Transcript

MUSIC

Let's have some fun 

with things that rhyme

welcome Kids 

it's poetry time!

Hip Hip Hurray!

Welcome everyone to Kids’ Poetry Club with me, Little Dazzy Donuts. I’m heading into the Club for a special afternoon of activities. Queenie has had so much fun lately baking her hedgehog cake and also a wedding cake that she is inviting a few friends around for a cooking class with Chef Katie Currant. She asked me to join, and she’s also invited her art teacher friend, Bill Ding, and Postie Dale from the Poetry Postal Service. I offered to come in early to help her and Chicken get the Club ready as it’s still in a bit of a mess following last week’s award ceremony. Seeing as we’re not quite at the Club yet, why don’t we take advantage of this time to do our Club registration? This is where you get to shout out your name and get a Club point for being here. So, on the count of three, shout out your name so that I can hear you through your phone, computer, or radio.

Let the drum roll begin. Here goes …. One. Two. Three! ….. Excellent!

Well, our timing is perfect as I just made it to the Club. Let’s head in and see how Queenie and Chicken are getting on.

SOUND (Door)

Queenie: Hang on, Chicken …. Let me just swing down off the top of the stage here and I’ll help you with the wheelbarrow.

Hi Queenie … Hi Chicken.

Queenie: Oh, hi Little Dazzy Donuts.

SOUND (Chicken).

How’s everything going getting the Club ready for the cooking class?

Queenie: Well, it’s taking longer than I expected. It turns out that an awards ceremony leaves behind quite a mess. The good news is that we’ve put away all of the chairs and also the red carpet … but the bad news is that picking up after the sheep is taking a long time.

Oh yes … I see what you mean.

Queenie: Maybe we invited too many sheep … or perhaps we over-fed them … or it could be a combination of those two things. Oh well, we’ve learned an important lesson. I don’t exactly know what it is – but I bet there’s a lesson to be learned here somewhere.

So, what can I be doing to help?

Queenie: Ummmm … perhaps you could start putting out the tables ready for the cooking class. They’re stacked up over in the corner together with all of the equipment that Chef Katie sent over. There’s some mixer thingies … some beating thingies … and some baking thingies. It seems like there are a lot of thingies in cooking, and all those thingies do something!

Definitely … I’ll get to work on that now, and when I’m done, I’ll read you a poem. I’ve brought along three that seemed to fit well with what we’re doing today. Now, do you know what we’ll be making with Chef Katie’s help?

Queenie: Oh yes … I do. She asked me for some ideas, and so I suggested that we make two different dishes. That way, after we’ve made them, we can all sit down to a nice meal and eat both of them. So, half of us will be making a main course and half of us a dessert. Doesn’t that sound lovely!?

It certainly does. Now, where do you want these aprons?

Queenie: One on each table please. I ordered them specially for today – look, they’ve got people’s names embroidered on them.

Oh yes … here’s yours … it says Queenie. And then we have Chicken’s … I’ll put that at this table here. And Bill Ding’s … and Postie Dale’s … and here’s mine. Now, mine just says LDD.

Queenie: Sorry about that. The embroidery cost so much per letter, and Little Dazzy Donuts was going to way too expensive. So, I saved quite a bit by having yours made as LDD.

Okay – well everything is now set up and ready … so why don’t I read our first poem? It’s called Spring Cleaning, and is all about somebody who is doing a very thorough clean of a home – just like you’ve been doing of the Club. I’ll read the poem to you now …

Armed with a sponge,

some wipes, and a cloth,

hot soapy water,

a broom, and a mop,

I’m diving behind couches,

then scrubbing down floors.

I’m polishing the brass,

and wiping down doors.

I’m chasing dust bunnies,

and picking up hairs,

then relocating spiders

from under the stairs.

The sink is now sparkling,

and so is the shower.

I’ve been hard at it now,

for five or six hours,

when I clear out the garage,

and empty the shed,

then pick up lost socks

from under the beds.

By the time that I’m done,

we'll have plenty to cheer.

I’m glad Spring only happens,

just once every year!

Queenie: Oh, I do like that poem, Little Dazzy Donuts. Well – it looks like we’re all ready for everyone to arrive. The place is sparkly and clean, just like in the poem. Oooohhh … I hear them coming now.

SOUND (Door)

Hi everyone!

