Cook-off A Huge Team Success!

IF YOU WANT TO
RUN FAST: RUN ALONE.
IF YOU WANT TO
RUN FAR: RUN TOGETHER.
African proverb

This proverb is one of my favorites. As a middle school educator, it reminds me of the importance of creating powerful teams within a school in order to help students and staff. In order to do this, we sponsor all kinds of activities to reinforce this concept. At our last schoolwide professional work day, LeeAnn Sanna helped to organize our first annual staff one-pot cook-off. Teams of staff members were formed to compete in the following culinary competition:

The Rules:

• As a team, create a one pot meal (soup, stew, chili). It must be a one pot meal that can cook or simmer during the entire morning meeting (approximately 3 hours).
• Each team will have 45 minutes of preparation prior to the staff meeting starting at 8:30. During preparation time all of the ingredients must go into the pots or crockpots. At 8:30, all pots/crockpost must be plugged-in and cooking in the Family and Consumers Sciences classroom.
• Each team, must have the recipe by your "pot".

• Each "pot" will be Judged on:

1. Creativity
2. Taste
3. Texture
4. Degree of easiness it is to prepare and cook

• The "pots" will be judged by guests judges not on our staff.

The competition was fierce! Great food was created, but only one team could win. Eva Soboleski and her band of chefs ended up being judge best this year. While we did declare a winner, I don't believe there were any losers. The team work, friendly competition and wonderful pots of stew that were prepared and consumed will create lasting memories and bonds!

The ELMS staff ROCKS and cooks well, too! Thanks LeeAnn for doing such a great job creating this new tradition for our school!