Very Sweet Ending

It came up so fast....but alas here it is our last day of 4-H Jr. Chef Academy.  Still lots to do on our last day so we jumped right in.   We started our day with a look back in history.  Ok we didn't go to far back to talk about the things we learned and liked over the last two days.  Then it was time to split into groups and get our stuff going.  In the kitchen we worked with Mrs. Janice on making our lunch, chicken nuggets and home fries (made from real chicken and real potatoes).  In the auditorium we learned about whole foods and the importance of eating things that aren't processed all the time.
While working with our health department folks we got to play a game and then watch Colton as he made a smoothie.  It was made with yogurt, berries, milk, and ice.  It was some kind of good and good for us.  After we had snack and switched groups it was time for our Food Network Competition.  Miss Shea Ann made teams by drawing names out of a hat.  Then each team drew a number.  Our team went to the table to find the recipe we would make and the ingredients.  We then had a half hour to put it all together.  We found out it took a whole lot of team work to make it come together but we made it work.  Our recipes included: Twix Apple Salad, Strawberry Icebox Cake, Refrigerator Chocolate eclair, Strawberry cheesecake bites, and Oreo Brownies.  All of the recipes can be found on the 4-H Pinterest page as well as in the google drive recipe folder linked to the end of this post.
  After working together to make our creations we hit the kitchen for lunch.  We had our chicken nuggets, green beans, and home fries.  All of it was delicious and we enjoyed that we made it ourselves.
After we got done we headed to the auditorium to meet with our first Food Network judge.  We presented our recipes and talked about what we learned putting them together.  It was difficult but we really enjoyed doing it.  Mrs. Christy seemed very pleased with our presentations.  Mrs. T came in and taste tested everything.  Her eyes rolled into her head a couple of times so we think that was a really good sign.
After all of that it was time to split up and work with Mrs. Janice in the kitchen and Miss Shea Ann in the Auditorium.  While we were with Mrs. Janice we learned about puff pastry and made some along with filling and chocolate topping.  Our puff pastry was also known as an eclair and we got to sample them, they were delicious.

After than Mrs. T came in and we did our last lesson with her.  We made our own snack and put in the fridge while we got out on the floor and danced.  Just practicing what she preaches which is that physical movement is good.  After we got done with her lesson we enjoyed our snack and graduated pickle school.  Mrs. Janice gave each of us certificates and we get to take our pickles home today!  Miss Shea Ann also announced the winner of the Food Network Competition.  She said we did so well on the presentations, putting the recipes together, and our overall creativity of our food that the judges could not determine a clear cut winner.  So instead of giving us all first place ribbons she gave us champion ribbons which she said she does not give out for anything that is less then extraordinary.
after all of we made some extraordinary dishes according to everyone.
We split up again and part stayed with Miss Shea Ann to play games the other part worked with Mrs. Janice in the kitchen.  As parents arrived we got to try our creations and enjoyed them all.  It was a great day as we headed home with our cookbooks, pickles, deserts, frisbee, hacky sacks, and a mind full of memories.
If you would like to access our recipes from this week please click on this link.  Recipes can be downloaded and printed.

Old Fashioned Yummy!