Queenie: It’s so good to see you all. Okay, Chef Katie … can you come to the front of the Club here. I have a special instructor’s table for you.

Chef Katie: Oh, thank you, Queenie. I really like how you’ve arranged the room here – it’s perfect for our cooking class today.

Queenie: Now, Postie Dale – you’re over here.

Postie Dale: Thanks, Queenie – I’m excited to be cooking with you all today.

Queenie: And Bill, you’re right behind Postie Dale…. Now, have we forgotten anything, or can we start.

SOUND (Chicken)

Queenie: Ummm … no, I don’t think we do, Chicken. I’m sure that you don’t have to pledge allegiance to anything in a Cooking Class … and so we can dive right in. Over to you, Chef Katie.

Chef Katie: Wonderful … well, let’s get started. We’re going to be making two dishes today. Some of you will be making falafel … and others will be making yummy Belgian waffles. Now, in front of you, I’ve put everything you need to make the dishes. Okay – let’s see. Based on where you’re standing, Little Dazzy Donuts, Postie Dale, and Queenie – you’re all doing the falafel … and Bill and Chicken, you’re making the waffles.

Queenie: What was that again, Chef Katie? … I’m sorry … I was distracted by the whisk. It’s just such fun to play with. Look … it spins round so fast! So, what am I cooking again?

Chef Katie: You’re making the falafel, Queenie.

Queenie: The waffle?

Chef Katie: Yes – the falafel.

Queenie: Gosh – there’s so much noise in here already. It’s tough to even hear what Chef Katie is saying. Oh well, I have my ingredients, and so I’m ready to go! So, what happens first?

Chef Katie: Okay everyone … if you’re making the waffles … start with all of your dry ingredients, and mix them together in a bowl. Then, in your other bowl, put all of the wet ingredients and mix them up too.

Queenie: Gosh – that was a lot in the first step. Bill – you’re making the waffles aren’t you?

Bill: Yes, I am Queenie.

Queenie: What did Chef Katie tell us to do?

Bill: She said to put together all of the dry ingredients into one bowl … and all of the wet ingredients into the other bowl.

Queenie: Ummmm …. Okay …. Gosh … I wonder which are the wet ingredients.

Chef Katie: Now, for those of you making the falafel – put everything I’ve given you into the food processor. So, that’s the chick peas, herbs, garlic, onion, and spices … and then zap them a little until the mixture is finely ground.

Queenie: Well, I think I’m going to put half of my items into one bowl … and I’ll call those my dry ingreditents … and then I’ll put the other half into my second bowl, and I’ll call those my wet ingredients. Although they don’t look wet, and so I’m going to add some water into that bowl, just to make them wet.

Chef Katie: Now, if you’re making the waffles … add the contents of your dry bowl into your wet bowl … and stir them together. And then, whisk the eggs until they have soft peaks. At that point, fold the stiffened eggs into your mixture.

Queenie: Okay … so let’s add the dry ingredients into the wet ones and stir. Ummm …. This isn’t looking much like a waffle so far! Now, I need to whisk my eggs … oh, that’s strange, I don’t have any eggs. Ummm …. Bill, do you have a spare egg I could have?

Bill: Sure, Queenie – here you are.

Queenie: Excellent … thank you! So, I’m looking for some soft peaks.

Postie Dale: How’s it going Queenie? Is yours looking okay?

Queenie: Well, Postie Dale – I think so …. In my experience, it’s tough to mess up cooking so much that the end product isn’t edible, and so I’m confident that whatever I create here is at least going to be something we can eat.

Chef Katie: Now, before we do the next step … let’s hear a poem. Little Dazzy Donuts – do you have a poem that you could read to us all?

I do, Chef Katie. It’s all about someone who isn’t a very good cook, but who invites somebody around for dinner and has to figure out what to make. It’s called My Specialty. Here, I’ll read it to you now …

If you’re coming to dinner,

you really should know

that, when it comes to my cooking,

I’ve a long way to go.

I’m fine with a packet,

a box, or a jar,

or takeaways delivered

by bike or by car.

But if I make it from scratch,

the lessons I’ve learned,

is that most things get scrambled,

curdled, or burned.

If a taste in unusual,

for sure, it’s my fault,

as I’ll have picked up the sugar,

instead of the salt,

I mistake tablespoons for teaspoons,

kilos for pounds.

