By Toi Degree

Rowan Cooperative Extension

As we bring summer to an end and get back into the swing of school being back in session and all the school activities, I thought I’d offer two of my most popular workshops.

These two are great for assisting with family dinner and takes the guesswork out of what’s for dinner? So coming back in August are Crockpot Freezer Meals and Instant Pot 101 to help make meal prep quick and easy from beginning to end.

Crockpot Freezer Meals will be offered on Tuesday, Aug. 20 from 6-8 p.m. at the Rowan County Center. This workshop is hands-on and will allow participants to prepare four meals on site. Crockpot freezer meals have become extremely popular and are great for busy mothers that want their families to have home-cooked meals.

Those who choose to attend will learn all of the insider tips on how to get started, how to make these meals from start to finish, tips to make things a bit easier such as buying in bulk, sample the meals, receive recipes to make more meals, and take home four meals for later.

On Tuesday, Aug. 27 from 6-8 p.m., join me for the Instant Pot 101 Workshop. The Instant Pot is the number one selling brand on Amazon.com with one of the highest overall customer ratings.  The Instant Pot was developed to meet the needs of consumers who lead very active and busy lives, yet desire to live healthy and environmentally conscious lifestyles.

Participants will learn about the Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker.  The instant pot serves as a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, yogurt maker, sauté/searing pan, steamer and warming pot all in one convenient small electric appliance.

If you are interested in attending either of these workshops, the cost is $10, and payment is due at registration to reserve your seat. Participants who would like to attend the Crockpot Freezer Meals will need to come by to register, pay workshop fee and pick up a grocery list of items needed for the workshop. On the day of the workshop, bring items that you purchased, kitchen utensils (optional), and a cooler to transport meals home.

Instant Pot participants are also asked to come by to register and pay the workshop fee to reserve their seat. The registration deadline for both workshops is Aug. 13 at 5 p.m. Space is limited to 20 people and once that limit has been reached, all others will be placed on a waiting list for future sessions. If you have questions, feel free to call or email.

Toi N. Degree, Family & Consumer Education Agent for N.C. Cooperative Extension. Call 704-216-8970 or email toi_degree@ncsu.edu