  It was bright and early as we boarded our vans and headed to Clemmons, NC for day 4 of 4-H Jr. Chef Academy.  Today we were headed to a cookie factory.  Not just any cookie factory but the factory where they make Mrs. Hanes' Moravian Cookies.  The cookie recipe has been passed down for generations in the family and each and every cookie is still made by hand.  What made this tour even sweeter was that we got to sample each and every cookie flavor, 6 in all, along our tour.
  Our first stop was to see the cookies being rolled our and cut.  In the back of the big room they also have the ovens where the cookies are baked.  It was really neat and we figured out these ladies have some serious arm muscles because they roll out lots of cookies each day.  At this stop we tasted their number one best seller, the ginger cookie.
We then ventured back to where the cookie orders come in.  Our tour guide told us at Christmas time it is very very busy back here.  We learned about the different equipment and how many cookies they sell (its a whole bunch) at various times of the year.  At this stop we tested the black walnut cookie.
We then travelled behind the back doors of the store area and went to the heart of this cookie factory to meet Big Bertha.  Big Bertha is the mixer that they make the cookie dough in.  Folks come to the plant at three in the morning to start the process of making cookie dough.  they couldn't tell us how much of the ingredients they use, but we know its a lot.  At this stop we got to taste the butterscotch cookies (which we think may have been Miss Shea Ann's favorite).
From the dough mixing room we travelled down the hall to see the cookie packing room.  This was so cool because one lady had been doing this so long she could tell by the feel of the cookies if she had the right amount that she was packing in special napkins and wrapping to place in the tins.  They do thousands of orders and some for famous people too who really like their cookies like Quincy Jones and Neil Diamond.  At this stop we tested the chocolate cookies.
A little further down the hall we learned about the history of the company which started at Mrs Hanes' mother's home and grew and grew.  We learned about the cookie cutters and the Moravian star.  It was really neat to see the old timey ovens they used to make the cookies in and learn how they use different cookie cutters for different cookies.  At this stop we tested the kid favorite, the sugar cookie.
  From there we went to the shipping area.  We learned how they pack the cookies for shipping and minimum breakage.  We also learned that they have to make sure the ginger cookies are packed by themselves because they are so strong they will over power the other cookies.  Here we tried the last flavor, lemon.  It was so lemony without being tart.  Lots of folks said it was their favorite.   At that point it was time to say good bye to our tour guide and pick up our cookie orders on the way out the door.  It was a great day and we couldn't wait to tell our parents about the trip, right after lunch.
  We headed to Old Salem for lunch.  While we were checking out old timey things why not an old time town.  We did a walking tour and got to see a bakery where they use a wood oven to make bread, cookies, and cakes.  We talked with the baker and learned lots about what he does.  After our walking tour we headed to the Tavern in Old Salem.   This is a really cool restaurant.  It is family owned and operated.  The owner meet us at the door and told us about the history of the restaurant.  The kitchen in actually in the basement and they send the food upstairs using a series of dumbwaiters.  Its really cool.  George Washington even slept next door to the Tavern when he came to Old Salem to see an irrigation system the town had devised to get water from a local spring into the town. The owner of the restaurant's son is the chef and the entire family works at the restaurant.  The waiters wear period costumes and the hamburgers we had were the biggest and most wonderful burgers we have ever had.  After a great lunch at the Tavern it was time to head back to Robeson County.  We had a great time and can't wait to share our stories.  We hope to have one more as tomorrow is our final day and will be bittersweet.

You Could Say we Ended Up a Little Pickled

  Day 3 of 4-H Jr. Chef Academy is upon us and you will be amazed at all that we accomplished.  We started our day with what we learned over the past few days and what we liked.  So far, just so you know, its been a lot of fun.
  We split quickly into our groups so one group could work in the kitchen with Mrs. Janice and the other group worked with our friends from the health department.  Camille and Colton stopped by to talk food, actually our favorite ingredient in food with us, sugar.  We learned about different types of sugar and how much sugar is in a soda, juice, and even milk.  we were surprised to learn that milk has a natural sugar in it.  The best drink for us?  Good old fashioned water.  However the other drinks in moderation work too.  You just need to stop and rethink your drink before choosing.
  After snack we had a chance to switch groups so that those with Mrs. Janice worked with Camillie and Colton and vicea versa.  Some folks might say we were cutting up while we worked with Mrs. Janice.  To some extent that was true, we were cutting up cucumbers to make the perfect pickle spears.  We learned that the blossom end of the cucumber must be cut off or the spear will be soft, not crunchy.  We decided we didn't like soft pickles.  We also cut the spears just so to make sure the pickles would be the right length and girth for the jars.  We learned that the jars are filled appropriately when you can turn them upside down and no pickles fall out.  We also learned not to fill them to the top with our special dill liquid, there must be a 1/4 inch head space at the top of the jar.  We put lids on the jars and placed them in a water bath. We will get to take our creations home in a day or so after they sit to ensure the seal.
  All that fun in the kitchen was just part of our day.  We got a chance to make our own butter by shaking whipping cream in a jar.  Now you might wonder why we would do that?  Well it was perfect for our lunch.  We got to sample our butter over corn, that we had shucked that morning.  The fresh corn and our homemade butter was a tasty treat next to the pizza we were having for lunch.  We also got to take our butter makers, extra butter, and butter recipe home with us.
  After working so hard you might think we were done.  Oh no that certainly wasn't the case.  Half of us worked on pickles while the other half helped Miss Shea Ann pick out recipes for our Food Network competition.  We had a lot of fun and can't wait to see what our final choices will be.

