Community & Support Recipes and Weekly Recap

Winter/Spring 2026

Week of January 12

This week we focused on getting acquainted with each other and with the kitchen.  It was so nice to see so many new faces in the kitchen!  We also watched a video on proper hand washing techniques, which I’m happy to say, were put into action right away.  In addition to good hand washing, we talked about the importance of washing our fruits and vegetables. The food prep sink was then utilized for washing our fresh berries.  The participants were also introduced to identifying measuring cups and spoons.  By following a visual recipe, they practiced using these tools to measure the ingredients for Make It Your Own Overnight Oats.  I hope everyone enjoyed them the next day! We finished class off by making a quick breakfast parfait that they could enjoy right away.

Week of January 19

Thanks to everyone who braved the cold  and came to class this week! It was frigid outside, but cozy in our kitchen.  This week we reviewed hand and vegetable washing.  Once the vegetables were washed, we worked on peeling and cutting the vegetables for the purpose of using them to dip into our Dilly Dip.  Students were introduced to the use of a mandoline slicer to cut the carrots for our carrot chips into a uniform thickness, so they would bake evenly.  Once Amy, our fabulous volunteer, got the carrots into the oven, we reviewed recognizing measuring tools, measuring and mixing by following a visual recipe for Dilly Dip.  We finished class by enjoying our super yummy carrot chips, cut vegetables, and dip for a healthy snack. 

  • Week 2 Recipes: Visual Recipe for Dilly Dip and Baked Carrot Chips; Dilly Dip

  • Extension Practice ideas for home this week:

    • Continue to use good handwashing techniques

    • Wash fruits and vegetables

    • Peel vegetables such as carrots or cucumbers

    • Use measuring cups and spoons for cooking

    • Mix ingredients in a bowl

Week of January 26

We had another cozy morning in the kitchen this week.  Everyone is doing a great job of washing their hands and being ready to get started.  Not everyone is enjoying washing the vegetables using the sprayer, so we will take another approach next week.  This week we reviewed using a peeler, measuring wet and dry ingredients, and mixing.  This week our recipe said “be careful not to overmix,” so we discussed what that means and what can happen if you overmix the batter.  After following all of the steps of the visual recipe for Cheesy Veggie Pancakes, everyone was able to scoop the batter onto the griddle and flip the pancakes.  They were delicious! We will continue to learn more about griddling in the upcoming weeks. 

  • Week 3 Recipes: Cheesy Veggie Pancakes [Visual Recipe here!]

  • Extension Practice ideas for home this week:

    • Continue to use good handwashing techniques

    • Wash fruits and vegetables

    • Peel vegetables such as carrots or cucumbers

    • Use measuring cups and spoons for cooking

    • Shred cheese or vegetables using a box grater

    • Mix ingredients in a bowl

Week of February 2

It was a great week for making soup! This week, stove skills were introduced through the preparation of Gnocchi Vegetable Soup. Participants learned how to stir safely on the stove using the “chicken wing” technique, which means keeping the elbow up to avoid touching the hot pot. Proper pot placement and other important safety precautions were reinforced through a video embedded in the visual recipe. We also made connections to participants’ own kitchens by discussing vegetable washing and safe stove use at home. It was exciting to see their kitchen confidence continue to grow!

  • Week 4 Recipes: Gnocchi & Vegetable Soup [Visual Recipe here!]

  • Extension Practice ideas for home this week:

    • Continue to use good handwashing techniques

    • Wash fruits and vegetables

    • Use measuring cups and spoons for cooking

    • Place pots on the stove in a safe manner

    • Stir a pot on the stove using the “chicken wing” method (elbow up!)

Week of February 9

It was another week of comfort food in the kitchen! This week, we continued building our stove skills by making homemade mac and cheese. We reviewed proper pot placement on the stove, especially since multiple handles needed to be safely tucked in. Participants also practiced stirring using the “chicken wing” technique, which keeps the elbow raised to prevent contact with the hot pot. To make our mac and cheese a little healthier, we added broccoli, giving us another opportunity to review knife skills. It has been wonderful to watch everyone’s confidence grow in the kitchen!

  • Week 5 Recipes: Homemade Mac & Cheese [Visual Recipe here!]

  • Extension Practice ideas for home this week:

    • Wash fruits and vegetables

    • Use measuring cups and spoons for cooking

    • Shred cheese using a box grater

    • Place pots on the stove in a safe manner

    • Stir a pot on the stove using the “chicken wing” method (elbow up!)

Week of February 16

This week brought fresh flavors into the kitchen! We continued building our stove skills by preparing delicious Plant Powered Grain Bowls. We reviewed proper pot placement on the stove, making sure handles were safely tucked in and turned away from the edge. Participants practiced cooking rice on the stovetop while using the “chicken wing” stirring technique to keep elbows raised and safely away from hot surfaces.

To round out our bowls, we sautéed onions and black beans and prepared fresh toppings, giving us another opportunity to strengthen our knife skills and practice safe cutting techniques. It has been wonderful to watch everyone become more comfortable managing multiple steps at the stove by creating a balanced, plant-powered meal!

  • Week 6 Recipes: Visual Recipe for Plant Powered Grain Bowls; Plant Powered Grain Bowls

  • Extension Practice ideas for home this week:

    • Continue to use good handwashing techniques

    • Wash vegetables

    • Chop vegetables

    • Use a can opener

    • Use measuring cups for cooking

    • Place pots on the stove in a safe manner

    • Stir a pot on the stove using the “chicken wing” method (elbow up)Week of January 26

Week of February 23

This week brought baking to the kitchen! We began learning how to use the oven safely while preparing delicious High-Protein Breakfast Biscuits. Participants reviewed oven basics—such as setting temperatures, and using oven mitts to protect hands. We discussed how to preheat the oven and practiced moving trays in and out of the oven.

