Two decades ago, the cookbook “A man, a can, a microwave” was a big hit.
Today, Shawano County 4-H educator Megan Suehring is using a similar idea for the foundation of a new cooking curriculum.
“We’ve got a lot of kids in our schools who love cooking. They want to learn how to cook, but at home, they don’t necessarily have great kitchen facilities to do it,” she said. “We’re starting a new curriculum where they can recognize different kitchen tools.”
The program is aimed at children in kindergarten through middle school.
“We know our kids want to learn these things, and frankly, a lot of parents my age don’t have a lot of experience doing that,” Suehring said.
She referenced her mother’s copy of “A man, a can, a microwave” that provided enough information to prepare full meals in the standard kitchen appliance.
“That’s what we’re going with,” she said. “We’re going with microwave mug recipes for these kids to show them how you can make an omelet in the microwave, how you can make pizza in the microwave, how you can make essentially a whole meal in the microwave. We are going to introduce, also, the griddle and how to boil some things with water.”
The curriculum will also include identifying kitchen equipment, handwashing rules and several weeks of recipes.
Suehring is also the Area 8 interim director, filling in the next two months until a replacement for Mandi Dornfield is hired. Dornfeld resigned earlier this month.
Area 8 includes Shawano, Menominee, Oconto and Marinette counties.
Suehring said AmeriCorps member Taya Jannusch has also helped expand 4-H’s reach across the the county.
“She’s been helping bring programs to a couple of other populations that I don’t have time to do just on my own,” Suehring said. “She’s kind of getting some things started.”
Jannusch has reached out to the Stockbridge-Munsee community, the Boys and Girls Clubs in the Shawano schools, school districts in the western part of the county, as well as Marion and Gresham. Jannusch and Suehring also coordinate events at Safe Haven on a monthly basis.
For information on the cooking curriculum or other 4-H programs, call Suehring at 715-526-6136, ext. 4869.
kpasson@newmedia-wi.com