  Mrs. T came by and got us up and moving.  Physical activity is important to our health so she made us dance.  That was more painful for some rather than others.  We also got to make our afternoon snack with her, a breakfast pizza.  We used half an english muffin and spread apple butter, peanut butter, or other types of stuff on it then piled it high with our choice of fruit.  She said we could also drizzle honey over it.  It was the bomb!
  At the end of the day we talked about our trip for tomorrow and then hit the floor for our favorite game, the silent game.  We can't wait for tomorrow because it is going to be really sweet!

An Utterly Mooving Experience

  It was an early morning for our aspiring chef's as the members of the 4-H Jr. Chef Academy Day camp left the office at 8 am on day 2 for a unique adventure.  You could say we had to milk our time for all it was worth today.  We travelled to Hillsborough to drop in at Maple View Farms.  This is a dairy farm that not only produces but also bottles and makes all of their own products.
  Your youth started the morning learning about the different parts of a plant.  Everything from how a seed grows roots, a stem, and flowers to the different parts we eat.  You might wonder why we would learn about this at a dairy?  As it turns out growing crops and various plants is very important at a dairy as we would find out shortly.  It is also important for aspiring chef's to know what is edible, and where our food comes from.
  After a lesson on plants it was time to visit with others who benefit from growing green stuff.  We went outside and got a chance to visit some animals with big personalities.  We met some chickens including Henrietta aka Darth Vader who actually met us at the front door.  There were some nice rabbits, a Jersey Cow (not a New Jersey cow) that has a llama body guard, a donkey and some goats that seem to think they are magicians.  Even the sheep had something to say as we learned their names, shedding habits, and sang some Ba Ba Black Sheep.
  Once we got done meeting the very friendly menagerie we went back inside to learn all about dairy cows and the dairy farm.   This farm has close to 400 Holstein Cows.  These are the best milk producers with each cow producing 3 gallons of milk at each milking.  The cows are milked three times a day so each cow produces 9 gallons of milk a day.  That's a lot of milk.  That also means that the cows need to eat a lot to make that much milk.  We learned that they eat hay, cottonseed, and silage.  They drink a bathtub of milk a day.  Silage is fermented corn that has been chopped up.  It used to be fermented in silos but now it is fermented in trenches.
  How the cows are raised and cared for was interesting but that was just part of the story.  This dairy farm is unique because they process their own milk, butter, and ice cream.  Most dairy farms truck the milk out but not Maple view.  That means you can get really fresh dairy products close to home.
  After we learned all about the cows and dairy it was time to see it in action.  We boarded the cadillac of hay rides and got comfy as we rode from the education center up to the pasture, the milking barn, past the processing plant, and to the nursery.  Our tour guide stopped and talked with us about the cows, about what happens when the cows get milked, and how they are brought to a birthing area and have a nursery for the calves.  It was really awesome and the cows were really nice.  they really liked having their pictures taken.
   We headed back to the education center after our tour.  There we made our own sandwiches and enjoyed the salads we made yesterday with Mrs. Janice.  The best was still to come as we enjoyed fresh Maple View Ice Cream for desert.  It was creamy and yummy and the very best part of the day.
  After all the fun and learning it was time to board the vans to head back to Robeson County.  We had an utterly fantastic time and can't wait to try some of what we have learned.