To build our biscuits, we measured and mixed ingredients with care, and took another opportunity to strengthen our knife skills and practice safe cutting techniques by chopping onions and grating sweet potatoes.  In addition, we reviewed proper pot placement on the stove, making sure handles were safely tucked in and turned away from the edge. Participants practiced sauteing the vegetables and cooking the meat on the stovetop while using the “chicken wing” stirring technique to keep elbows raised and safely away from hot surfaces. It has been great to see everyone embrace the cooking and baking processes while creating a warm, nutritious breakfast from scratch!

  • Week 7 Recipes: High Protein Everything Bagel Breakfast Biscuits

  • Extension Practice ideas for home this week:

    • Continue to use good handwashing techniques

    • Wash vegetables

    • Chop vegetables

    • Use a box grater

    • Use measuring cups for baking

    • Place pots on the stove in a safe manner

    • Stir a pot on the stove using the “chicken wing” method (elbow up)

    • Preheat the oven

    • Taking baking sheets in and out of the oven using oven mitts 

Week of March 2

This week brought baking and bright flavors to the kitchen! We continued learning how to use the oven safely while preparing sunny lemon muffins. Participants reviewed oven basics—such as setting temperatures and using oven mitts to protect their hands. We discussed how to preheat the oven and practiced moving muffin trays in and out safely. We also learned how to check the muffins for doneness. 

To accompany our muffins, we created a colorful fruit salad made with apples, cucumbers, strawberries, and mangos. This activity gave us another opportunity to strengthen our knife skills and practice safe cutting techniques while peeling, chopping, and mixing fresh ingredients.

It has been wonderful to see everyone embrace these baking and prep skills while creating a cheerful snack that tasted like Spring!

  • Week 8 Recipes: Sunny Lemon Muffins [Visual Recipe for Sunny Lemon Muffins]

  • Extension Practice ideas for home this week:

    • Continue to use good handwashing techniques

    • Wash fruits

    • Chop fruits

    • Use measuring cups and spoons for wet and dry ingredients

    • Preheat the oven

    • Taking baking sheets in and out of the oven using oven mitts

    • Check baked muffins, cakes, or brownies for doneness

Week of March 9

This week brought quick cooking to the kitchen! We continued building our kitchen skills while learning how to safely use the microwave to prepare mug pizza from scratch. Participants practiced measuring and mixing simple ingredients to create a quick pizza dough in a mug. We also made a half recipe of the homemade pizza sauce using basic ingredients.

As we assembled our personal pizzas, we discussed microwave safety and proper heating times. Participants practiced layering sauce and toppings before cooking their mug pizzas in the microwave and learned how to check that their pizza was fully cooked before enjoying it.

We had fun preparing a homemade snack that showed how easy and delicious cooking from scratch can be!

Week of March 16

This week, we reviewed the use of a griddle or a pan on the stove while preparing simple, delicious dishes. We made a 4-ingredient guacamole using ripe avocados, lime juice, salt, and minced garlic, mixing everything together until smooth and well combined. We also prepared bean, cheese, and veggie quesadillas by filling tortillas with seasoned beans, shredded cheese, and sautéed vegetables, then cooking them on the griddle or pan until the tortillas were golden and crispy and the cheese was melted.

Week of March 23

This week, we reviewed stovetop cooking skills while preparing Teriyaki Pineapple Stir Fry and rice. Participants practiced important kitchen basics, including washing vegetables, chopping them safely, and measuring both wet and dry ingredients accurately. Using a pan on the stove, we combined fresh vegetables, pineapple, and homemade teriyaki sauce to create a simple, flavorful stir fry while focusing on proper heat control and stirring techniques. We also prepared rice, reinforcing measuring skills, water-to-rice ratios, and safe stovetop cooking practices. These activities helped build confidence in using stovetop equipment while reinforcing safe food preparation habits and creating an easy, delicious meal. 

  • Week 11 Recipes: Teriyaki Pineapple Stir Fry [Visual Recipe]

  • Extension Practice ideas for home this week:

    • Continue to use good handwashing techniques

    • Washing vegetables

    • Mince garlic and vegetables

    • Placing food in a pan or on a griddle

    • Flipping food in a pan or on a griddle

Week of April 6

It was a lively week in the kitchen,  as participants continued building important kitchen skills while preparing a colorful chicken and vegetable sheet-pan meal. They began by practicing kitchen basics—carefully washing fresh vegetables, learning safe and confident chopping methods, and measuring dry ingredients accurately. The session also introduced proper handling of raw chicken, reinforcing safe and hygienic food preparation every step of the way.

Participants reviewed safe oven use, including preheating to the correct temperature, opening the oven door with care, and confidently placing the pan inside before safely removing it. They also learned how to check the chicken for doneness, gaining hands-on experience in recognizing when a meal is perfectly cooked.

By the end of the session, participants not only created a simple, delicious sheet-pan dinner bursting with flavor, but also strengthened their confidence in the kitchen. 

  • Week 12 Recipes: Visual Recipe Chicken and Vegetable Sheet Pan Meal

  • Extension Practice ideas for home this week:

    • Continue to use good handwashing techniques

    • Washing vegetables

    • Chopping vegetables

    • Measuring dry ingredients

    • Preheating the oven

    • Safe oven use

    • Checking for doneness

    • Boiling water

All recipes and curriculum are the intellectual property of Happy Place Cooking Space, Inc. Unauthorized sharing, reproduction, or publication in any form is strictly prohibited and may result in legal action. Written permission is required for any use beyond personal, private cooking.