I taught my first class at the Cape Elizabeth Community Center on Tuesday night. I was a bit apprehensive going into it because I'm not able to use my prosthetic leg right now and am on crutches. I confess that I didn't advertise the class on my blog, hoping that not enough people would sign up and that they'd cancel it!
I've taught many a class in the 12 years that I've been cooking this healthy way, but I've never done it on one leg and crutches! When I planned the class, I was still wearing my prosthetic leg at least a few hours a day, but things changed. Well, enough people did sign up to make the class a go, so I decided to go with the flow and just do it.
I got super organized, hired dependable helpers (my friend Patty and her sweet daughter Annie), and kept the menu simple (for the first time ever!). As a student, I always said that when I eventually taught cooking classes, I'd keep it simple. But when I did start teaching on my own, I didn't stick to that … I made it far more complicated than needed.
But ... on Tuesday, I made things easier for myself (and hopefully for my students!). When I first started cooking this way, A LOT was new to me, so to see too many dishes prepared at one time was overwhelming. This time, I kept the menu to a soup, a grain and a green vegetable with a store-bought, good-quality pickle.
And, guess what? I can truly say this was the most enjoyable class I’ve taught so far! The students were terrific. They asked a lot of great questions and I think they enjoyed the food. They were people that like to cook and want to add some healthy, macrobiotic recipes to their repertoire. One woman in the class said she has a daughter who is vegetarian, and another woman is vegetarian.
The facilities at the Community Center also are great — clean, nicely equipped and, for me, a short distance from the parking space to the elevator to the kitchen/classroom!
Sorry I don’t have a photo to share of this event. I brought my camera and planned to do an album for the blog, but I was so engrossed in what I was doing, I completely forgot and just had a good time. I’m looking forward to teaching more classes at the Community Center, and I’ve got two more scheduled, one in November and one in December. If you can make it, I’d love to see you there!
I've taught many a class in the 12 years that I've been cooking this healthy way, but I've never done it on one leg and crutches! When I planned the class, I was still wearing my prosthetic leg at least a few hours a day, but things changed. Well, enough people did sign up to make the class a go, so I decided to go with the flow and just do it.
I got super organized, hired dependable helpers (my friend Patty and her sweet daughter Annie), and kept the menu simple (for the first time ever!). As a student, I always said that when I eventually taught cooking classes, I'd keep it simple. But when I did start teaching on my own, I didn't stick to that … I made it far more complicated than needed.
But ... on Tuesday, I made things easier for myself (and hopefully for my students!). When I first started cooking this way, A LOT was new to me, so to see too many dishes prepared at one time was overwhelming. This time, I kept the menu to a soup, a grain and a green vegetable with a store-bought, good-quality pickle.
And, guess what? I can truly say this was the most enjoyable class I’ve taught so far! The students were terrific. They asked a lot of great questions and I think they enjoyed the food. They were people that like to cook and want to add some healthy, macrobiotic recipes to their repertoire. One woman in the class said she has a daughter who is vegetarian, and another woman is vegetarian.
The facilities at the Community Center also are great — clean, nicely equipped and, for me, a short distance from the parking space to the elevator to the kitchen/classroom!
Sorry I don’t have a photo to share of this event. I brought my camera and planned to do an album for the blog, but I was so engrossed in what I was doing, I completely forgot and just had a good time. I’m looking forward to teaching more classes at the Community Center, and I’ve got two more scheduled, one in November and one in December. If you can make it, I’d love to see you there!