Buttoning it All Up

Its hard to believe that today is the last day of our wonderful Farm to Fork 4-H day camp.  As we wrap up the week we have a few more activities to finish up on and things to remember.  We started the day with a round up of the things we had learned the day before and Mrs. Christy and Mrs. Janice reminded us of all the fun we have had.  Then Mrs. Christy worked with us on etiquette.  Etiquette is just a fancy word for minding your manners and making people feel comfortable.  As part of our etiquette lesson Mrs. Christy taught us how to set a table, and about the top ten rude manners to avoid.  We also got to take home an etiquette handbook that Miss Shea Ann and Mrs. Christy made.  

  After a brief snack, it was time for Mrs. Tahnea to come in and work with us on team building again.  We learned about the different things we like and how to work with others.  After a few games we were tired and ready to sit back down at the table to get creative with Mrs. Chrsity.  We did a recycling craft where we used buttons to decorate frames.  Each of our frames had a photo of us from the week.  We had a lot of fun learning about recycling, up cycling, and having a gift we can take home and remember our Farm to Fork camp always.
   When we were done working on our craft it was time for lunch.  We had a new dish, taco rice.  We had two kinds of rice to try, white rice and brown rice and then added whatever taco toppings on top that we liked.  There was a choice of ground beef, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, sour cream, and other fresh veggies.  we had fresh watermelon for dessert.
  After lunch it was time for entertainment.  Mrs. Janice's daughter Ally, gave us a demonstration of gymnastics.  She has been competing as a gymnast for many years and has practiced hard at this.  She let us know that if we work hard at something we enjoy we can become very good at it too.  After Ally was done it was time for a little work.  Miss Shea Ann worked with us on evaluations so we could let her know what we liked and learned as part of the camp.  When we got done we had a chance to finish our picture frames or work on our rug looms for a few minutes before our next activity.  
  Mrs. Tamika came in and worked with us as part of the Expanded Food and Nutrition Program.  Today we learned about dried fruits and made our own trail mix which was pretty darn good.  One of our favorite treats came after our lessons and before we went home.  Mrs. Janice and Miss Shea Ann made homemade ice cream for us.  They made peach, with the peaches we bought this week and it was pretty peachy.  The vanilla didn't quite freeze but it was really good as a milkshake.  
  After all this activity we played games until our parents came and got us to go home.  Its hard believe that all the fun is already over.  Our next day camp will be the week of July 30, as we get ready for Biotech, the quad experiment.  

Nothing But the Whole Grain

  There are days where I love working in our office.  Days like today when it smells like a bakery and it turns out to be educational are the best!  Today was our fourth and next to last day of 4-H Farm to Fork summer day camp.  We had a lot to cover and dove right in during the morning session reviewing the things we had learned the day before.  Our groups split into two and half worked with Mrs. Christy on their t-shirt rugs, while Mrs. Janice worked with the other half on making wheat flour and they would make the beginning of their whole wheat dough for bread.  As the dough was riding from the first group the groups switched places and started all over again.
  Lunch was another chance to make your own.  Today was make your own veggie pizza.  We used flat bread for crust, homemade pizza sauce, green peppers, red peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, spinach, and lots of cheese.  each youth made their own masterpiece and I did not see any left over when they got done.

After lunch our youth separated out their loaves and let the wheat bread rise in pans.  As they worked with Mrs. Tamika on EFNEP programming and making their own yogurt parfait, Mrs. Janice put the bread in the oven.  Oh my the smell was incredible.
  After our snack we had the opportunity to work on our looms or play some team games as we waited for our parents to arrive.  Almost every last one of them commented on the wonderful smells we had made today!
  Stay tuned for more healthy fun tomorrow!

