Life Skills: Free cooking classes help families get creative in the kitchen

Deb and Dale Pelley of Genoa enjoy cooking at home, but they recently took their culinary skills and their 5-year-old granddaughter, Addison Lyle, to a free family cooking class at Genoa Faith United Methodist Church, 325 S. Stott St. in Genoa.

More than 20 people attended the first class on Jan. 22, where event attendees made – and ate – rock star cheesy stuffed meatloaf, Parmesan zucchini and corn, winter fruit salad with lemon poppy seed dressing and lemon cheesecake mousse.

“We cook a lot at home, but we wanted to come to the class with our granddaughter,” Deb Pelley said. “We want to teach her about making your own food and cooking healthy. Teaching her how to chop and measure is very educational.”

The free monthly cooking class is open to the public, but an adult is asked to attend if children are younger than fifth grade. The class is held from 4 to 6 p.m.; upcoming class dates include Feb. 12, March 19, April 23 and May 21. Those interested in attending the classes are asked to RSVP by calling the church at 815-784-5143 so that enough ingredients can be purchased for recipes.

Genoa Faith UMC’s pastor, Melissa Meyers, said she created the free classes as a way to teach cooking skills not only to children, but also to their parents, other adults and the entire community.

“We have offered kids’ cooking classes on Wednesdays, and I thought it would be nice for families to get involved and learn together,” Meyers said. “The classes are open to everyone as a free event for the community. It’s great for younger children because they can learn how to mix and measure, follow directions and clean fruits and veggies. Older children can cut and chop with kid-friendly knives, read the recipe and follow directions step-by-step.”

Meyers started cooking classes at the church after she returned from a mission trip with teenagers. During the trip, she asked the teens to help her make tacos by browning ground beef, but they didn’t understand what she meant.

“I also asked them to help me boil water to make mac and cheese, and most of them had never even done that before,” Meyers said. “When I returned, I wanted them to learn how to cook and learn other basic life skills. In a cooking class, they can be creative and make food they can eat.”

Meyers created the menus and chose the recipes herself, looking for unique dishes that are easy to re-create at home. Menu items include lemon chicken orzo soup, sausage gravy breakfast pizza, homemade Amish pretzels and s’mores cookies.

“I wanted them to try new things, like kale salad,” she said. “Sometimes parents aren’t courageous to try new things at home, especially if they don’t know if their kids will like it. They can come and try new foods here. Once they like the food, they can go home and re-create it because the recipes aren’t too complicated.”

Louella Donovan attended the first cooking class with her sister Phyllis Hafer and friend Barb Piefer, all adults from Sycamore. During the class, they helped 10-year-old Steffini McDowell of Genoa with recipes, sharing the food they made together.

“I think that it’s a fun event, and it allows me to get together with the community, both young and old,” Donovan said. “I like to cook, and the recipes are different from how I’d make it at home. It’s also a great way to get out of the house during the wintertime.”

Crystal Eichler of Genoa, a member of the Faith UMC congregation, attended the first cooking class with her three children.

“I love to try different recipes, and I wanted my kids to try new food,” Eichler said. “My kids like to help in the kitchen. The class is fun, educational, and most importantly, free. It’s nice to come to a family-orientated event and learn something new.”