Writer: Kay Ledbetter, 806-677-5608, skledbetter@ag.tamu.edu
Contact: Jackie Farrell, 806-468-5543, jrfarrell@ag.tamu.edu
Amy Wagner, 806-373-0713, aewagner@ag.tamu.edu
AMARILLO – A Dinner Tonight! Healthy Cooking School, presented by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Prairie View Cooperative Extension, will be held Oct. 29 at Amarillo College’s Business and Industry Center, 1314 S Polk St., Amarillo.
The school is set from 6-8 p.m., but the doors will open at 5 p.m. so participants can visit exhibits and local vendors, according to Amy Wagner, AgriLife Extension family and consumer science agent for Potter County.
“Our demonstration recipes are cost effective, easy to prepare and fit into a healthy meal plan,” Wagner said. “In today’s fast-paced lifestyle, nutrition and exercise don’t have to be on the back burner. Dinner Tonight! is designed to help busy families enjoy healthy and delicious meals, and we even provide fitness tips to help people become more active.”
A local celebrity panel and special guest emcee, Ali Allison, The Morning Show anchor for the local CBS television station, will be available to taste the demonstrated meals and comment on the foods.
Samples of one of the Dinner Tonight! cookie recipes will be available for audience tasting as well as some food vendor sampling, said Jackie Farrell, AgriLife Extension family and consumer science agent for Randall County.
During the cooking school, everyone will see demonstrations of quick and easy-to-make recipes from the 52-page Dinner Tonight! cookbook.
In addition to Wagner and Farrell, those conducting the food demonstrations on stage will be Chef Coleman McNabb from B.L. Bistro; Lizabeth Gresham, Prairie View A&M Extension agent in Potter County; Charli Weatherford, AgriLife Extension agent in Oldham County; and Jill Killian, AgriLife Extension agent in Sherman County.
Each participant will be provided a copy of the cookbook in their registration bag, which will be packed with a variety of items, Farrell said. The unique cookbook contains 10 meal plans, and all recipes include the entrée, sides and dessert – “perfect for busy families.”
“We are targeting busy people who still want to make time for meal preparation and feel good about what they are feeding themselves and their family,” she said. “Our goals are to promote family mealtime, teach families healthy meal planning and food preparation techniques and promote Texas agriculture.”
The cost is $15 and a can of food. The canned food will be donated to the High Plains Food Bank in Amarillo. There are a limited number of seats available. Seats can be reserved by calling 806-373-0713.
For additional information, contact Farrell at 806-468-5543, jrfarrell@ag.tamu.edu, or Wagner at 806-373-0713, aewagner@ag.tamu.edu. Also contact Wagner for more information on becoming a vendor.
-30-