Cooking in the West

School wrapped up this week, and I am proud to say I survived my first year of teaching Family Consumer Science at the high school level. Fortunately, all of my culinary students survived, and no one got cut, burned, or came down with a foodborne illness. In case anyone is wondering, I did not get fired, but I will be leaving the position in Debbie Hathaway's capable hands and returning to my County Superintendent position to embark on my 43rd year in education.

What is wrong with me you might ask. There is no answer to that nor to why I agreed to be the eighth grade graduation speaker rather last minute during the last week of school when I was up to my elbows in branding and closing down the FCS room for the summer.

The eighth graders and I also survived my speech, and a few sweet people who missed that speech asked me to run it in my column. Since I have absolute writer's block tonight at deadline time, I think that is a fabulous idea. So . . .here are some excerpts from that speech. . .

I am honored to be asked to speak tonight. Having taught junior high for 25 years, my first thought was how truly delightful it would be for my thirteen year old grandson to have his grandmother on the same stage with him tonight, and to make it even worse-I mean better she would have a microphone. As most of you know, Alex is not one to want any attention drawn to him, so we got that obstacle out of the way right off the bat. Sorry Alex!

In 89 days, you will start the next chapter of your life-high school. You will have a wider variety of classes. You will learn with classmates of different ages. You will be expected to be responsible for your own education, but you will be guided by a staff that cares about you and wants you to succeed. As a current high school teacher, I can tell you that you will experience the same level of care, compassion, dedication, and professionalism that you have been privileged to experience in this school. The hardest part about high school will be finding your way around the building, which will seem like a labyrinth for the first couple days.

You and only you are in charge of your future. You can be the hero of your own adventure, because you are the author of your life story. Living life is a daily challenge, and fortunately we do not know what lies around the next corner. For example, about 25 years ago just across the street, a woman named Linda Mlekuesh started to get out of her car without putting it in park. She fell and was dragging under her car when a young p.e. teacher from this building heard the commotion and without thinking about the risk to his own safety, he ran up and freed the woman from the runaway car. Do you know whom this young p.e. teacher was?

Yep, Superintendent Mr. Ketcham. When he came to school that morning, he did not know that his courage would be put to a life saving test. A life was saved that day because he sprang into action and used his strength and courage to bring about a happy ending. You have a choice to be a bystander or a hero in your life story, so choose hero every time!

Your life course can be altered in the blink of an eye. Last Thursday, Alex's brother Izak was in wood shop. In one instant, he became an accident victim from a jointer. The most important take away from that accident, which claimed parts of three fingers on his non-dominant left hand, was that although it was unfortunate, and it will take time and rehabilitation to heal, he is so grateful that it was not worse. Looking for the positive in all circumstances is the first step to dealing with any adversity.

A real life example of a man who has conquered life altering adversity with goal setting, grit, determination, and perseverance is Olivia Proue's grandfather, Don Proue. In May of 2008, he was enjoying his hobby of roping steers in a jackpot when his horse stumbled. Despite the odds, he not only survived the traumatic brain injury, but he has worked every day since to regain the quality of life that injury snatched from him.

It has been 5860 days since the accident, and he is living testimony of how grit, determination, goal setting, and hard work coupled with faith and support from his family and friends helped him realize his goal of riding again and becoming an accomplished silversmith. The motto of his journey is, "Life is Short-go rope!" which was the inspiration for his daughter Jenny's Go Rope clothing line. Explaining her mission statement, Jenny said, "I encourage you to never take your abilities and opportunities for granted. God didn't create us to be spectators. Live boldly. Pursue your passion. Count your blessings. You never know when you will back in the box to run your last steer. Life is short-go rope!"

There are many more real life hero stories right in this gym, and they all have a common theme. Live life to the fullest, but know that there will be adversity. Adversity is conquered with positivity. Your experiences in this school have helped you develop a foundation for pursuing your hopes and dreams and fulfilling your life goals. The secret to life is this. . . there is no secret to life! Education and attitude are the two keys to a successful life.

The motto your class has chosen speaks to all of us. Raise your word not your voice. It is rain that grows flowers not thunder. You might never be a life saving hero nor have your life altered dramatically, but you can all be the rain. Be honest. Be humble. Be kind. Be sincere. Be thoughtful. Be helpful. Be polite. Be respectful. Be understanding. Be the rain!

I want to leave you with the immortal words of the legendary Sasquatch, "Believe in yourself-even when no one else does!"

This column calls for some kid friendly recipes that I gleaned while forcing my students to do cooking demonstrations.

Oven Baked S'mores

9 graham crackers

36 marshmallows cut in half

4 milk chocolate Hershey bars, chopped

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Break crackers in half to form 18 and place half in a single layer on the bottom of an 8 inch square greased pan. Top with half of the marshmallows (cut in half or leave whole if you want them to be more gooey). Sprinkle with chopped chocolate. Cover with graham cracker squares. Then top with remaining marshmallows cut side down if using halved marshmallows.

Bake 9 to 11 minutes until marshmallows are puffed and golden brown. Let stand five minutes before cutting.

Raspberry Ice Cream in a Bag

1 1/4 C. whipping cream

1/2 C. fresh raspberries

1/4 C. sugar

1 t. vanilla

4 C. crushed ice

3/4 C. salt

Using two 1-quart resealable plastic bags, place 1 bag inside the other. Place the first 4 ingredients inside the inner bag. Seal both bags, pressing out as much air as possible. Place the 2 bags in a gallon-size resealable plastic freezer bag. Add ice and salt. Seal bag, again pressing out all the air possible. Shake and knead cream mixture until thickened, about 5 minutes. (If desired, wear mittens or wrap bags in a kitchen towel while shaking to protect hands from the cold ice.)

Taco Pizza

1 tube prepared pizza dough

1 lbs. ground beef, browned

1 envelope taco seasoning mix

1 can (16 ounces) refried beans

3 cups shredded Colby-Jack cheese

Diced tomato

Sliced black olives

Green onion

Sour Cream

Salsa

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. (If using refrigerated dough preheat oven according to package directions.) Prepare the dough and stretch it out to fit in a large 12×17-inch baking sheet. Spread the refried beans evenly over the dough, then top with cooked, ground beef and cheese. Top evenly with tomatoes and olives.

Bake pizza for 16 to 18 minutes, or until crust is golden-brown. Carefully remove pizza from oven. Let stand at least 5 to 10 minutes to cool slightly. Sprinkle with green onion then slice into squares. Serve with salsa and sour cream, if desired. Enjoy!