Cooking with Athalia

Happy Father's Day!

Summer Dinner classes kicked off today! We started with a Chipotle Cobb Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing. We used Spinach as our greens and strawberries instead of tomatoes.
While students in my Knife Skills Class have cooked the traditional version, I introduced a summer version to my dinner class.

I have created new sections for my most popular class just for summer! Classes start the week of June 4th. Spots are limited.

The Heart of the House: An Ongoing Cooking and Baking Dinner Class | Small Online Class for Ages 9-14 In this ongoing cooking class, your student will step into the heart of the home, the kitchen, to learn delicious and seasonal meals to share with family and friends. Your student will learn basic knife skills, plating techniques and more.

Are you ready to equip your child with a valuable life skill this summer?

I can help!

Summer Camps: https://outschool.com/classes/cook-around-the-world-a-disney-inspired-cooking-summer-camp-a-u8qx2AR1?usid=Zmy3vunC&signup=true&utm_campaign=share_activity_link

and
https://outschool.com/classes/cook-around-the-world-a-disney-inspired-cooking-summer-camp-b-gFYjs3RZ?usid=Zmy3vunC&signup=true&utm_campaign=share_activity_link

Weekly Dinner Classes:
https://outschool.com/classes/the-heart-of-the-house-an-ongoing-cooking-and-baking-dinner-class-5ipE56hJ?usid=Zmy3vunC&signup=true&utm_campaign=share_activity_link

and
https://outschool.com/classes/the-heart-of-the-house-an-ongoing-cooking-and-baking-dinner-class-2-ufa1q3F9?usid=Zmy3vunC&signup=true&utm_campaign=share_activity_link

and so much more!
https://outschool.com/teachers/Athalia-Lyons?usid=Zmy3vunC&signup=true&authTrigger=follow_teacher&utm_campaign=share_leader_link

Wishing you a Happy Mother's Day!

Mother's Day Brunch Classes

Mother's Day Brunch Cooking and Baking Class | Small Online Class for Ages 9-14 In this special one time Mother's Day class, your student will learn how to cook 3 items to be served on Mother's Day

Mediterranean Flat Bread Pizza. Students learned to make their own flatbread and spinach pesto today! Dinner class students are whipping these up all week 😋.

So.many things the kids have cooked since I last posted..but this week we are doing a Noodle Bowl using Soba Noodles. Students got to choose their protein and most used Bok Choy. I used Spinach ( as no store near me had Bok Choy this week..they were all out 😭) and Salmon. The great thing is I was able to call on a student in each class taught so far and walk them through cutting the bok choy so everyone could see how to do it. Most students never cooked with it before and for many students cooking Soba noodles was also a first. They loved it though.

The kids cooked Beef Teriyaki tonight. A small incident in my day meant I had to cancel my 2 pm class. But with the help from my family I was able to get back home and teach my 7pm class. I gave all my parents notice this morning and in class today all my kids asked if I felt better. Parents sent messages too. It was really sweet of them all. I'm on the mend....all is well...the week goes on!

Why should we teach kids to cook?

The photo looks fuzzy for a reason.
The dish I am sharing with the kids this week is inspired by this dish I had back in 2009! I was celebrating my birthday at Planet Hollywood restaurant in the then Downtown Disney in Orlando. It had to be the best fish I tasted!
I kept making a dish inspired by that one over the years. Since I'm teaching the kids how to make their own spice blends, I knew I had to bring this recipe to them.
The kids have enjoyed it so far. One student said it was the best thing she ever tasted.
The original dish was Blackened Mahi Mahi with a tropical salsa over Jasmine Rice. The kids are learning Blackened Salmon with Mango Salsa over Jasmine Rice with Black Beans.
It also allowed me to share my memory of the dish with the kids. We create a lot of memories around food and food itself creates memories. The way the food tasted, smelled, felt, looked or the reason we were gathered around that food. My students so far were able to share their best food memories with each other. It was fun..

Thr kids are cooking up Jerk Chicken Pasta this week. I wanted to introduce them to spice blends from different places this month. We have done Jambalaya, this dish, next week is blackened salmon. The last week of February, they get a Trini style curry ( I'm excited to share that!!!).

I've received 100 reactions to my posts in the past 30 days. Thanks for your support. 🙏🤗🎉

This month we are looking at different spice blends!

Valentine's Day Class Offerings Start Soon! Sign up your student today!

https://outschool.com/classes/valentines-day-lets-make-chocolate-covered-strawberries-KhpaFz8z?usid=Zmy3vunC&signup=true&utm_campaign=share_activity_link

What's for dinner in Heart of the House: An Ongoing Cooking and Baking Dinner Class for February? First class starts Sunday.

