At their table was a brown paper sack with the secret ingredients.  “What could be inside?” they wondered.  Time began.  Groups rushed to open their bag to see what was inside.  Some team members began pulling out ingredients, while others rushed to wipe the table clean in order to practice safe food-handling procedures.  There was no recipe, so the chefs had to be creative. They thought, “How do we get started?  What should we prepare?” Their 40 minutes began ticking away.

Peanut butter and honey were measured.  Pasta was cooked.  Some teams used their hot plate to cook rice.  Others began chopping vegetables.  And ground beef was being browned at some cook stations.  Certain team members began to figure their cost per serving and nutritional value.  Judges wandered the aisles checking out team spirit.  Time ticks away.

Cleaning begins.  You could hear, “Hurry! Hurry!  We’ve got to finish and clean before time is up!”  A few teams were cool and collected, while others raced through their final seconds to make sure all is done. Time is up and each group sits with their different versions of the dish…and different they were!  Judging begins.  Each 4 or 5-member team makes their presentation to two judges about their dish, convincing them that what they concocted was right.  Groups shared the knowledge they learned through their project about nutrition, how their dish fits into the My Plate, the cost per serving, food safety, and more.

******************************

Sounds fun, doesn’t it???  Well, you could be a part of this excitement, too! Join in with your local Food & Nutrition project group and become a part of a Food Challenge team!

The District 8 4-H Food Show & Food Challenge is set for Wednesday, December 11, 2013 in Belton at the Bell County Expo Center for teams that qualify.

District guidelines have been released and are posted on the D8 4-H website on the Food Show & Food Challenge page at http://d84-h.tamu.edu/events-and-activities/food-challenge-food-show/.  Check with your local County Extension Office to see what you need to do to join!

Happy cooking!