Our Just Desserts

   We can't believe it is Friday already!  That means everything we started we must finish.  Everything we haven't gotten to we need to get to.  So hold on because today just might be a wild ride.

  We started the day doing our learns and likes from Thursday.  We sure did have a lot of fun.  Thank you to the businesses that made it happen.

  Next we broke into two groups.  The first went into the kitchen to prep our dinner for lunch menu with Wendy Maynor, Family Consumer Science Agent and Joanna Rogers, Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) Assistant.  While the other group stayed in the auditorium to work with power tools?  What kind of chefs are these?

  Our group in the kitchen made their own pizzas , garlic knots, and worked on other sides for our dinner/lunch.  They had a ball using a variety of ingredients to make their dream pizzas.  The garlic knots were incredible and all the sides were amazing.  Best part is they did it themselves.

  During our snack, before we switched groups it was time to play chopped again.  This time our youth tried two kinds of Latino Cookies that we purchased the day before and Mentos Fanta Flavor.  The cookies were mixed reviews with the nutella filling winning for the cookie round.  Most of our youth enjoyed the Mentos Fanta orange flavor and were surprised that this is not an offering in America.

  When we switched groups it was time for our chefs to become carpenters and vice versa.  Our youth with the help of Ms. Shea Ann, our 4-H Agent, and Mr. Mack, the Horticulture Agent drilled holes into their charcuterie boards for their handles.  It was a neat project and when the youth got done their board were really cool.  Most of our youth didn't realize power tools do figure into many aspects of cooking and kitchens so as we worked we brainstormed about the opportunities and enjoyed coming up with way different power tools are used in the kitchen and why it is a good idea to learn how to use them.

  We stopped for an incredible lunch.  Which included our own pizzas and incredibly tasty and easy garlic knots.  After we took a little time to solve some culinary mysteries and shot some video thanks you messages it was time to head back into the kitchen for some really cool team cooking challenges so we could design our own charcuterie boards.  

Our day campers worked on punch bowl cake (which we made in cups), brownie dip, cheesecake dip, and cut up all the ingredients we needed to go along with everything.  When it was time to make our charcuterie boards some folks went savory, others sweet.  They all had fun designs and everyone got a certificate for winning the category that their board best represented.   

  When we got done and cleaned up we kicked back to watch a slideshow of our week in review.  We really did have a great time and have made friends for a lifetime.  we also went home with charcuterie boards, a basket to help with organizing in our kitchen and an exclusive Jr. Chef Cookbook.  To see our photos from today please click on this link.

International and Crazy are the Key Ingredients

   

It was a day to hit the road and learn more about food.  Today we took a little different approach and headed south to the Grand Strand to visit a couple of places that we just needed to experience.

  Our first stop was Vitoria International Meat Market.  This is a shop that serves, according to the owner, 90% Latino customers and maybe 10% other nationalities.  The little market had a huge section of meats, some of which our Jr. Chefs recognized, some that they did not.  They also learned how folks prepare, preserve, and cook foods in other cultures is very different from America.  Also the cuts of meats we like versus what folks from other countries are looking for is different.  Not good or bad, just different.  We also had a chance to check out the store that had familiar labels or names but things looked a tad different.  Ms. Joanna took a moment to do a little shopping for her girls and our campers so they could taste test some cultural different items when we got back to the office on Friday.  We have to say the store owner took his time to talk with our youth and was gracious giving us chicken sausage to try and a discount on the items we bought there.  It was a really incredible learning experience for our youth.

  Our next stop was lunch, because looking at meat and food got everyone hungry.  So we stopped at Golden Corral and had a great lunch.  We appreciate everyone who took care of us there.  I also have to give a shout out to our campers.  When we go out to eat we have rules.  Most of our youth look forward to desert, which we understand.  However after have a talk before we left about where we were going and making sure they didn't let their eyes get bigger than their stomachs, they made some really great choices.  Not one of them indulged in desert at the restaurant.  They all ate real food and did not overindulge on that, knowing that they wanted to save room for the last stop of the day.  We were very proud of them for thinking ahead and making smart choices.

  Our last stop of the day was the Crazy Mason Milkshake Bar.  These folks have the most incredible, outlandish, creative milkshake choices ever seen.  The owners were kind enough to let us come in early and the assistant manager did a great job giving our youth a tour.  He and the manager answered several questions about the business and our campers were mesmerized by all the options available to them.  We were excited that we even had a birthday to celebrate with a special mason jar.  Our youth were thoughtful in their choices and ecstatic about the opportunity to sample some of the extensive menu of shakes.  It truly left a lasting impression and smiles on their faces.

  We headed home and pulled in right at 5 pm for waiting parents to hear all about our adventure as youth headed home.  To see all the enjoyment from our day please click this link.

