While teaching a “Cooking is Healthy for Everybody” class at Hope in the Mountains, a local women’s rehabilitation center, the group expressed their need for recipes that everyone would like and enjoy, while also being nutritious and easy to prepare. The EFNEP Assistant suggested trying the recipes in the 2019 NEP Calendar.  The group made plans to use the calendar recipes as a resource for their meal planning needs. In addition to the calendar, required NEP lessons, such as Planning Meals, Reading Labels, and Eating Better on a Budget, were taught to help them organize and accomplish their goals.   In order to address the groups’ needs, the EFNEP Assistant focused on how to use slow cookers; how to prepare recipes ahead of time; and how to properly store food in the refrigerator for later use, and/or freeze for future use. 

To date, the group has prepared all twelve recipes. Ten of the twelve recipes were a 100% success. The groups’ favorites included the One Pot Cheesy Spaghetti, Pineapple Fried Rice, Easy Sheet Pan Chicken Bake and Country Morning Casserole.  All of these favorites have been served several times each. Several of the participants have sent the 2019 NEP Calendar home to their families to use.  The group is anxiously waiting for the arrival of the new 2020 NEP Calendar.