What to watch: The Princess and the Frog
Where to find it: Disney+
Run time: 1 hr 37 min
Best for ages: 4+
Why We Recommend The Princess and the Frog
The Princess and the Frog is a modern twist on the classic Disney princess love story. Rest assured, it has all of the adventure, music, humor, and fun that we have come to expect from this genre. But it also offers a fiercely independent princess, long overdue representation, and a beautiful glimpse of New Orleans culture.
Tiana is a talented chef with a dream of opening her own restaurant. She doesn't wait for a fairy godmother to make her dreams come true. She comes up with a plan, works hard, and saves her money to accomplish her goals. Prince Naveen is pretty much the opposite. He is an irresponsible, spoiled prince who has been cut off by his parents. Since Naveen has never worked a day in his life, he tries to take the easy way out of his problems—making a deal with an evil witch doctor who turns him into a frog. Finding Tiana dressed as a princess, he convinces her to kiss him but instead of returning to his human state, Tiana becomes a frog as well. Then the adventure begins.
An alligator named Louis takes them on a journey through the bayou to find Mama Odie, a kind voodoo priestess who may be able to reverse the spell. Along their journey, Tiana and Naveen learn from each other. Tiana teaches Naveen about hard work and Naveen teaches Tiana how to enjoy the moment. And then, of course, they fall in love.
Easy Beignet Recipe
Prior to watching The Princess and the Frog, my five-year-old daughter, Everly, had never heard terms like bayou, beignets, and gumbo. So it was exciting to see how her curiosity went wild with this one. The first thing she wanted to try was a beignet...smart girl, right? Together we followed this recipe from Kitchn.
Ingredients:
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup whole milk
1/3 cup granulated sugar
11/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 large egg, beaten
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided, plus more for kneading and cutting
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 quart peanut or vegetable oil, plus more for the bowl
1 cup powdered sugar
Equipment:
Large mixing bowl
Measuring cup and spoon
Large Dutch oven
Candy or deep-fry thermometer
Rolling pin
Pizza cutter or sharp knife
Rimmed baking sheet
Large fine-mesh strainer
Check out the full recipe for cooking instructions. Our beignets took on an interesting shape but they tasted fantastic.
Cooking notes:
I do not have a candy or deep-fry thermometer so I determined their doneness by color.
Everly was involved in every step of this process except frying but she enjoyed watching this part from a distance that was safe enough to keep her away from any oil splatters.
As we were enjoying our beignets, we chatted a bit more about New Orleans culture. Here are some ideas for you to do the same with your child:
Find New Orleans on a map
Make gumbo with your child
Listen to New Orleans jazz music (Spotify has some great playlists)
Share the fun you are having with us on Social Media! Tag us @curiouscouchpotatoes when you try any of our activities.
Educational Insights:
Pouring, scooping, and leveling ingredients are all great for their fine motor skills as well as their visual skills! It is also a great way of introducing math concepts through measuring. You can use language such as more or less for younger kids and with older kids discuss how many cups or fraction of cups needed in the recipe.