Sign up your child using the link below. SPACE IS LIMITED!!!!!
These classes are still at the introductory price of $18.00 per class You can sign up your child for one class or all 4!

Recipes are sent out each week with ingredients, supplies and substitutions to meet your child's dietary needs.

https://outschool.com/classes/the-heart-of-the-house-an-ongoing-cooking-and-baking-dinner-class-5ipE56hJ?usid=Zmy3vunC&signup=true&utm_campaign=share_activity_link

Just finished this One Time Baking Class. We baked up a batch of Cinnamon Roll Muffins!!! Yes...it tastes like a cinnamon roll but in muffin style...with icing. 😋

So what is a one time class exactly? Well this type of class only meets once! I have many one time classes, that meet at different times. Today I had 4 students take this class. One student was a regular student, with 3 new to me students. 🥳🥳🥳

For me, these classes tend to be my baking classes as well as seasonal classes that are not camp style. For example, I have a chocolate covered strawberries classes for February. These are one time classes. You pay for one class and that's it!

Check out all my One Time Classes that I offer. Its a great way for your child to meet me and take an online cooking class before committing to long term classes.

https://outschool.com/teachers/Athalia-Lyons?usid=Zmy3vunC&signup=true&authTrigger=follow_teacher&utm_campaign=share_leader_link

We're cooking up Garlic Butter Salmon over roasted asparagus this week in Dinner class.

What are parents saying about Heart of the Home Dinner Cooking Classes? 🤔🤩
This class has a wait-list for some sections!

Get your kid into one of the most popular dinner classes by clicking the link below
⬇️⬇️⬇️
https://outschool.com/classes/the-heart-of-the-house-an-ongoing-cooking-and-baking-dinner-class-5ipE56hJ?sectionUid=e5e9bb7e-0f3c-47c2-a672-fc4eec8a7f63&usid=Zmy3vunC&signup=true&utm_campaign=share_activity_link

Follow me and keep checking availability...summer sections will be available soon!

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Celebrating 100 hours of teaching kids to cook and bake on Outschool! 🥳🍳

This week my Dinner Flex ( recorded classes) students are learning to make Fish en Papillote! My Breakfast Flex class students are learning to make their own Waffles with Berry Compote.

These classes start every Monday and go for 12 weeks. You must register by the Saturday BEFORE you wish to start.

That's 12 weeks of your child getting instruction from me via my original videos and classroom posts to create meals for your family.

https://outschool.com/classes/the-heart-of-the-house-dinner-flex-cooking-class-section-1-eyBPokQt?usid=Zmy3vunC&signup=true&utm_campaign=share_activity_link

The first is a picture of what my knife class did on the first day last Thursday. The second picture is what my dinner classes are cooking this week!

Breakfast classes are.making Breakfast burritos this week. Dinner Classes are making Taco Soup! Dinner Flex class is cooking Chicken Teriyaki. Knife Skills class is making Cobb Salad. Lots of yummy food this week! Never too late to sign your child up for a class this week!!

https://outschool.com/teachers/Athalia-Lyons?usid=Zmy3vunC&signup=true&authTrigger=follow_teacher&utm_campaign=share_leader_link

What are recorded classes?

As I sit here recording lessons for the coming week for my recorded classes, I wanted to make sure that you knew what these were as well.

Recorded class are Asynchronous. This means that these classes allows your child to learn on their own schedule, within a certain time frame. For my classes, I upload the initial instructional video and recipe on Mondays. Students have until the following Monday to submit pictures of their completed dish.

Since this is not a live class I also have recorded interactions, questionnaires, ice breaker questions to make the class interactive and fun. At this moment I'm recording slides shows that I use in my live classes to help reinforce the component we learned that day. For example, for my breakfast Flex ( that's what the recorded classes are called), I recorded the first part of teaching them why it's important to have a balanced breakfast. For my dinner Flex class, my students are getting a slide show where I talked about Al Dente pasta and the best way to cook pasta. Students have to answer a question from the slide show ( usually the answer in the slide). This week's ice breaker questions was " What is your favorite ice cream flavor?". Since this was the first week of classes I recorded a welcome video addressing the kids personally and introduced myself.

I love having recorded classes. My students benefit from being able to work on their dishes when it's convenient to their schedule.

