Zest Social House

Hellllloooooo!!!!

The days seem to be outpacing my to-do list!

I let you all know our CTE Culinary teams were off to Pierre for competitions and p**f that was a week and a half ago! So here is an update!

These students put in hours of practice, problem-solving, and teamwork leading up to competition, and it showed in every category.

✨ 2nd place in Cake Decorating
Theme: Under the Sea 🐚🐠. So many fun elements to this delicious  piña colada cake with pineapple curd.

✨ 2nd place in Management
Their restaurant concept was The Iron Rose—their ability to think on their feet and confidently answer judges’ questions was so impressive!

✨ 3rd place in Culinary
The prepared a three course meal with a Tex-Mex theme: (a reimagined jalapeño popper, flank steak, our version of a street corn, a poblano cream sauce, and to demonstrate some knife skills a large diced sweet potato that was butter poached, dessert was a cornmeal churro paired with an orange creme anglaise and a Mexican hot chocolate spiced ganache). Absolutely delicious. 😋

Sharing some photos here to show off their fantastic work —from detailed decorating to thoughtful concepts and beautifully executed plates.

Competitions like this go far beyond placements. They’re about growth, resilience, teamwork, and showing up under pressure—and these students did exactly that. I’m so proud of the effort they put in and the way they represented themselves and our program.

The future of this industry is bright. 👏🔥

It’s been a minute since I’ve posted here as the last few weeks have been a whirlwind.

At school we’ve been busy getting the kids ready for competition, took some time to celebrate an amazing honor as CTE teacher, Rickie McClausky, was named Teacher of the Year for the Sioux Falls School District. I even snuck away for a few sunny days in the Dominican Republic with my brother Jay, his wife Sally, and my college roommate Patrice and her husband Mike.

And…..the VERY BEST news… we welcomed a brand new grandbaby to the family. 💛

Life has been full in all the best ways. I’ll share a few photos from the past few weeks below!

Week 11 Lunch Prep: Steak & Chimichurri Bowl 🥩🌿

This one did double duty—dinner tonight and work lunches. Flavor-packed, filling, and super flexible.

Why this bowl works nutritionally:
✔️ High protein from steak and farro (keeps you full longer)
✔️ Fiber-rich carbs from farro + sweet potatoes for steady energy
✔️ Healthy fats from olive oil to support satiety
✔️ Greens & herbs for micronutrients and freshness

Farro, roasted sweet potatoes, kale, juicy steak, and herby chimichurri.
Swap the protein (chicken, tuna steak, even chickpeas), swap the veggies, change the sauce—this bowl adapts to whatever you have.

Sauce swaps if chimichurri isn’t your vibe:
• Garlic yogurt sauce
• Creamy tahini dressing
• Lemon vinaigrette
• Pesto

Keeps up to 4 days in the fridge—just keep the sauce separate. Lunch that actually fuels you and tastes good? Yes please.

Princess Kinley spent the morning with me creating a truly magical tea party 👑🫖 She arrived dressed in the cutest princess attire and was fully in the spirit from the start.

We made homemade glitter play dough with princess and unicorn play pieces, then moved on to the feast! Cinderella pumpkins, dainty tea sandwiches with cucumber and ham & cheese, and sugar cookies we cut out and loaded with sprinkles. And of course—no tea party is complete without “tea”… cherry-vanilla flavored milk 💕🥛

If you know me, you know I have a bit of an obsession with old china dishes and any excuse to set a pretty table—this was right up my alley. I had SO much fun creating this sweet experience.

Anyone interested in hosting a tea party with me? Reach out! 🌸

A little late on my Cook the Book post this week, but we’ve been busy baking 😊
My students tried two more recipes from 100 Cookies: Raspberry Rye and Banana Poppyseed — and wow.

For the Raspberry Rye, each student got one fresh raspberry to place on top (budget realities 😅). At home, I’d definitely add more. The kids loved them but immediately started thinking like chefs: What if we added white baking chips? Macadamia nuts?
So we tried it. And YES. So good.
Then we took it a step further with a light white chocolate drizzle and a dusting of freeze-dried raspberries. Chef’s kiss 💋

The Banana Poppyseed cookies were also a hit, though we all agreed they didn’t exactly scream banana. To clue in the eater, we added a slice of freeze-dried banana on top, and on some we dusted a little extra banana powder before baking. Without signage, most people thought they were lemon poppyseed just by looks alone.

Honestly — 4 for 4 with this book so far. Absolute gem.
And bonus: I noticed our library owns a copy if you want to take it for a test run.

Happy baking! 🍪✨

Had my second private cooking class today and it was with 9-year-old Chef Tenlee 👩‍🍳✨

We made homemade pizza and a peach–blueberry frangipane galette. She crushed it!

What we covered today:
✨ Mise en place
✨ The windowpane test for dough
✨ Yeast + temperature (and why it matters)
✨ Blooming yeast
✨ The deliciousness that is…Frangipane 😋
✨ Why brushing milk on a crust = better browning
✨ Time management in the kitchen

Most importantly? We had an absolute blast. Watching kids gain confidence in the kitchen never gets old, and Tenlee was all in.

If you have a young chef who’d love a private, hands-on cooking or baking class, reach out! These custom sessions are such a fun (and delicious) experience 💛🍕🥧

🥣 Week 8 Lunch: Lentil Soup!

New here? Quick recap: I went on Keloland Living to share healthy lunch tips and created a 12-week lunch plan. Each week, I make a recipe and share it right here on the Zest page—we’re already at Week 8! 🎉

Tonight we had this soup for dinner, and I’ll be taking it to school for lunch too. I didn’t add sausage this time, but the recipe card includes that option. I love mine with a dollop of Greek yogurt and parsley.

💪 Lentils = protein, fiber, iron, folate… basically a nutrition powerhouse! Red lentils would be great here too. My mantra? Use what you’ve got on hand!

Cook the Book this week 📚🔥: 100 Cookies by Sarah Kieffer

I love a cookie recipe that chooses chaos—in the best way. These Toasted Sesame Cookies were unexpected, bold, and wildly good. Tori and I rated them a 12/10, which honestly feels conservative.

This book is loaded with fun, clever recipes from a Midwestern author who clearly understands that cookies are serious business. And don’t even get me started on the chocolate chip cookie in here… absolute main character energy. 🍫✨

📖 $20 + S&H
If your baking shelf needs a glow-up, this one’s it.

Week 7 Lunch: Thai Crunch Wraps 🥬💥

This week’s lunch is bringing the crunch AND the flavor.
Ground turkey, shredded cabbage + carrots, and a delicious peanut-lime sauce.

I’m using romaine instead of collard greens, so choose your own adventure:
• Wrap it up in romaine leaves
• Chop it and make a Thai Crunch Salad

Want extra crunch?
Add a handful of chow mein noodles right before eating. Instant upgrade.

Meal-prep friendly, super flexible, and anything but boring.
Weekday lunch = handled. 🥗✨