It was a battle of the ages to see who could cook the most delicious chili.
On Wednesday, May 16, families put their cooking skills to the test in the kids versus parents chili cook-off at the Bonnyville Boys and Girls Club. While it was designed to appeal to the kids’ competitive nature, executive director Patti Cowden said the ultimate goal of the cook-off was to get kids and their parents side-by-side in the kitchen.
“It’s a great opportunity for the kids to come together with their parents to have a chance to talk, have some fun times, laugh, and just be together, because cooking is sharing. It’s a chance for parents and kids to do an activity together.”
Provided will all of the ingredients needed to make a traditional chili, and the fixings, kids rolled up their sleeves chopping vegetables and stirring the mixture. Once it was cooked to perfection, and the taste testing was complete, families got to sit down for a dinner together – a practice Cowden noted can sometimes be overlooked.
“Our lives are moving so fast that some people don’t have time to cook, or don’t even have time to sit down and have dinner together. That’s a very important time where kids can share what happened during their day with their parents.”
She added, “It’s great to try it out, and see how much fun you can have with the kids just doing some simple tasks like cooking.”
Natasha Huber was challenged to participate in the chili cook-off by her sons, 10-year-old Deegan and eight-year-old Diesel. Recognizing the importance of supporting the local Boys and Girls Club, Huber was happy to oblige.
“The kids are really happy to get the parents out and get them involved, and it’s just a fun thing to do together. There’s really not a lot, I think, in our community for families, especially if you’re not involved in sports,” said Huber.
Both boys have been going to the club for a couple of years, and have thoroughly enjoyed the activities offered.
“It’s an amazing place to go after school,” said Deegan.
Diesel added, “It’s a really fun place. You get to do all kinds of activities, all kinds of things at the park. We always go to the park and play capture the flag and hide-and-go seek.”
With 75 members, and a growing number of youth participating in the programming each afternoon, the Boys and Girls Club is continually looking for ways to introduce new activities, like the chili cook-off. This summer, Cowden announced they will be starting a brand new tennis camp.
“It’s something that nobody has here. We have a beautiful court but nobody knows how to play, especially young kids... We have every piece of equipment available, including indoor tennis so we can do it in the winter.”
She added that the club is always looking for more participation from families and community members willing to teach their talents to the kids.
