WESTFORD, MA – November 1, 2005 – Cooking to Learn, a provider of hands-on cooking activities for children ages 3-12 and their families, featured in the November 2005 edition of Boston Parents’ Paper.

In Boston Parents’ Paper’s monthly Out & About column, Kim Foley MacKinnon reveals her top picks for local cooking classes. MacKinnon’s quest centered on exploring activities that “make sure kids get some quality time in the kitchen while learning kitchen safety, deciphering recipes and having fun.”

Her visit to a Cooking to Learn Cooks-n-Books class finds a group of children ages 3-6 engaging in the preparation of Mini Apple Pies and in the discussion of all things apples fueled by the Lois Ehlert storybook, The Apple Pie Tree. MacKinnon describes, “The class started with a discussion about apples. The recipe was mini apple pies, but they discussed applesauce, apple picking, and one boy, Jack, piped up with the fact that apples have stars in them.” Amy Dempster, Cooking to Learn’s founder, further explains, “Cooking to Learn’s mission is to give kids a healthy understanding and relationship with food. We do that by engaging kids in dialogue about food, encouraging them to describe and taste ingredients, and, of course, giving children the hands-on skills to do it themselves.”

After a review of the kitchen safety rules, the young chefs prepared to cook by washing up. As the recipe was prepared, MacKinnon highlights, “Each child was asked to taste each ingredient and describe it. They all made faces when they tasted the cinnamon. One girl, Remy, emphasizes ‘I like sweet things because I’m a sweet girl.’” The class ends with the telling of the story, tasting, and sharing their culinary creations with their parents.

For kids ages 3-12, Cooking to Learn’s Cooking Classes are held in Wellesley, Winchester, Groton, Chelmsford, Sudbury, West Newbury and Westford.