Here’s a new small business on Mercer Island we’re excited about – Sift & Stir, owned by islander Christine Nakano who teaches kids to get comfortable in the kitchen and express their culinary creativity.

Sift & Stir offers cooking and baking classes, birthday parties, and summer camps to kids ages 8 and up.  So far, the classes have been a hit with kids who learn that preparing food can be as enjoyable as eating it.

A boy of a recent class reported, “It was way more fun than we expected it to be!  Can we come again?”

While Christine’s business is mostly geared toward kids, she offers adult cooking classes and events as well.

If you are still looking for camps for your kids this summer, here are two Sift & Stir cooking and baking camps coming up in August:

Sift & Stir Summer Camps

This summer send your kids to Sift & Stir, a place to learn how to make delicious food and have a lot of fun.  Summer camps available for boys and girls ages 8 & older.  Custom classes can be arranged for groups of friends, clusters of neighbors and pairs of parents and kids.

Everything Pastry / Rice / Brown Sugar (Ages 11+)
In this summer camp, campers will learn how to cook and bake with pastry, rice, and brown sugar. Here are the projects / menu:

Everything Pastry

• quiche Lorraine
  
• beef empanadas
  
• deep dish chocolate pie

Everything Rice

• stir fried vermicelli noodles
  
• kappa maki (cucumber rolls)
  
• tri-colored mochi

Everything Brown Sugar 

• brown sugar bbq chicken 
• coffee cake with crumble topping  
• cupcakes w/ brown sugar chocolate frosting 

Make Your Own Breakfast, Snack, and Lunch Camp (Ages 8+)
This is a hands-on summer camp where kids 8 years and older learn to properly measure flour, use a knife and separate eggs – among other things! Breakfast and lunch will be provided daily. Classes held on the north end of Mercer Island.

Monday

• lemon poppy seed muffins
• chocolate mousse
• rolled wafer cookies
• yakisoba

Tuesday

• golden puff donuts
• cinnamon rolls
• boba drinks
• spring rolls – both cold & fried

Wednesday

• custard filled cream puffs
• chocolate ganache
• pumpkin cake w/ cream cheese frosting
• homemade pasta

Thursday

• peach scones
• fruity lollipops
• mocha brownies
• tamales

Learn more about Sift & Stir at: www.siftanstir.org
Photos courtesy Christine Nakano / Sift & Stir