Ending the Year with Young Hearts Full of Cheer

Little ones gathered as Melissa Clark led an engaging guacamole making class – read Melissa’s mention in her article here!. At their stations, each child had all the ingredients and tools to make this classic dip come to life. From learning how to cut an avocado to chopping cilantro, each participant left feeling inspired. The children had fun learning about ingredients and felt empowered to make decisions about what ingredients to add or omit. Once they were done, the children had a blast pairing their guac with chips and sharing with their new friends!

Pastry Chef Natasha Pickowicz supported our Young Hearts and taught them new skills as they assembled glazed fruit tarts. Our mini pastry chefs learned how to use a pastry brush to spread marmalade and a microplane to add lemon zest to their desserts. Natasha supported the children as they explored new ingredients, flavors, and colors. The children walked away with gorgeous fruit tarts filled with kiwi, apple, berries, mint, lemon, marmalade, and edible flowers. See Natasha’s summary of the tart-making here.

To round out the afternoon, attendees headed to the first floor for holiday cookie decorating with Chef Amanda Freitag. Toppings included sprinkles, gumdrops, gummy bears, candy cane crumbles, jellybeans, and more! As the children worked on their cookies, Amanda encouraged them to experiment with texture and tap into their creativity. Children also spent time adding their drawings and messages to our giant holiday card. Before leaving, each child was given a giftbag including a signed copy of Melissa Clark’s book “Kid in the Kitchen”, a Young Hearts cap, and a Young Hearts apron.

Our young friend Anya had such a blast at the event that she sent us the below letter just a few days later!