Girl Scouts Give

Thirteen girl scouts (and their moms) have been cooking with friends for those in need. It’s the kind of behind the scenes work that makes all the difference in our communities; passive giving that will help make someone else’s holiday a bit better . We’re extremely fortunate in Montclair NJ that our food pantry accepts homemade food donations. It gives us an affordable and rewarding way to give. And the food pantry clientele is lucky to receive delicious, thoughtful food made in someone else’s kitchen.

I spent an hour with my daughter’s girl scout troop last week, talking about the yearlong Cooking With Friends program we’ve set up for them. They took a simple food quiz my daughter and I created together, and then had a chance to make banana strawberry smoothies. The girls are extremely excited to be cooking together and clearly understand their mission to cook for families that can’t afford to buy groceries. They had fun cracking eggs, mixing batter and playing together while the breads baked. (That’s what Cooking with Friends is about!)

During the last few weeks, the girls baked pumpkin and apple breads together for Thanksgiving. Going forward, the girls will break into teams three more times throughout the year to cook for our food pantry, making soup for the “Souper Bowl”, breads for Easter and then breakfast foods for Mother’s Day. They are thrilled to have their cooking schedules set for the year, and I am proud to share something that I know works well with this bunch of inquisitive nine year old girls.

Cooking with Friends is another way to give to those who struggle within our communities. At a time when it isn’t always easy opening our wallets, consider inviting someone to cook or bake with you and then share the bounty with someone who needs it. Who do you think would appreciate the gift of homemade food during the holidays?