Gallatin 4-H Summer Foods class was one tasty experience
Our 4-H Summer Foods class has wrapped. We had a great time again this year. All participants had a great learning experience. You know we had a good time when the kids walked in the door happy and left with a huge smile and story to tell their parents.
We began with basic kitchen safety, how to wash and chop veggies and following directions on a mix. How to hold a knife and use it to slice, dice, and chop was a fun lesson. We then needed to make some dip to eat all those yummy veggies! Tomatoes and cucumbers were provided by Dixon Springs Agricultural Center.
Our most requested lesson is always pancakes! Learning how to measure dry and liquid items and properly crack an egg (yep- there's a method that doesn't include the side of the bowl) and how to safely use a griddle. Of course since we are crackin' eggs why not scramble some as well? We learned a simple rule of thumb is to add one tablespoon of milk per egg.
June was National Dairy Month. How do you celebrate? Why with a magic milk experiment, delicious Ice Cream in a Bag, and of course learning how to make grilled cheese sandwiches on the griddle!
Our classes were held on Tuesdays- so of course we had to do a Taco Tuesday! Youth learned how to safely thaw, brown and drain hamburger meat. They also learned what NOT to do with the fat (pour it down the sink). Thank you to No BS Meat (part of Bramlet Simmentals) out of Harrisburg for providing us with the hamburger. We put those chopping skills to work as they diced tomatoes and onions for toppings. After everyone was full of tacos, Kylie Vaughn taught basic cupcake decoration. Participants each had the chance to use the five tips provided to decorate four cupcakes. Some adorable cupcakes made it home, others were quickly devoured.
We finished off the year with food preservation. It's always great to save some of our summer produce for later. What did we make? Refrigerator pickles! Refrigerator pickles don't have the same shelf life as those canned using a hot water bath or pressure canner.
A huge thank you to Brenda Stuby and Mimmo's Italian Restaurant in Ridgway. They provided a delicious pizza party for our group. Everyone appreciated it! Another shout out to Murphie Horton for making one of her fabulous Pineapple Upside Down Cakes. Everyone loved it! It's great when kids try new things and like them, and even better when that new thing is shared from another youth.
Is your family headed to the Illinois State Fair? Get the app! The 4-H Now app has maps of the State Fair and Orr Building, schedule, alerts, a fun scavenger hunt and more! Go to either the App Store for iPhone or Google Play for Android, download the 4-H Now app, select Illinois State Fair and sign up for alerts.
<h3 class="breakHead">Upcoming events</h3>
Aug. 12: Illinois State Fair Exhibit Day
Sept. 1: New 4-H Year begins
Oct. 2-8: National 4-H Week
Oct. 14-16: Junior Leadership Conference
To learn more about 4-H in Illinois and Gallatin County email Kassy at kscates@illinois.edu. University of Illinois Extension provides equal opportunities in programs and employment. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in this program, contact Kassy.