The children learned how to make BLT chicken salad while frying bacon and boiling chicken at the cooking station. (Photo provided by Sheri Trusty)
Written by Sheri Trusty
When children learn new skills, they discover how exciting basic knowledge can be. There was a lot of excitement surrounding onions at the OSU Extension Kids in the Kitchen program held at the Oak Harbor Extension Office.
“The kids were so excited to cut onions. They thought they were the sous chefs of the world,” said Molly Abers, OSU Extension 4-H youth development educator. said.
Abers created the program last fall after receiving funding through an Ohio 4-H Foundation grant that provided funding for the purchase of kitchen kits. The purpose of this program is to teach children basic cooking skills. The program was open to all local children ages 7 to 10. He does not have to be a 4-H member to participate.
4-H youth development educator Molly Abers talks to children about boiling chicken in the Kids in the Kitchen program. (Photo provided by Sheri Trusty)
“When I talked to parents, I found out that there are a lot of kids who don't know how to cook. There aren't a lot of home EC classes in schools anymore,” Abers said. “I want to start cooking as soon as possible.”
The spring Kids in the Kitchen program had three sessions. In the first session, the children made breakfast pizza. Lucas DeRosa said he learned how to make eggs.
“I loved cutting onions and eating pizza,” said 8-year-old Ali Joy.
In the second session on April 10th, the children made BLT chicken salad. They boiled chicken, fried bacon and controlled every step of the cooking process. In class, we learned how to measure correctly and cut safely with a knife.
A little girl flips fried bacon during the Kids in the Kitchen program at the OSU Extension office in Oak Harbor. (Photo provided by Sheri Trusty)
“We learned how to cut peaches correctly and how to tell when a peach is ripe,” said Lydia Wadsworth, 8.
Students will cook at stations equipped with skillets, hot plates, pots, pans, cutting boards, and bowls.
“We're cooking bacon again this week, but in a frying pan instead of a pot,” said Bridget Berry, 11. “Last week we learned how to make gravy.''
The kitchen kit contains several cooking utensils, some of which may be unfamiliar to some children. When 7-year-old Landon Raditi asked if he could use a pastry brush to make chicken salad, Avars explained, “I'm not going to paint anything today.”
The Kids in the Kitchen program includes a blender bike. Children have to pedal the bike to spin the blender blades. (Photo provided by Sheri Trusty)
“Why don't you just spread bacon on it?” asked Rajti.
Avers walked from station to station teaching the children the basics of cooking, such as knowing when water is boiling enough to cook chicken.
“I’m not ready yet,” she said to the children at one table. “We're hoping for a wild boil. It's just crazy right now.”
For more information about the OSU Extension program in Ottawa County, visit https://ottawa.osu.edu.