Have you checked out my Flex classes as yet? I have many. From Weekly Dinner Classes, Breakfast Classes, Pasta Making Class, and array of Baked goods and Holiday themed classes. My Flex classes start each Monday and run anywhere between 4 - 12 weeks. Ages are flexible. Let me know if you have any questions!

https://outschool.com/teachers/Athalia-Lyons?usid=Zmy3vunC&signup=true&authTrigger=follow_teacher&utm_campaign=share_leader_link

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Let them cook because with guidance, KIDS CAN COOK!
Each day I teach kids to create meals, or bake treats that their family can enjoy. This builds their confidence and gives them a sense of accomplishment. Not to mention, cooking is a basic life skill we sometimes forget to teach our children.
I'm here to help!!! Your child can learn how to cook and take over the responsibility for preparing one meal each week with my guidance.
Curious? ⬇️

https://outschool.com/classes/the-heart-of-the-house-an-ongoing-cooking-and-baking-dinner-class-5ipE56hJ?sectionUid=a341c1b8-d78d-4c13-ac48-a0c253e85e20&usid=Zmy3vunC&signup=true&utm_campaign=share_activity_link

Cheers to the weekend! A little gelato love.

Happy Dark Chocolate Day!!! At least that's the name that a lot of bittersweet chocolate is sold under. Chocolate labeled 60 or 72% cocoa is also known as bittersweet. It's great for eating by itself or baked into some delicious chocolate recipes. I enjoy eating it by itself and I use it to make delicious fudge brownies.
How do you use Bittersweet Chocolate?

Cooking is indeed an art. I am sure you have heard " We eat with our eyes".

In each class I always teach my students about the use of color when creating their dishes. I explain why I used a certain ingredient in a dish. Yes we use ingredients for nutrition, flavor, texture, but also for it's color. Your child will also learn some basic plating ideas Chefs use in the kitchen.

Let me teach your child how to make vibrant and appetizing looking food!

https://outschool.com/classes/the-heart-of-the-house-an-ongoing-cooking-and-baking-dinner-class-5ipE56hJ?usid=Zmy3vunC&signup=true&utm_campaign=share_activity_link

Did you know kids learn so much from learning to cook!!

Here are just a few things that come to mind.

Confidence, life skills, practicing math, language skills, problem solving, creativity, nutrition, time management, science, cultural awareness, budgeting, cleaning, a sense of accomplishment and so much more.

It's important to get our kids in the kitchen. You can do it! And if you're short on time, I'm here to help!

First class for 2023 is in the books! This week in The Heart of the House Dinner Cooking Class we're serving up Chicken Stir Fry over rice. The kids learned in this class how to cook rice, practiced cutting up chicken and vegetables, knife safety, special steps we take when prepping chicken and why ( cleaning, cutting, seasoning, cleaning our work surface etc) and of course sanitation.
All the students in this first class were new to me and it was great getting to meet them. I'm looking forward to this class next week.
My class tonight is full of the majority of my students from last semester. I can't wait to hear how dance recitals etc went.
Even though the recipe I send out is for 4, my students know I always cook half of that recipe. I have to prepare this dish 5 more times for the week...so guess what I'm eating for dinner! 😂
P.S There are a few spots left in some.of my classes...there is still time to sign up.

https://outschool.com/classes/the-heart-of-the-house-an-ongoing-cooking-and-baking-dinner-class-5ipE56hJ?usid=Zmy3vunC&signup=true&utm_campaign=share_activity_link

Woke up to a sold out section for my popular dinner class 🙌🏾 This class is in high demand 🔥 I cannot wait to start the week empowering these young minds!

Many of my students have special dietary needs that I have to take into consideration when sending out recipes for the week. I always offer alternatives, as I want all my students to feel included in class.

One of my students just emailed me a recipe he created from the one I sent over to him on Monday for next week's class. He has his own cooking blog (yeah, you heard that right....a kid, with a cooking blog), as well as his own dietary needs. The recipe looked amazing. He wants me to try it and give him feedback. I'm excited to do so..and will probably cook it for dinner tomorrow.

This is just an example of the extra time I put into helping my students. I always tell my students, you can ask me any questions in class and when we're not in class, you can message me on Outschool about your food questions and I will respond as soon as I can.

If your child wants to cook like a Chef, then knife skills is where we start!

My newest course offering. Another class I worked on for a while...and it's the first in a series. (I will also open a section for older students as well)

These classes are 5 students only and offered only once every 4 weeks. The class size is small so I can give individual attention to each student.

This is for the student that wants more knowledge and help learning knife skills. For the first part of class we'd learn and discuss...the second part of class we will practice by creating a dish that helps practice knife skills.

Only 3 spots left for this month. Class starts January 19!!

Cook Like a Chef: Learning Basic Knife Skills and Cooking | Small Online Class for Ages 9-14 In this multi-day course, your student will learn basic knife skills and use those skills to practice and create 4 different dishes.

🙌🏻Yes!

A look back at my first cooking class with kids in 2017!! Fun times