Time for Lunch

   Each day in the office our 4-H Jr. Chef Day Campers are learning to prepare a different meal.  Today was lunch.  Joanna Rogers, our Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program Assistant (EFNEP) led today's cooking challenge and boy did they have some edible fun.

  We started our day however reviewing the past two days of what we learned and what we liked.  Two very different and important aspects of what we do in 4-H.  Our youth said they learned how to use a knife, cut and chop items, read a recipe, and learned about the different things that go into the foods they love to eat.  They were also brave and tried new things because they had fixed them and thought they might like them (and they were right).   Our youth also learned about the hard work it takes to follow a dream and open your own business.  However they said they weren't scared of hard work if it meant they could follow their passion. 

We split into our teams today and one headed to the kitchen to start working on sliders and the other headed outside to work on their own hand made charcuterie boards.  While in the kitchen they worked on hamburger sliders, and sides that included fries, a fruit cup, and one group even worked on chicken sliders in case we had some folks who weren't keen on hamburgers.  Our groups also experimented with desert.  One group made s'mores bites while the other group made an Oreo bite.  During lunch we had to get our official taste tester, Kareis "Ramsey" Britt, to come in and give a professional opinion.  She said both were wonderful and she would not turn down other one, but the s'mores bite had just a little more umph to it.

  After cleaning up our cooking and eating mess from lunch we let our food digest over some Chopped-Jr. Chef.  Then it was time to recreate Chopped the pie version with the pies we brought back from our field trip from the Slice of Pie Company in Raleigh.  We had three pies; Chocolate Chess, Keylime, and Lemon with a Raspberry topping.  Each child got a sample slice and we did a thumbs up if they liked it, sideways if it was ok, and down if it wasn't their favorite.  The chocolate pie was their absolute favorite.  Although the Keylime and Lemon pies had some who felt they were the best...the group overall went with chocolate and really enjoyed the pie crust on all of the pies.

  To work off the calories we went to the Robeson County Farmer's Market in Downtown Lumberton for a quick scavenger Hunt.  Our youth had the opportunity to talk with the Market Manager, Marie Amsdill and learn what a CSA is.  They spoke with farmers, craft vendors, and others to learn more about what they do at the market and gained some great insight into what the Farmer's Market provides.  They also made a new friend in Mr Crochet who talked with them about his crocheting work.  ll the youth said they could have stayed and talked with the vendors all day long.  We reminded them that their parents can come back and shop there every Saturday from 7:30 am-noon, and on Wednesdays from 3:00 pm-6 pm.  It's a great place to find farm fresh produce and locally hand made or grown gifts while supporting our local farmers.

 

When we came back to the office we talked about the rest of our week and our learns and likes for the day.  We also said goodbye to our beloved teen volunteer Kennedi Lyons.  Today was her last day with us as she was headed to college orientation at NC A&T Thursday and Friday and will have a busy Summer as she finishes her term as a State 4-H officer.  Over all we had a great time cooking up fun in the kitchen.  If you would like to see all of our photos from today, please click this link.

Out and About, Trying New Things

 Jr. Chef Day Camp definitely had an excitement around it today as we travelled to Raleigh for some exciting edible experiences.   

  Our first stop was at a Slice of Pie Company.  Our youth met the Pie Lady, Kristen Mullins and heard her story of starting this delightfully tasteful company.  Going from a family recipe and winning blue ribbons at the NC State Fair for her apple pie, she has combined that into a successful pie business that ships pies nationwide.  It has also given her the opportunity to meet and bake for celebrities and hone her own skills.  She says looking back ten years to what she used to bake to the custom pies she can create now, her skill set has grown.  Just proving we are never too old to learn.  Our youth later said they learned that hard work is worth it, because you could create a job for your passion.  They said they also learned that you don't fail unless you give up.  They were inspired by the Pie Lady and her story.

  Our next stop was at North Carolina State University (NCSU).  We went straight to Fountain Dining Hall for lunch with the college students.  A few of our campers were skeptical, but after walking in they saw the difference between their school cafeteria and how the college students eat.  They were excited about the huge salad bar, pizza options, and lets not forget the soft serve ice cream machine complete with toppings.  It was an experience that they were all excited about.

  Our next stop of the day, was Videri Chocolate Factory.  There we went on a self guided tour to learn how chocolate is made from the cocoa beans collected near the equator from pods grown on trees, all the way to our stomachs.  They spoke with the head chocolate maker at Veredi and watched as cocoa beans were roasted.  Some of the brave soles even tried a bean out of the roaster, however I think all of them agreed that was not their favorite.  However the aftermath of the chocolate with sugar added was more to their liking.

     We made a quick Stop at Slice of Pie to purchase some pies and bring back to try during the week.  The campers were excited about that and the chocolate bars they would get to take home.  All in all it was a sweet day.  To see all our photos from today please click this link. 

