.

• brush :

  to apply a liquid, like melted butter or marinade, to a pan or a food.

• drain :

  to pour excess liquid from food into a container if reserving the liquid, or into the sink or trash if not saving it.

• macerate :

  to soften foods, like fruit, and bring out their juices by allowing them to soak in a liquid.

• measure :

  to calculate the specific amount of an ingredient required using a measuring tool (like measuring cups or spoons).

• shake :

  to rapidly and vigorously move a covered container filled with food up and down and side to side to combine ingredients and create a different consistency, such as shaking whipped cream to make butter.

• slice :

  to cut into thin pieces using a sawing motion with your knife.

• stir :

  to mix together two or more ingredients with a spoon or spatula, usually in a circle pattern, or figure eight, or in whatever direction you like!

• whip :

  to beat food with a whisk or mixer to incorporate air and produce volume.

• whisk :

  to beat or stir ingredients vigorously with a fork or whisk to mix, blend, or incorporate air.

What is "Syrniki"?

• "Syrniki" (SYR-nih-kee) are Eastern European fried pancakes made with a soft curd cheese similar to cottage cheese. Other ingredients are flour, sugar, eggs, and sometimes vanilla and raisins. The fluffy, cheesecake-like pancakes can be found in the cuisines of Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Latvia, and Lithuania.
• The pancakes may be topped with fresh berries or other fruit or fruit cooked in a sugar syrup. They may also be served with fruit jam, honey, or sour cream. Syrniki are sweet and can be served for breakfast or dessert.

Let's Learn About Ukraine!

• Ukraine is an eastern European country and the second largest in Europe. Russia is the largest and lies on its eastern and northeastern border, with Belarus on its northern border. Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia are to the west of Ukraine, and Romania and Moldova are to the southwest. It borders the Black Sea to the south and the Sea of Azov to the southwest. 
• Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union until it broke up in 1991. However, Russia invaded and annexed the Crimea region in 2014, and in 2022, they began a full-scale invasion. As of 2023, the countries continue to fight over Ukraine's sovereignty and contested regions. 
• The government is a unitary semi-presidential republic with a president, prime minister, and legislature. Their currency is the "hryvnia" (pronounced 'HREEV-nee-yuh'). 
• Volodymyr Zelenskyy, president since 2019, has earned worldwide renown for his leadership during the Russian invasion. 
• Kyiv (pronounced 'Keev') is Ukraine's capital and largest city. The country's total area is 233,062 square miles, a little smaller than the US state of Texas, with 1,729 miles of coastline. The population is over 36.7 million. 
• The official language is Ukrainian, an East Slavic language. Russian is also spoken, mostly in areas of the east and south. 
• Most of Ukraine lies in the East European Plain, and its geography consists of fertile grasslands, highlands, and plateaus, with the Carpathian Mountains on its western border and the Crimean Mountains on its southern border. Several rivers flow across the country into the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. 
• The climate is temperate, although Crimea's southern coast is subtropical. 
• The sunflower is the national flower of Ukraine. The plants are grown for their seeds and oil from the seeds. It also symbolizes peace, hope, and resilience to Ukrainians.
• The nightingale is Ukraine's national animal. The white stork is also native to Ukraine. The golden jackal resides in Southwest Europe, including Ukraine, and the brown bear is found in the Carpathian Mountains. 
• Agriculture is a big part of Ukraine's economy, and it is one of the largest wheat exporters in the world. 
• Football (soccer) is the most popular sport in Ukraine. Basketball is increasing in popularity. 
• A well-known part of Ukrainian cuisine, "borscht" (beet soup), is the national dish. Other traditional foods include "banush" (cornmeal stew), "holubtsi" (cabbage roll), "varenyky" (dumpling), and "paska" (decorative bread).

What's It Like to Be a Kid in Ukraine?

• Ukrainian children attend school for 12 years, from 6 to 17 years old. They may receive a state scholarship to attend university for free if their grades are high enough. Elementary students wear uniforms to school.
• Since the war with Russia began in 2022, kids' lives have been upended in many ways. Some moved with families to other cities in Ukraine or had to go to another country as refugees with their families. 
• Some of the sports kids participate in are football (soccer), basketball, volleyball, gymnastics, swimming, and tennis.
• For breakfast, kids may eat porridge or "syrniki," a pancake made with soft curd cheese (this also could be dessert). For lunch, they may have a soup, like "borscht" and grilled sausages or "varenyky," which can be filled with cottage cheese, cabbage, potatoes, or meat. 
• Kids may like to eat "pampushky," a sweet or savory doughnut, for a snack or dessert. "Kyiv cake," made with chocolate, hazelnuts, and meringue, is also a popular dessert.