The COVID19 pandemic left many in West Kentucky in situations with which they had never before dealt.  Early in the pandemic many stockpiled pantry staples in fear of shortages on grocery shelves.  Many followed Kentucky’s Healthy at Home recommendations and did not leave their houses except for the most necessary errands.  Once restrictions and recommendations loosened, many of our clientele still chose to limit leaving their homes because of the continual changes in information about the virus and how to stay safe.  These combined factors led many to stay home and cook and bake more than they had in previous years and requests from clients for food preparation classes increased.  Many of these requests were for classes on baking techniques.  The FCS agents from Lyon, Todd, and Trigg counties collaborated on a series of three classes entitled “Ready, Set, Bake!” using the Super Star Baking Chef curriculum as a basis for instruction.  The instruction was done through the Zoom platform.  The first class was quick breads, the second class was yeast breads, and the third was cakes, pies, and cookies.  Each class presented information about the role ingredients played in each type of baking, how the leavening agent for each type of baking worked, and what to look for in evaluating your final product.  The lessons also included a demonstration by each agent and all recipes and materials were sent to each client.  

A total of 30 participated in the series, with 27 of these completing evaluations.  Of those answering the survey, 100% agreed or strongly agreed that they had a better understanding of the role each ingredient played in the bread making process; 100% knew the various leavening agents and how they worked in each type of baking, and 100% had a better understanding of the techniques involved in each type of baking.  100% also stated that they would be putting this knowledge to use in their own homes.

All three agents agreed that the baking series was a success and will be looking into offering similar food preparation classes throughout the year.