Posted Green Eggs and "Ham" with Cynthia Stephens to Dish with Gracie
One word to describe my day as a volunteer: enchanting! To aptly describe my recent volunteer experience with this wonderful organization, I offer one word: enchanting! As the children lined up single-file at the door of the cooking class, I was immediately taken in by the contagious innocence. The 20+ kids glowed with a wide-eyed anticipation while waiting patiently to be fit with small aprons emblazoned with "Recipe4Success." The enchantment continued as grins and giggles permeated the classroom and hands were dutifully washed and even numbered children were grouped around separate work areas. As each young student explored all the large fresh-from-the garden collard and mustard greens, Swiss chard, kale, eggs and neatly displayed cooking tools, I learned you can't touch anything more than twice, what a whisk was probably for, and their firm opinions on vegetables. Mouths were zipped and hands went...
Posted Bon Appétit! to Dish with Gracie
A Rodriguez Elementary Volunteer Experience by Rakhi DesaiHearty quinoa, nutty garbanzo beans, colorful fruit and vegetable smoothies... these aren't usually associated with elementary-aged kids. Unless you're talking about the students at Rodriguez Elementary that is! Every six weeks, students rotate through RFS programming in Chef Kendall and Mrs. Healy's Culinary Classroom. The time flies as they work in the garden and learn concepts such as the food pyramid or the difference between a fruit and a vegetable. It is such a pleasure to spend my Thursday afternoons with them as they prep, chop, and measure their ingredients. There are so many lessons the kids learn through the RFS curriculum- practicing proper hygiene in the kitchen, math and reading skills (while measuring out ingredients for a vinaigrette), good table manners (waiting for everyone to be served before lifting a fork), and heck, even...
Posted A Day in MacGregor Recipe Gardens by Annabel Fonseka to Dish with Gracie
It is so satisfying to volunteer weekly at McGregor Elementary in the Recipe for Success Foundation (RFS) Recipe Garden with "Miss Sharon" as all the kids call her. First, she is quite a celebrity around the school. Faces light and hands go up as they answer her questions. Some students shout "I love tomatoes," "I Love the Garden" or "I Love Turnips". Their enthusiasm is impressive- and catching. Second, it's so fun to see the concentration as they sow their pinch of seeds! "Miss Sharon"- aka Sharon Siehl, Director of Recipe Gardens for RFS, makes the garden visually interesting by planting a pattern of red and green lettuces or mixing edible Calendula flowers in with vegetables. If it is not their turn to plant, I may take a group with magnifying glasses to "discover" bugs or new seedlings. The students are...
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