• Hello 7th grade Intermediate Family Consumer Science Students!

    Below is a list of activities we would have completed if we were in the classroom this spring quarter.  We all need to be creative on what you would like to learn about Nutrition & Wellness. This social distancing can be a great time to learn cooking skills, techniques, food groups, specifics nutrients, budgeting and meal planning.

     

    What food lab basics will be covered?
    Kitchen safety – hygiene – hand-washing – lab procedures – Mise en place (French pronunciation: [mi zɑ̃ ˈplas]) is a French culinary phrase which means "putting in place" or "everything in its place".
    Kitchen tools & safety with handling and store

    Working together in the kitchen – responsibilities and time management (dovetailing)

    What food labs do 7th graders usually have?

     

    • Smoothie lab – Dairy & Fruit

    Key points to learn:
    Benefits of dairy-rich / calcium rich products – Calcium, Vitamin D (Sunshine vitamin), Magnesium – Learning about the importance of consuming daily calcium rich foods for teen growth

    Benefits of Fruits: nutrient-dense, antioxidants, dietary fiber
    Benefits of additional ingredients to help add nutrients to a fruit smoothie – Chia seeds, Flaxseed, Protein Whey, Wheat germ

    • Pancake lab – grains & leavening agents

    Key points to learn:
    Three parts of the grain – Dietary fiber – nutrients provided by grains – Benefit of whole grains and not all grains are the same in nutrients

    Leavening agents – ingredients which cause a chemical reaction in the product and allows the CO2 to develop and result in making the pancake (quick bread) to rise – become lighter as a result

    Souring milk – making “buttermilk” to use to act as a leavening agent

    Making a well – quick bread method – so the product is not overmixed and remains a “light” product

    • No Bake Cocoa Cookies – soluble & insoluble fiber – benefits of dark cocoa

    Do you know what it means to make a no-bake cookie? How does that happen?
    What are benefits of Oatmeal? Two types of dietary fibers – soluble & insoluble How do the two types of fiber benefit the body?

    What are benefits of consuming DARK Cocoa or Cacao?
    What is the difference between margarine, butter & coconut oil?
    What does it mean to BOIL?  STIR?  COAT?  Spoon DROP?

    • Vegetable – Beef lab – cuts/grades of beef & types of vegetables – cutting styles

    During this three-day lab, we would have made a large pot of beef vegetable stew.  Each student would creativity cut up vegetable to add to the beef.
    Key points to learn:
    Benefits of vegetables – categories of vegetables – methods to prepare vegetables
    Ways vegetables may be purchased – fresh, frozen, canned (juiced included) & dried
    Benefits of Beef (cow) - meat – retail cuts of the beef carcass
    Nutrients provided by beef – Marbling – Fat
    Way to reduce fat when preparing beef

    Types of ground beef – ground chuck, ground round, hamburger

    Proper handling of raw meat – concerns with bacteria such as E-coli
    Methods of cooking meat – with stew (cooking in liquid)
    Tough and tender cuts of meat
    What information is found on a meat label?
    Knife safety – using cutting boards correctly
    Creative cuts: farmer cut, slice, cube, dice, mince, julienne cut, barrel cut, diamond cut
    How to add color to the meal for “meal appeal” using vegetables & different cut shapes

     

    • Baking lab

    Key points to learn:

    Different types of baking pans & dishes
    Preparation terms used in cooking – Kitchen tools often used
    Measuring techniques used in food preparations

    Making ingredient adjustments for high altitude baking - What to change with ingredients?

    Preparing the pans so the cake will come out easily
          Types of recipe formats – what is easy to follow for a beginner -

     

    • Theme meal invitations & meal planning – After learning what it takes
      to plan, prepare and serve a theme meal, the class came up with theme ideas & then we
       would take a class vote and plan, prepare and serve a great meal for the 7th

    As a project: create an invitation for a theme party (celebration) of your choice No need to worry about the cost, because it is just fiction – we really won’t have to carry out this activity; however, show your creativity in your invitation.  Create it on the computer, so it’s easy to duplicate.

    Here are the items that should be found on the invitation:
    Theme: (Graduation, birthday, reunion, Super Bowl Party, etc.)
    Who is the host or hostess ?          RSVP (who do you respond to – answer yes/no # guests)
    usually an email or phone number
    Date:  Location:  Time: (When & Where) - Directions/address or MapQuest map
    Menu:  What will be served?  Any special diets or food allergies need to consider?
    Why?  What is being celebrated or why is celebration going to take place?

      

    • Theme meal – planning, increase recipe yield & serving attractively

    Before a person hosts a meal, party, celebration, there are many things to be considered.  Can you list at least ten things you would want to consider before beginning? 
    “We could add one thing I’ve never put down before…. Social distancing!  Oh well, this is still a great lesson.  Maybe soon we can all celebrate another great school year with a theme meal!”

    During this week of planning a theme meal, we learn what a great meal includes!

    They are called “meal appeal” principles – Color, Size, Shape, Texture, Temperature and Flavors (methods in which they are prepared – bake, fried, frozen, etc.)

    How to increase and decrease yields of recipes – basic math, but sometimes hard to figure when large numbers of people are prepared – How to change the amount of ingredients used in the recipe.

    What types of meal serving styles do you know? – family style, buffet, formal meal plating and even styles called brown bagging it or pitch-in.

    We also learn about seasonal items, price per serving and time management – dovetailing
    which means all the foods are ready to serve at the same time – looking at preparation time and special preparations that may need to take place. Baking – cooling – freezing – grilling – etc.

     

    Mrs. Gauck

    Email: Denise.Gauck@D11.org

    Phone: 328-5690

    Office Hours: Wednesday and Friday 10:00 A.M.-12:00 P.M.