So Fresh

Day number 3 of Farm to Fork 4-H Day Camp was just peachy.  Our day campers hit the Downtown Farmer's Market to work on a scavenger hunt.  The hunt included finding the largest fruit, largest vegetable, learning about new items and meeting the farmers who grow the food we eat.  As a prize for finishing their scavenger hunt each youth got a water bottle, filled with ice water to drink on the trip and to take home with them.
  After a successful trip it was time to go back to the office where the campers made their own lunch.  Using fresh chicken and cornflakes the youth made baked chicken nuggets, using fresh potatoes from the farmers market the youth made french fries, and shucked corn for fresh corn on the cob.  Lunch was the bomb and healthy to boot.
  When lunch was over it was time to get to work.  The group split into two with part of the group working with Mrs. Janice to make peach jam (with peaches that we purchased the day before) and the rest of the group working with Mrs. Christy on their hula hoop rugs.  After an hour or so they switched and everyone got a chance to make peach jam and work on their rugs.  We each got to take a jar of fresh peach jam home with us.  What a sweet treat.
  Mrs Tamika joined us for a lesson on healthy eating and we made fruit kabobs with ginormous marshmallows to anchor the fruit.  It was a fantastic day of local foods, healthy eating and fun!
We can't wait to see what new adventurous things are in store for us tomorrow.  Stay tuned as we relay all our fun!

Literally a Field Trip

  

Day two of 4-H Farm to Fork Day Camp was exciting because we were going someplace new, often called a field trip.  In the case of this camp I can honestly say it was a trip to the fields, the agricultural fields where our campers got a first hand look at where their food really comes from (because I can't tell you how many literally believe it grows on grocery store shelves).  

  First stop of the day was Geraldine's Peaches and Produce Roadside Market.  There our day campers got to go on a tour and see how peaches and other produce grow and even pick some.  For many this was their first time eating a peach picked right from a tree.  They also learned about the different varieties of peaches.  Many of the youth were excited to learn about doughnut peaches for the first time.  It was really neat to see them push the pits out and know that because these peaches are lower in acid, they are just a bit sweeter than other peaches grown at the orchard.  

  After having a great time at the orchard the group made a pit stop at the Extension Office for lunch.  Today was make your own wrap day.  Using a whole wheat wrap they used fresh produce to make ham or turkey wraps.

  When lunch was over it was time to hit the Hatcher Family Farms to learn about raising poultry.  There the campers got to hold chicks, learned about everything from egg to processing birds for sale.  They even had the opportunity to grade eggs for sale, and hold chicks (not at the same time however).  

  Everyone made it back to the office just in time for the afternoon EFNEP lesson with Mrs Tamika.  Today was about whole grains and one of our favorite whole grains, popcorn.  The youth got to enjoy a healthy popcorn snack made in an air popper with different topping put on it.  It was like a gigantic experiment in flavor.  

  Tomorrow we will have another field trip to the Downtown Farmer's market in Lumberton, and I bet we hunt down something special while we're there.

Farm to Fork Where Our Food Comes From

  Let's officially cut into 4-H Summer Fun with our Farm to Fork day camp.  This camp is all about letting our youth see where their food comes from and teaching them how to prepare healthy meals.  So there is not doubt that it will be a lot of fun.
  For our first day we started with some getting to know you exercises, led by Mrs. Tahnea.  She worked with us on team building.  Then it was time for Mrs. Tamika to join us.  Mrs. Tamika is the 4-H Expanded Foods and Nutrition Program Assistant.  She is going to work with us all week to teach us about the proper foods to eat, exercise and we will make our own snacks.  Today we made apple carousels with apples, peanut butter and animal crackers.  It was a great healthy snack.
  After a morning of hands on fun we settled into a healthy lunch and then split into two groups.  Half went with Mrs. Janice to learn about canning tomatoes, while the rest went with Mrs. Christy to do a neat recycling project.  Using hula hoops and old t-shirts we each made a loom.  Using old t-shirt strips we made yarn and started weaving to make a rug.  This is more than a craft project it is an handy recycling and up cycling project.  After an afternoon of fun it was time to head home.
Stay tuned for more updates and photos as our week progresses.  Tomorrow we will head out into the field, so parents please remember to dress us with closed toed and heeled shoes tomorrow.