4-H Club represents Cass County at District

The Hughes Springs 4-H Club had two teams to represent Cass County at the District 4-H “Food Challenge” at Texas A&M Commerce. The junior team’s name was “4-H Fondues,” and the mixed team’s name was “French Toast Mafia.”
The 4-H Food Challenge was developed by county extension agents to address the need for a new, ‘highly charged’ foods experience. Modeled after such competitions as the Food Network’s Iron Chef, it allows teams of 4-H members to create a dish using only a predetermined amount of ingredients. From these ingredients, 4-H members must identify, prepare and then present information related to the serving size, nutritional value, and cost of the dish. Throughout this energized process, the 4-H members are demonstrating their culinary and food safety skills to judges and on-lookers.
The contest provides an opportunity for each participant to exhibit their knowledge and skills when preparing and presenting a dish and a chance for each participant to learn from other team members. It promotes teamwork, empowers them to participate in a public speaking role, offers them leadership opportunities.
The junior team, 4-H Fondues, received the teamwork award and won fourth place in the competition. The French Toast Mafia was composed of multiple age divisions and did not compete against other advanced divisions. The mixed team provided the youth an opportunity to participate even though there were not enough members to form a team to compete in the junior, intermediate or senior category.