Wende's Cooking Instruction and Meal Prep

03/22/2024

Making hummus and veggie samples fort he Y's days of giving fundraiser.

12/18/2023

EXTREME NON-EMERGENCY ALERT!!

I will be teaching meal prep and meal cost saving classes Mary Free Bed YMCA in January! More info to follow…

11/30/2023

I took a trip down memory lane and decided to share a condensed version of my last post. If you have time, feel free to read the full post about the story behind the mush bun recipe. These fluffy, pillow-like rolls are both sweet and savory, perfect for any meal. Whether you warm them up in the microwave and enjoy them with jelly for breakfast, make a sandwich for lunch, or serve them as a side with dinner, mush buns are a versatile treat. The recipe has been passed down in my family for generations, with each one making their own changes to enhance the incredible taste while still honoring the original recipe.

Mush buns are available for purchase for $2 a bun. Please message me if you would like a sample because they are worth every penny!

11/29/2023

Making Mush Buns :

a family favorite and recipe that has been passed down for generations.

Mush Buns are basically the equivalent of gold in my family because every bite of this fluffy, pillow of warm goodness in itself, is an experience.

When my sister and I were young, we would go to my grandparent's home in Virginia, IL, where we were spoiled to pieces by my grandmother's cooking. Upon our arrival we were greeted with a number of treats that my grandma made to let us know we were the most spoiled kids on the planet.

Whether it be a variety of homemade cookies, chicken and rice soup, strata , it didn't matter because it was incredible, but nothing could replace the excitement and taste of a soft, fluffy, warm mush bun.

I'll be frank, the excitement of eating mush buns made going to see my grandparents even better. Not only because they are the best thing you will ever eat (I'm not biased and I think science and empirical evidence would prove this too), but also because mush buns are a hot commodity.

You will never go to the store and find them or buy them because most people don't know how to make them and can learn by being taught firsthand by someone with mush bun experience.

While it sounds over the top, it's the truth. I can tell you that my family's mush bun recipe survived and was passed on through family while overcoming defining moments in history including World Wars and The Great Depression.

In fact, the recipe we used was handwritten by my grandmother and most of the critical details to perfecting it, were left out and she made a point to include "good luck" at the end. Frustrated, I took a moment to collect my thoughts and how to go about this and suddenly, it was though my grandmother was right in the kitchen with me telling me all the "kinks" on how to make the best batch. I'll be honest, I've made this recipe before and it was a disaster, but it wasn't this time. All the memories and tips on how to make them, came back and guess what? They were perfect!

While I can't share the family recipe, I'd be happy to give you a sample or make some for you and your family for $2 per bun.

Message me if you would like a sample or if you would like to make a purchase.

11/20/2023

I'm currently teaching these adult cooking classes:

- Make the Most with Leftover Turkey

- Breaking Down a Pork Loin into 5 Family Meals

Reach out if you are interested in an individual or group lesson!

11/20/2023

11/20/2023

Pierogi Party!

Did you know that pierogis originated in Poland and trace back to the 13th century? That's some food for thought!

Not only did we learn about pierogis but we also made them from scratch! Everyone learned how to make the dough and the potato filling and added whatever ingredients (sautéed white onions, bacon, cheese, scallions) to personalize them to their taste.

Once they were done, we sampled everyone's pierogis and made enough to take home. Everyone was also sent home with enough dough and filling to replicate the recipe at home.

11/15/2023

Can you use some help with your Thanksgiving meal?

I'll help!

Message me and let me know how I can assist and we can discuss a plan.

11/15/2023

As a working, single mother of 2 active Forest Hills kids, I value my family, time and anything that allows me to spend more time with with family while saving me a buck. Is that too much to ask?! Nope!

My name is Wende and I LOVE to cook. From the time I was able to hold a spoon, my parents had me helping in the kitchen so I would not only learn how to cook, but how to take care of myself and my family.

Think about it, we waste so much money on manufactured meals with a significant pricing mark up and have no nutritional value. Why? Because we think it's saving time when essentially, it's costs us more than money.

My goal is to teach you, your children, family or anyone the basic cooking essentials so you will have enough time to sit down with your family, partner or alone and feel at home, even if you're not. Whether you're eating in the car before or after school, practice or work, I can teach you how to make or provide you with meals that will leave you knowing you're a hero.

That being said, please reach out if you would like to be part of group, couple or individual cooking class, a kids cooking class/party or if you don't have time and would like me to help create your meals. Either way, I will help so please reach out to me with any questions on how I can make your meals the highlight of your day and not a chore.