Eastern invites children ages 5 to 12 to join in a two week cooking academy which will teach beginner and intermediate level

kitchen skills.

The academy has three different sessions: 8-10 a.m. for 5-7 year olds, 12-2 p.m. for 8-10 year olds, and 6-8 p.m. for 11 and older group.

Kathy Rhodes, hospitality management professor, said she started this class four years ago because she wanted something for kids.

Rhodes said she uses her camp to teach children about cooking, measuring, cleaning, etiquette and sharing.

She said the camp allows her to express her passion for cooking to the younger crowd.

Also, the children get to make two or three recipes a day and take the recipes home, as well as the food they make.

Rhodes said she takes joy out of seeing the children have fun, even when it involves a mess.

“They think it is funny when I make a mess,” she said. “The younger group had a mess everywhere and stickers all over me.”

In addition, the camp also teaches children how to clean the dishes and the kitchen.

Rhodes said she slowly integrates cleaning into the program.

“It is much easier to work in a clean kitchen than a dirty kitchen,” she said.

Other elements that children learn include

nutrition and body image.

“At 5-years-old, I already have children telling me that they can’t eat certain things because of the fat content,” she said.

Rhodes said she tries to teach the children to think about themselves from the inside out, not the outside in.

Katie Knotts, an 11- year-old at the camp, said she really likes the camp because it has helped her learn how to make certain things anytime she wants.

Knotts said her mother is a really good cook and she enjoys helping her mother in the

kitchen.

Tanner Lassak said he also enjoys the cooking camp.

Lassak said he is practicing for the strip

mall he plans to open one day, which will feature three different restaurants.

Julian Harshbarger, a 9-year-old at the camp, said he came to the camp because he has some experience with cooking already, and he likes to meet new people and create things.

Abby Allgire can be reached at 581-7942 or at alallgire@eiu.edu.

Two 5 to 7-year-olds watch Kathy Rhodes make smoothies during the 12-2 p.m. sections. Each of the children also got a cup of the smoothie. Charles LeGrand

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