A Finale to Family Foods

Family Foods students had one last opportunity of the semester to win a cook-off and this group nailed Fettuccine Alfredo Light, a much healthier version of a traditional favorite.  

Tis the season for good fortune

Advanced Foods students make their own luck with homemade fortune cookies

Sprinkles and icing and cookies and love

Family Foods prepped for the holiday season with cut-outs

Breast Cancer Family Foundation Helps Save Lives

Stacie Hackl, Executive Director & Community Educator, from the Breast Cancer Family Foundation shared her story of breast cancer survival and cancer reduction strategies with Family Foods & Wellness students. 

Stacie provides a much needed powerful message to students about the importance of early detection and how lifestyles chosen now can impact the rest of their lives.  If you haven't done so, I highly encourage everyone to check out the Breast Cancer Family Foundation web-site for additional resources and opportunities to support their organization.

In addition, please check out the YouTube video "My Sixteen Year Old Me" below and share with your family and friends on Facebook, Twitter, and anywhere else that will help in spreading this important message of the crucial consequences connected with lack of early detection.

Cake Challenge Voting Complete! Entry #6 takes the cake (literally)

Crazy Corn

Food Science students turn the traditional candy corn into a science experiment about non-crystalline candy.

Under the Sea Cake Challenge: Voting now open!

If you cannot see the form below, click here

Twinkie Torture

I first have to say that I have a soft spot in my heart for Twinkies, simply because my Grandma Rosie had a "Twinkie Drawer," that was always stocked with Hostess products when we came to visit.  This set aside and my nutritionally-minded brain taking over, my Food Science students were able to explore this beloved, yet overly processed, food item by creating and implementing an experiment of their choice using the scientific method.  The results? We found it won't catch on fire (despite having a torch directly on it), a microwave will turn it black within minutes, the white filling turns to yellow goo when heated, AND it can be dropped 2 stories onto concrete without any damage.  

Definitely food for thought...

 

Cookie Challenge 1st Semester Winners & Entries

Thanks to all who voted for the cookie challenge! Our winners this semester came from Entry 1: Fall Fest!  Now we've moved onto cake decorating- check back for our entries!

                                   

Kendall College visits PHS

A huge thank you to Chef Brian Schreiber from Kendall College of Culinary Arts (Chicago) for speaking with all of the culinary-related courses today about their program, teaching about gluten allergies/celiac and poultry fabrication, and demonstrating delicious foods. 

Betty Crocker couldn't have asked for more

The Family Foods students finally were able to choose their own recipes! Following a lesson on functions of ingredients (i.e. Flour provides structure, eggs bind ingredients together and add color, etc) and convenience foods (foods that take steps out of a recipe), students used Bisquick's website to find a recipe to prepare in class. 

A Slice of Heaven

Advanced Foods students prepared angel food cake with browned butter icing.  

Is that apple pie?? You tell me...

Food Science students used their sensory evaluation skills in making 2 "apple" pies- one made from real apples and the other from Ritz crackers.  If addition to our own evaluations, we brought in two taste testers.  Would our panel taste the difference?  One preferred the regular and one preferred the mock apple pie!

A practical exam that's worth drooling over

Advanced Foods students put their pastry skills to the test preparing apple turnovers.  This is always the best grading I ever have to do ;)

Bring on the competition!

Family Foods take on their first cook-off of their culinary careers with the famous Butterscotch Gingerbread Cookies!

Cut that out... No, seriously- cut that out! :)

It's never too soon to perfect knife cuts! Culinary 1 students work to get them done right!

Choco-Riffic Pie

Advanced Foods students take on more pastry skills by preparing Chocolate Meringue Pie

An Ode to Sandwiches by Culinary Arts 2

P is for Patty, It's Good Enough for Me

Culinary 2 students practice their sandwich stations with the classic Patty Melt.

Oh Crepe.

Culinary 2 students are in their Breakfast unit and what better way to celebrate breakfast than with a plate o' crepe.