Cooking Class Successful in Helping Manage Food Costs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) September 20, 2009 -- The eagerly anticipated Cooking Class sponsored by Food Stamps Cooking Club went into the history books today. All attendees declared it would continue to be helpful in creating healthful meals on a shoestring.

The Class Coordinator, Connie Baum, opened the class by introducing the students to one another. She asked each person to share specifically what they hoped to glean from the class. There was a tour of Baum’s kitchen to discuss food storage with respect to the pantry cupboards, freezer and refrigerator. Kitchen equipment was part of the discussion, as were knives and cutting boards. Baum demonstrated how water affects foods and she explained how water is affected by the variables found in peoples’ kitchens.

Everyone in the class teamed up with another student to prepare the simple meal. The hostess had prepared a split pea soup prior to the class in order for the flavors to marry, so there was a lengthy discussion of ingredients and methods. The soup heated in the oven as the class proceeded.

Fresh apple salad and cornbread baked in a cast iron skillet rounded out the menu and were prepared by the students, who were paired for the work. There was an explanation of quickly preparing low cost meals without recipes, which was a strong feature of the morning event.

The finale presentation for the day was a demonstration of making sauerkraut with a canning jar using zinc caps and rubber jar rings.

Tecumseh Central Market, a local business, provided store brand products to use for comparison price shopping and there was animated discussion about the use of coupons. The market made available a dessert and nuts for the demonstrations and the luncheon meal.

“I think more people should know about this class so they could eat more healthfully” was a comment made by one of the students, who drove over for two hours to participate. Another student vowed to rearrange her kitchen cupboards as a result of what she saw. This comment was found on the evaluation form of yet another student: “Because of what I saw today I can now shop more efficiently.”

Food Stamps Cooking Club was originally meant for those who use SNAP-Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-funds or food commodities or food pantries. But those who use Angel Food Ministries or Farmers Markets Coupons or their own earned income are interested to lower food costs and better manage their food budgets. The Club’s membership is all inclusive, so anyone interested in food and pampering their food budgets are free to participate.

This cooking class will be followed by a dessert event and a program about water and its effect on body health. For more information you can contact Food Stamps Cooking Club: foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com

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