Just one month ago, our new programming area was an EMPTY room, in dire need of furnishings & appliances.

NOW, thanks to the 2022 $5,000 Children’s Health Grant from the South Central Community Foundation, we have tables, chairs, a refrigerator, microwave, and so much more, making this a usable and welcoming space for patrons young and old.

Plus, funds from this grant enabled us to purchase cookbooks, spatulas and healthy ingredients to host three special Kids in the Kitchen programs with local elementary classes.

The Macksville City Library partnered with High School students in Mrs. Wolff’s FCCLA group. The older students helped the younger ones use measuring skills and create their own healthy snacks of sliced apples with yogurt and a fruity trail mix.

Elementary students learned about healthy food choices, food preparation, and My Plate guidelines. Each student received a nylon spatula to take home and their very own America’s Test Kitchen cookbook. Students took some time to look through the books and put sticky notes on the recipes they wanted to try. They were so excited! More than one student was heard to say: “I can’t wait for school to be over so I can go home and COOK!“

Unlike library books we told them that it’s a GOOD idea to write in their very own cookbooks- to highlight favorite recipes and to leave notes in the margins telling when they made a dish. We want these books to be enjoyed not collecting dust on a shelf!

As a follow-up, students were encouraged to make a recipe and send in a picture of the dish they made. We are so THANKFUL to the Stafford County Flour Mill for donating mini bags of Hudson Cream Flour to all students who make a dish from their cookbook… Here are a sampling of the photos we’ve received, so far.  (At least 4 kids went home the very night of the program and prepared a recipe!)

These kids chefs did an AWESOME job, and you can tell that they are having fun preparing: Oven Baked Grilled Cheese, Ice Cream Cake, Roasted Fingerling Potatoes, Chocolate Dipped Banana Bites, and French Toast & Cheesy Scrambled Eggs….

We are SO grateful to SCKLS, a regional foundation that manages charitable funds for seven counties in South-Central Kansas. And, Thanks to Mrs. Wolff & her FCCLA students, and the Stafford County Flour Mill.

It’s so important to teach healthy eating habits (and promote family meals at home!).  Keep Cooking, Kids!

And, if anyone else wants to try these yummy recipes (above), we do have a copy of each cookbook available for checkout at the library! ♥