Cooking Up a Storm

   Welcome to the first week of 4-H Summer Fun!  This is our 4-H Summer camping program that includes neat opportunities for youth of all ages.  This week we are working with out 9-13 year olds as part of Jr. Chef Day Camp.  Our 12 campers met for the first time today and had an absolute blast.

We started the day by figuring out our rules and what we could all live by.  So far so good, everyone has agreed to be cautious in the kitchen and respectful of each other and those around us all the time.  We split into two groups and one went into the kitchen to learn how to make some breakfast items while the other group worked on a signature project.  

  Our group in the kitchen worked on chopping up items for our egg muffins (they had bacon, sausage, onions, green peppers, and spinach to choose from) and pancakes.  YUM!  The group learned knife skills, kitchen safety, and proper measuring.  After a little more than an hour working on these items it was time to take a break and have snack together,  After we switched and our project folks went to the kitchen while our other group worked on their project.

    Our project this week is charcuterie boards.  We are making our very own and they are going to be fabulous.  We started by sanding our boards and then creating our own designs.  We used scorch markers and a heat gun to make it look like the designs were wood burned into our boards.  That's just the beginning...we will be working on these during the week to make them fabulous!

  We took a break for brunch and enjoyed all the delectable things we made in the kitchen.  We even prepped strawberries and blueberries for the pancakes and other toppings.  Believe it or not we devoured every last morsel of the items we made and had nothing left to share with the staff.

  After a little digestion time we split back up and one group headed to the kitchen to work on chocolate chip muffins while the other group worked on their boards and then had some fun building team building skills with games.  After a brief break (and snack) we switched groups again and one worked on blueberry muffins while the other group worked on their boards and team building games.

  At the end of the day we all brought home muffins, and new skills, that we hope to share with our families soon.  Tomorrow we are looking forward to our sweet field trip. 

To see all of our fun from today check out all of our photos.

4-H District Activity Day

 4-H members made it happen!  District Activity Day (DAD) is an early morning and a time filled with nerves...that is until everyone is done presenting and then it feels like fun!

  This year we sent our People in Charge (PIC's) Mack Johnson and Taylor Chavis off a half hour before we hit the road.  The PIC's are in charge of getting judges for specific categories.  This year Taylor handled Arts & Communication while Mack took care of Fisheries and Wildlife.  Several of our staff and Master Gardeners were gracious enough to serve as judges in these categories.  We want to take a moment and say thank you to this group, who without their help DAD would not happen,

    Our delegation hit the road at 7:30 am and arrived at Lenoir Community College Just after 9:30 am.  We got our packet and did our best to et everyone to their respective rooms for competition.  A special thank you to all the adults who came with our youth that day to make sure they had a support system with them as they competed on the district level.  

  After lunch it was time for the awards ceremony. 

Jade Brown-Public Speaking-Silver

Amare Jones-Public Speaking-Gold

D.J. Jones-Public Speaking-Silver

Malachi Jones-Public Speaking-Bronze

Kennedi Lyons-Arts & Communications- Silver

Ian Malloy-Fishing and Wildlife-participation

Walt Malloy-Entertains -participation

Jahari Roberson-Arts & Communication- Silver

Congratulations to all our youth who took part.  Especially the fact that for 7 of our youth this was their first time attending.  We could not be more proud.  Stay tuned because our silver and gold winners will move forward to state.

To see our photos from the event please click this link.

Teens Talk Wellness

 

CEFS Farm to School Initiative and the Farm to School Coalition of NC are very EXCITED to introduce to you all the Teens Talk Wellness Podcast! In June 2021, 24 students from across North Carolina gathered together to discuss their interest in farm to school, racial justice, environmental justice, food policy, gardens, and cooking. Due to pandemic challenges, six students volunteered to pivot and reimagine the student wellness committee project and designed a podcast to increase student engagement and excitement.

During the series, you will follow the journey of our three student anchors as they explore student wellness through the lens of farm to school, equity, outdoor education, School Nutrition, and so much more!

Our first two episodes are available now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Soundcloud. Be sure to follow the Farm to School Coalition of NC on Instagram and Facebook to receive updates when a new episode is released!

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/teens-talk-wellness

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Di5fKgRtRmJ2SMUNhRndV

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/teens-talk-wellness/id1692184246

#ncfarmtoschool #outdooreducation

Tinker Boxes are Available

 

I am sharing the link for your families to request the summer fun tinker box. These boxes allow families to explore at their own pace with fun STEM activities in their own home.  This is great to keep summer doldrums away. 

 To register to receive one of these A&T Tinker Boxes please complete a separate request for each qualifying child (grades 3 - 8) in your household.

https://ncat.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_79fZynjykGkNKtg