Developed by the University of Kentucky's Family & Consumer Sciences Extension team, the new cookbook "Cook Together, Eat Together" was released in Spring 2021 and was designed  to help families enjoy more home-cooked, healthy meals.  While the recipes in the cookbook feature easy recipes for breakfast, soups, vegetables, salads and one-pot meals, it also lays out a strategy to enable families to spend more quality time together while preparing the meals that are affordable and delicious.  The 4-H agent in Hardin County decided to use this packaged program to offer to 4-H aged youth as a 6-week virtual cooking program.  Six recipes were chosen and a supply list was created and sent out for each week of the program.  Over 15 youth signed up for the virtual cooking program and enjoyed cooking in the comforts of home with the supervision of a parent or other adult while on Zoom with the 4-H agent.  All the youth successfully completed each recipe and shared their end result with photos each week as well as how much their family enjoyed have a meal prepared by their 4-H member.  

In addition, this program was also used in LaRue County by the Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agent in the same format registering 5 additional families to cook alongside the Extension Agent for FCS virtually for 6 weeks.  At the end of the series, the families involved expressed an interest in continuing the series and a desire to want to learn more.  As a result, plans are in the works to offer this in-person in partnership with the LaRue County Public Library to offer a hands-on cooking class for families with children ages 4 and up.