What makes a meal appealing?

The 8th grade students explored how to use variety to make meals appealing. They were very creative in planning their menus: making sure to include a variety of flavors, textures, colors, temperatures, as well as nutritious foods. Each student completed a three-dimensional representation of the menu plan they created last week. I was very pleased with the variety of menus that each class created.

Now that the 8th grade students have several foods' labs behind them things are settling down a bit. Each class was able to get the lab completed on time. The students also did much better with clean up this week.

We made cheese pizza in our lab this week. The students did a great job making the dough and assembling the pizzas. I was impressed with how well the pizza crusts turned out. The students also did a fine job consuming their pizzas.

Have a good weekend.

Mrs. J. Bretl

Yum Yum Cinnamon!

The 8th grade students started the week by discussing menu planning and meal management. They were able to determine how to analyze menus for variety in color, shape, texture, temperature of foods and nutritional value. We ended the week by planning a healthy meal including an entree, salad or fruit, side dish and dessert. Students will be evaluating their menu plan next week and creating a three-dimensional representation of their meal. Bon appetite!

Our lab was sandwiched in the middle of the week. The students made Cinnamon Pull-Apart Rolls. The hallways were filled with their sweet aroma. MMMM MMMM! The students put forth great effort in planning the lab and following directions. The Cinnamon Pull-Apart Rolls turned out great! I hope they will share the recipe with you.

Have a great weekend!

Mrs. J. Bretl

Let Them Eat Cake!

Our lab for the week was Wacky Chocolate Cake. The students made the cake and baked it on the first day of the lab. They discovered that the recipe involved a chemical reaction with vinegar and baking soda. On the second day of the lab the students made their own Butter Icing and devoured the cake.

A few students shared some of the cake with their teachers. It was a big hit! The band students were able to have their cake and eat it too!

Have a great weekend!

Sincerely,
Mrs. J. Bretl

Manners Do Matter!

We reviewed good manners and appropriate table etiquette this week. The students seem to be well versed in this area. They did a nice job brainstorming the good manners that they use everyday. The students were able to make posters depicting many of them. I am sure that they practice these same good manners at home, too.

Our lab for the week was Snickerdoodle Cookies. The students worked well with their lab partners and had successful lab results.

The 7th grade Career Fair Field Trip that we took Wednesday was enjoyable. The students had the opportunity to explore a variety of careers at the Technology Center of DuPage County. I visited the Engineering area and the Culinary Arts' presentation. The students were able to use "Royal Icing" to make their own cake decorations at the Culinary Arts' workshop. Most of the students did a great job; although I think they found it to be much harder than they expected.

Enjoy this beautiful weekend!

Sincerely,
Mrs. J. Bretl

Career Exploration

The seventh grade students completed their job brochures in the IMC this week. Excellent job! When they were finished they were able to use the Internet to explore various careers based on their own personal interests. Each student was able to complete a web quest using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' web page. The web site includes introductory career information. The occupations on the site are categorized according to interests and hobbies such as reading, nature, sports and helping people.
In the classroom we used our Food and Nutrition textbook to investigate careers in the field of Family and Consumer Science as well as Food and Nutrition. The seventh grade students were able to identify numerous vocations in these areas. I have included a link to the Labor Statistics website at the top of this page. Feel free to take a peek.
We also snuck in a quick measuring review and demonstration on Friday. Puppy Chow for all! Yummy!

Have a restful Spring Break.

Sincerely,
Mrs. J. Bretl

Are you a wise consumer?

We began our unit on "Consumer Skills" this week. We discussed the fact that middle school students spend thousands of dollars on food, clothes and entertainment every year. Students were able to identify a variety of resources that they can use to help them in making good decisions before they make a purchase. Students shared some examples of their own personal shopping experiences and determined that many were influenced by their peers, advertising and personal habits.

As a means of planning to earn some of their own spending money students were given an assignment to make their own job brochure. Students discussed qualifications, fees, work schedules and other important information needed on their job brochure. We will be working in the IMC next week to complete a final draft of the job brochure using the Publisher program. The students have done a nice job on their rough drafts.

Enjoy your weekend,

Sincerely,
Mrs. J. Bretl