By Theresa O’Connor

A Cooking Club at TPA. Wholly Guacamole! This year at TPA the 6th grade students have started the first ever Cooking Club. Two times each month, the cooking club meets nd cooks tasty food in either the faculty house or snack shack. Not to mention, it is run by our own 6th grade social studies teacher, Mrs. Vorst.

When they start cooking, there are three groups and each one of them has a guide: Mrs. Vorst, Mrs. Yates, and Mrs. Jacobs. Two of them go in the snack shack and one in the faculty house.

On March 20, students made beef tacos and lentils which required them to use a skillet, cut vegetables, and follow a set of instructions. Afterwards, they ate their creations on the picnic tables outside.

Natalie Epperson, a Cooking Club member, said, “Cooking Club is fun and people can interact while doing cool cooking projects.” Even the chaperone moms have a good time! “I get to hang out with my favorite daughter, and plus food is delicious,” said Kristi Newman.

Mrs. Vorst enjoys cooking a lot at home. She even watches food shows and one of her favorite things to do is read recipe books. “There’s a method to [cooking] that involves creativity and the end product is beautiful and delicious,” she says. She believes it’s important and beneficial because it teaches students to read directions, prepare ingredients, cooperate and work together, chop food, combine wet and dry mixtures, be patient, and, most importantly, have creativity. According to Mrs. Vorst, cooking is the enjoyment of something lovely.

The Cooking Club meets in Mrs. Vorst’s room on Tuesdays, twice each month at 3:15. If you have an interest or passion for cooking, this club may be perfect for you! Go check it out!