Category: Culinary

Make It Fancy Lesson & Lab

One of the best ways I’ve ever taught about plating and presentation to middle schoolers revolved around premade snack foods: aka Twinkies and Yodels!  This Make It Fancy Lesson & Lab is an instant hit with students and it’s really an easy low-prep lab for teachers to implement as well! Need something quick and easy, give this two day lesson and lab a try…you won’t regret it!

43 Minute Lab Series: Puppy Chow

After noticing continuous requests for lab suggestions that are doable in 43 minute class periods, I’ve decided to do a recurring series, featuring recipes that can
be completed from beginning to end in a 43 minute time frame. In some cases, longer recipes will broken into two day labs. In addition, I will include my pre-lab review questions that pertain specifically to the recipe. This helps to ensure that students are reading the recipe. It also allows me time to show any videos that may demonstrate the product or specific techniques. So, without further ado, I present the 43 Minute Lab Series: Puppy Chow!

Bacon Lesson & Labs

My students would always tell me that bacon makes everything better and I agree!  There’s just something about bacon that amps up the flavor of
whatever it is paired with! I created this Bacon Lesson & Labs to help students learn more about bacon; where it comes from, cooking techniques, seasonings and even some fun, tasty labs!

Garnishing: Student Led Demonstration

Garnishing is defined as embellishing something. In this project, it pertains to food!  In this project: Garnishing: Student Led Demonstration, students compile
the information on garnishing a specific food in a presentation and teach and/or demo the technique that can be used with the class!  This project can then be shared with students via Google Classroom, keeping entire presentations together. Since students orally share, they can be graded as presented, making life easier at the end of the day!

43 Minute Lab Series: Individual Fruit Pizzas

After noticing continuous requests for lab suggestions that are doable in 43 minute class periods, I’ve decided to do a recurring series, featuring recipes that can be completed from beginning to end in a 43 minute time frame. In some cases, longer recipes will broken into two day labs. In addition, I will include my pre-lab review questions that pertain specifically to the recipe. This helps to ensure that students are reading the recipe. It also allows me time to show any videos that may demonstrate the product or specific techniques. So, without further ado, I present the 43 Minute Lab Series: Individual Fruit Pizzas!

Plant-Based Rummy Card Game

In my opinion, two heads are always better than one!  When Arlene DeJoy-Meckes of Twins & Teaching reached out about collaborating on an activity for plant
based diets, I was excited to collaborate! The Plant-Based Rummy Card Game is a free resource reinforcement activity and assessment that can be used when teaching about plant-based diets. Read on to see what we developed!

Food Culture Fridays

Looking to add some culture into your school or program?  I see a lot of teachers requesting ideas on this very topic all over social media. Food Culture Fridays is a way to not only add some culture by way of different foods to your school and student body, but it’s a great way to connect your students to the cafeteria staff,  who often go unnoticed. Read on to learn more about how you can expose your students to some delicious and diverse foods every month!

Careers in the Food Industry

The food industry contains many careers for individuals to investigate and pursue. However, many careers are unfamiliar and go unnoticed. There are more jobs in
the food industry than you would imagine! Careers in the Food Industry, created by Nicole Brown from Illinois, allows students to dive deeper into careers within the food industry and all they encompass.  Continue reading to learn more…

Aprons: History & Design

With the surge in home cooking, aprons are making a comeback!  However, in the cooking lab, they’ve always been a staple!  Learn about Aprons: History & Design and then teach students how to create their own, with or without tie dye.

Air Fryer & Pressure Cooker Lesson Plan

Hailing from Ohio, Becky Bucher not only wrote and received a grant making it possible for her to get combination air fryers and pressure cookers for her class, but
she also created and shared this awesome lesson around them!  The Air Fryer & Pressure Cooker Lesson Plan is full of activities that will help her students get acquainted with it in her new Foods classes in the upcoming school year. So, if you have this small appliance or plan to get one, continue reading to see what she’s doing.