During the holiday season, we acknowledge the significance of cooking, nutrition, and food storage in promoting positive mental and physical health.  The Wilderness Trail Area Family and Consumer Science Agents gathered in London, Kentucky to present our annual Holiday Cooking School. The event focused on educating participants in Food Safety & Preservation, featuring instruction from the UK Food Safety and Preservation specialist, Annhall Norris.  In addition to food safety, attendees were also presented with cooking demonstrations by Roland Hills Catering Company who demonstration skills for cooking healthy meals with flavor.  Partnering with Stuarto's Olive Oil company we were able to highlight learning objectives from the University of Kentucky "Savor the Flavor" Curriculum.  

The Holiday Cooking School drew attendees from the eight counties in the Wilderness Trail Area (Bell, Clay, Harlan, Jackson, Laurel, and Whitley), totaling 169 participants and hosting 29 vendors. Post-event feedback revealed that 100% of participants learned safe leftover food storage practices and expressed a commitment to implementing food safety practices in their future cooking and food storage endeavors.

Regarding the "Savor the Flavor" curriculum, 70% of participants reported an enhanced understanding of incorporating common spices into their cooking, blending them together, and integrating them into their food preparation, 68% stated that their comprehension expanded on different types of herbs, ways to incorporate them into their cooking, and common pairings in their dishes, and 97% of evaluated participants indicated that they would change their behavior in using herbs or spices as a result of the "Savor the Flavor" curriculum.