Let the Cooking Classes Begin

This past weekend was the graduation ceremony for my class at the Oregon Culinary Institute. Although I wasn't able to attend it (my pastor of 14 years retired and delivered his final message), I spent a few moments remembering the months I was in class, baking and cooking up a storm. It was definitely one of the most wonderful experiences I have had in the last few years... up there with marriage and the birth of my son, of course!

Then I got to thinking... while a restaurant schedule is not conducive to the schedule a mom needs to keep, there had to be something else I could do to utilize my newly acquired skills and to share my love for food. Enter the Oregon Food Bank's "Nutrition Education" program. With a little research and some tips from a friend, I found out that the Food Bank offers cooking classes to the public, to learn how to prepare nutritious, affordable meals for your family while also providing education on label reading, dietary needs and meal planning. Perfect fit for me! So I signed up and ended up in my first class last night as a volunteer. Every Tuesday, I meet a group of volunteers at Tigard Highschool and we teach a class of 10-13 students how to make the yumminess that is Ratatouille, Apple Crisp and roasted garlic bread. We all prep, cook and then (the BEST part) eat the meal together, talking about what brings everyone together, what each person is hoping to get from the class and sharing cooking stories. The evening just flew by. Perhaps my favorite part is at the end of the end of the night when we send each person home with a cloth bag filled with all the ingredients needed to prepare the meal we just created in class. They are able to take this food home and make a delicious meal for their families. I couldn't believe how enthusiastic everyone was as we chopped veggies, minced garlic and peeled apples. There is something about food that inherently brings out laughter and joy. Good food and fellowship feeds more then the stomach, it feeds the soul. I'm super excited to see how the class progresses and we all become friends and experience more culinary adventures together. What an excellent way to use my skills to spread my passion for food and health. Thanks to the Oregon Food Bank for allowing me to be involved in their classes.