June 1, 2018
Food is the center of so many aspects of life. It's the center of parties, holidays, and cultural traditions. It's the center of your family get-togethers and your church fundraisers. But, what happens when your 12 year-old daughter is gluten-intolerant, and Sunday pasta Bolognese is no longer an option for your traditional family dinner?
What happens when you are diagnosed with diabetes and haven't a clue what to snack on? What if, after your latest check-up, your doctor recommended a Keto diet, a Paleo diet, or a dairy-free, sugar-free, or meat-free diet. You can Google recipes for hours on end, reading reviews, bookmarking, printing... Or, you can participate in The Learning Kitchen Project.
The Learning Kitchen Project has been a big idea for some time. It's on the library's three-year plan, but it comes with a price tag, a price tag too expensive for the public library. With funding through the South Madison Community Foundation's Community Enhancement Grant, the Youth Leadership Academy grant through the Madison County Community Foundation, and the Friends of the Library, The Learning Kitchen Project became a reality.
The purpose of the grant is to install a full kitchen in the library's community room to be used for demonstrations and cooking classes. The Learning Kitchen Project targets three specific audiences: those who need to prepare food in accordance with specific diet regulations, those who want new ideas for family meals using affordable pantry items, and teens who desire to learn basic kitchen and food preparation skills, for life.
In a partnership with the Purdue Extension, the Pendleton Community Public Library will start offering cooking classes and demonstrations the first four Monday evenings in July. Check our calendar for more information and a link to register for "Eating Smart, Moving More."
Construction on The Learning Kitchen Project is nearly finished. So, stay tuned to see what's cooking!
Lynn Hobbs
PCL Director
