I love teaching students how to make desserts that look elegant, but sound difficult! After learning about The History & Science of Cream Puffs, they are always surprised to learn how simple they are to actually make. Read on to learn how to incorporate this into your pastry or dessert unit.
What’s not to like about rice? It’s got a lot going for it such as versatility, affordability, nutrition and let’s not forget easy preparation! With this Exploring Rice lesson, students learn more about this unique grain including history, varieties available, nutritional contributions as well as proper cooking techniques before heading to the lab.
Put the initial learning in the hands of your students with this Knife Skills Interactive assignment. The entire assignment is not only digital, but breaks down important knife information by topic and section. I used this with my upper level students in my foods class. For many, it was a review of information they had learned in junior high or other courses of mine. However, for those students who were new to the school or I didn’t have me in junior high, it gave them all of the basics about knives they needed before we headed to the kitchen to practice.
Have you heard about the latest TikTok butter board craze? People spread butter all over a board and then decorate it with dippers such as meats, breads, fruits,
vegetables, flowers, herbs and spices. Conceptually, this is cool, but butter is not only expensive, it’s not very healthy! With this in mind, I created Snack Boards with Dips Dilemma as a twist on that trend. So, pull out those charcuterie boards and challenge your students to create their own unique snack board with cold dips that are visually appealing and a little healthier and perfect for the upcoming Super Bowl!
Canned soup may be viewed as a quick and easy meal, albeit boring, generic, and bland. However, who says that canned soup has to be eaten as is? With a bit of creativity and a few extra ingredients, possibilities are endless when it comes to kicking up a little ‘ole can of soup. Why not show your students how to do this by assigning them the Canned Soup Challenge and then let them loose in the kitchen? To round it out, bring in judges to taste and evaluate their final products.
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: Dutch Babies!
If you are in need of a fun, festive holiday lab that is very creative and hands-on, why not give Hot Cocoa Cups a try? Not only are these fairly easy to make compared to actual cocoa bombs, but they taste delicious and make great little gifts or even fundraisers!
Cookies, Cakes & Pies, Oh My! is a subscription box template project. The original cookie subscription box idea came from Anna Hall, an Ohio FACS teacher. Upon receiving it, my brain immediately thought this project could extend to other desserts or foods and Anna graciously gave me permission to expand the project. So, if you’re looking for an extension project when teaching about desserts or other foods, this may be just what you’re looking for!
Recently, I read a newsletter about pie crusts made with olive oil. This was intriguing because my family has always sworn by pie crusts made with shortening. Because of this curiosity and the holidays being right around the corner, I decided to add a lab titled, Pie Crust: Experimenting with Fats so students could see and experience the similarities and differences first hand. Note: The pie crusts can be taste tested with or without a filling. If using a filling, I recommend a simple chocolate pudding with some whipped topping and sprinkles!
This Soul, Creole & Cajun Foods lesson, activities and lab is a collaboration of ideas from me and Arlene DeJoy-Meckes (from Teachers Pay Teachers). We teamed up to create this cross-curricular resource as a way to add ethnic diversity to your food classes. There are many teaching possibilities for this as it could be taught as a stand alone lesson, connected to a regional foods unit, when exploring the South, or even as an example of a cultural influence when teaching about food choices.
