With substitute Margarita Reeder in the classroom on a regular basis to fill in for former consumer science teacher Brenda Land, the smells of cooking fill the halls on a regular basis.

    “Cooking is fun, it’s not only a challenge you can learn how to survive,” Reeder said.“The recipes I give the kids to cook are the recipes that I’ve learned from my grandma because they’re easy and I know that the kids will enjoy making them.”

    Learning to follow a recipe has been the focus of the skills learned, along with simple, basic kitchen and cooking rules.

    “I’ve learned just about all the things that seem quite easy to make with the recipe being in front of my face,” freshman Skylar Jackson said.“I’ve made tortillas, sopapillas, chicken and beef burritos and peanut butter bars.”

    With some practice behind them, the students are feeling more confident in their abilities and are not afraid to try something new.

    “I feel like I can cook anything; it just seem simple now,” freshman Brenda Montano said. “I’ve messed up a couple of times on one or two recipes, but I just stuck with it until I got it right.”