Leaving thick molten goo

in my pots and my pans.

My bread is like biscuits,

my biscuits like bread,

and it’s not spoonfuls of custard,

it’s slices instead.

To be safe, I’ll just cook

what's successful the most.

Be prepared for my specialty

of cereal and toast!

Chef Katie: Thank you, Little Dazzy Donuts. That was the perfect poem for today. Now, everybody should be on their final step. Those of you doing the falafel – this is where you add your baking powder, form little patties with the mixture, and then fry them. And those of you making waffles, you’ll add your mixture into the waffle iron and cook it until your waffle is golden brown.

Queenie: Ummm … okay then … so I’m going to pour this mixture into the waffle iron … like so … and then put the lid down … and wait …. Ummmm …. Bill … do you have time for a quick question?

Bill: Sure, Queenie.

Queenie: I was wondering if your lid closes fully on your waffle iron? It’s just that my mixture is so lumpy, I can’t really close it.

Bill: That’s strange, Queenie. No – my mixture was smooth, and so my waffle iron closed. Don’t worry though – I’m sure that a few small lumps will be fine.

Chef Katie: Excellent … so, by now, everybody should have finished they falafels and their waffles. Bring them up here, and I’ll add the falafel to this yummy salad I made … and we’ll put some cream and strawberries on top of the waffles.

Postie Dale: There you go, Chef Katie … here’s my falafel.

Chef Katie: Oh, those look wonderful, Postie Dale. They’re a perfect color – ideal for this salad… as are yours Little Dazzy Donuts. Now, who else was doing the falafel?

Queenie: I think that was it, Chef Katie. The rest of us were doing the waffles.

Chef Katie: Oh, that’s strange – I brought ingredients for three people to make falafel, and two people to make waffles. Let’s take a look … well, Chicken – your waffles look wonderful …. As do yours Bill. Now, what are these here?

Queenie: Oh, those are mine, Chef Katie. My batter was a little lumpy – but I think they’re going to be okay. I took a little nibble out of the one corners… and, for some strange reason, it looks like a waffle, but tastes like a falafel. I have no idea what went wrong, Still, most of my cooking falls under the category of surprisingly yummy accidents.

Don’t worry, Queenie. Let’s all sit down around this large table and dive in! Both meals looks really yummy … even Queenie’s falafel waffles! I tell you what – while everyone eats, why don’t I read our final poem. It’s all about a setting that sounds a lot like this one – where everyone is sat around a table eating, It’s called Family Style.

We’re squeezed in real tight –

crammed around the table

with knives, forks, and spoons,

and large wooden ladles.

First comes the pasta,

then large plates of bread,

meatballs, and salads,

to keep us all fed.

The chatter is loud,

and the food keeps on coming,

as we reach over each other

for a serving of something

that’s tomato and cheesy,

and good for the soul.

I have handfuls of bruschetta

that I’m swallowing whole.

Our faces are food-stained,

and covered in smiles,

when we all get together

to eat family-style.

So, what does everyone make of the food?

SOUND (Chicken)

Postie Dale – I agree with Chicken. I’d like more of Queenie’s falafel waffles please. Those are definitely my favorite. I think I’ll help myself to seconds.

Bill: Me too. You’ve created your own fusion cuisine there, Queenie.

Well, while everyone digs into the food, let me remind everyone that there are lots of ways to join in with the club. If you go to kidspoetryclub.com, you’ll see a wonderful drawing by our Club illustrator, Dot Cherch, based on one of the poems from the episode. You can also see the PodSnack video and download the episode’s PodPack of activities. They’re all free. Plus there’s information on how to send your poems and drawings into the club. You’ll find everything you need at kidspoetryclub.com.

It has been so lovely to spend time with you! Thank you for joining me, Queenie, Chicken, Chef Katie Currant, Bill Ding, and Postie Dale. I hope you enjoyed yourself, and hope you’ll be back for more next time the Club meets. Join us again next week when we’ll have a brand new topic, and new poems.

As always, let's finish with our short goodbye poem:

We've had some fun 

with things that rhymed

goodbye Kids 

until next time!

This is Little Dazzy Donuts saying .... keep rhyming!!!

Now … let’s all dive in for more food. Queenie – how about you make a few more of your falafel waffles for those who want thirds?

MUSIC