The Pujols Family Foundation and Dierbergs School of Cooking teamed up again this summer to offer the Batter Up! Cooking Experience to families that have children with Down syndrome. Twelve classes were held starting in the middle of June and going through the end of July. The two-hour hands-on class allowed the child and a parent to be responsible for cooking part of a meal that the entire class got to enjoy.

This year’s classes featured a ‘Breakfast for Dinner’ menu that included a cheesy hash brown egg casserole, bacon wrapped sausage, cherry oat scones, oven blueberry French toast and a calypso fruit salad. Other classes featured a ‘Southwest Fiesta’ menu that had the classes making turkey enchiladas, Mexican fried rice, spinach dip with homemade tortilla chips, a fruit salad and delicious S’mores brownie bars for dessert. With so many amazing recipes to complete in a short amount of time, everyone was busy chopping, dicing, stirring and baking.

For some families, this was their first time to attend a cooking class while, for others, they have become pros in the kitchen. Dan Leonard, 16, was busy stirring the mixture for the enchiladas while he shared that he likes to cook at home. His favorite thing to make…meat. Each participant received a special Batter Up! apron to wear during the class that they were able to take home as a reminder of their special day. Previous participants even showed up with aprons from previous years.

When all the cooking is done, it is time for everyone to sit down and enjoy all the hard work that went into the meal. A room that was filled with talking and laughing has now become quiet. Once the group has been served, everyone is busy enjoying the delicious food. As a tradition, all of the participants go around the room and share the name of their favorite dish. Satisfied kids often shouted out a wide range of answers but the S’mores brownies were a big crowd pleaser.

“I look forward to the cooking classes every summer. It is great to see all of kids come in and enjoy being a part of the cooking experience. There is such a sense of accomplishment on their faces once we have all sat down to enjoy what THEY made,” says Pujols Family Foundation Program Manager Jen Cooper.

Thank you again to all of the instructors at the Dierbergs School of Cooking for another amazing summer!