Who doesn’t love delicious food? And if you can prepare those delicious foods yourself, even better! Cooking skills benefit us our entire lives and can lead to healthier lifestyles. This is why the newest Library acquisition of Edible Education’s Kitchen a la Carte is so exciting.
Children can learn so much beyond just cooking skills when they are in the kitchen. The benefits include math skills, science skills, cultural literacy, financial literacy, art and creativity, improved reading and vocabulary skills, and development of greater self-confidence. Cooking together as a family can strengthen family bonds, communication, and interpersonal skills. Also, kids who help prepare meals are more willing to try a variety of foods and generally eat a healthier diet.
The Kitchen a la Carte comes equipped with a working sink, convection oven, cooktop burner, professional grill, pasta maker, blender, hand mixer, and enough kitchen utensils to teach a small class. In the past, the Library has hosted Tween Cooking Club programs in which kids would make recipes that generally did not include actual cooking, as we did not have a stove or oven. This new portable kitchen will make cooking not only possible, but fun and safe, as well.
Our Kitchen a la Carte was purchased through grants from The Wyoming Afterschool Alliance Opportunities Fund: Hunger Is program and The Margaret H. and James E. Kelley Foundation by way of the Natrona County Library Foundation.
The Library will soon be offering cooking programs to our patrons in hopes of developing many of these invaluable life skills. Follow us on Facebook for upcoming events.