Quinoa Brownies 2.0

I still haven't figured out why there was such a difference in this term's QBs and last terms. Granted, the grade 8s were woefully inattentive during the demo - so much so, that I'm wondering if I should have just cancelled the demo in progress, or the cooking lesson. I think making them struggle on was probably for the greater good.

Because they were so inattentive, all the "improvements" I made to the recipe instructions were for naught. Like good little automatons, they brought up their trays with bowls and measuring cups - even though I'd been VERY CLEAR that I wanted: someone to bring up their saucepan to start the quinoa; someone else to bring up a glass bowl to get the butter melting, another to start on their dry ingredients... face-palm...

Two of the girls spent a great deal of time analyzing the vanilla bottle. One of the ingredients was "alcohol". Back in their unit, they announced that they would be unable to eat the product because of the 1 millilitre of alcohol contaminated vanilla... it didn't (seem to) occur to them, that they could just OMIT it. (Someone, please calculate for me, how much of that 1 ml was alcohol) face-palm again. And a big sigh. Oh well, the boys of the unit were under no such restrictions and were happy to eat the extra portions.

Despite the frustrations, we were on task and on time at the end of the block. It was baking day where the oddities came through. Two groups found their quinoa mixture so thick that they couldn't get it out of the blender (I guess it was undercooked and absorbed the rest of the liquid ingredients overnight?) The brownies took longer to bake today... or they got in the oven later. Either way, it was the end of the block and the finished product was barely "done" enough to be removed. One group stayed late. I didn't even get to check to ensure the product was edible! Oh well, I'll get some feedback tomorrow.

The poor 6/7s. In they trickle, to a room that is saturated with the smell of chocolate. "What are we making?" they ask eagerly. "Nothing." is the teacher's heartless reply. "That was the grade 8s. You're cooking next week."

We're doing quesadillas and smoothies next week (not at the same time, although... that would, almost, work.) I think I'll put "Mudpies" forward as a bonus if-you're-good lesson.

Not what they're supposed to look like. I think the guys went overboard on the blender step.

P. S.  the alcohol content estimate... artificial vanilla is reportedly no more than 25% alcohol, so that 1 ml of vanilla contains 1/4 or 0.25 ml of alcohol. Divided by the six portions then each student is consuming 0.042 ml. Leaving it OUT would have been a workable solution. 
(Hmm... Do I still have some leftover rum balls around here somewhere???)


P.P.S the last of the leftover rum balls were gone. Made mudpies. All of the chocolatey goodness, but none of the zing.