I had offered 4 cooking courses (Soups & Appetizers, Vegetables & Salads, Fish, Meat and Poultry, Dessert) for 6 € a participant to local kids ages 11-15 who’s families couldn’t afford to go on vacation. I had a program worked out based on a group of 12 kids which aside from cooking also included dividing the kids into groups, rotating them so that they did at least one step of each recipe, writing the recipes down, learning about ingredients and cooking methods pertaining to the subject matter, talking about their favorite foods and so on. Yes that was the plan…….

5 kids signed up (ages 11-17) for the dessert course and none for the others. So I thought OK why not. I remodeled my concept, changed the venue to my house, and disregarded the cost issue. I was nervous and excited.

My friends who have done cooking classes with kids warned me of picky parents, kids with allergies, injured kids with cuts and burns… but it didn’t put me off.

Some of the things I learned on this day is to throw out most of your planning, improvise, be flexible, and expect the unexpected. And most of all make sure the kids are having fun.

When I arrived at the venue to pick up the kids and take them to my house (so I didn’t have to transport all the equipment to the venue), the parents were OK with the venue change but one girl wouldn’t go to my house so she dropped out. One of the remaining 4 children had special needs (among other things unable to read or write) which I hadn’t known before hand. Oh well I thought I love a challenge…

Let me say it was wonderful, fun, exhausting and the greatest part apart from the yummy 4 desserts we made was that the kids pleaded with me to do it again next year and our special child went along with all his tasks and had the time of his life.

Here are some pictures and the recipes of what we accomplished (including letting the kids decorate the table for our final tasting) in the space of just 5 hours. Would I do it again? YES definitely!!!! It was so rewarding to see how proud they were when they showed their parents and siblings the finished product and their personal cookbooks that they made.

 

We made:

Chocolate and Raspberry mini cupcakes care of Manu’s Menu:

http://www.manusmenu.com/chocolate-and-raspberry-mini-cupcakes

Quick Fruit Ice Cream (recipe coming soon)

Fruit Tiramisu a la Karin (recipe coming soon)

Grape Salad with Sour Cream (recipe coming soon)

Thank you Manuela for your delicious recipe!