Teach healthy living skills to adults with autism

In August we updated you with the CSS Garden to Table program and the addition of a full time cooking instructor, Adam Rast. Over one hundred individuals with developmental disabilities, including autism, are now participating in at least one instructional cooking class per week at the CSS Resource Center or in their own home.  The hard work of the gardening groups and partnership with local farms has paid off with a large variety of produce.  As the gardens are harvested, fresh herbs and vegetables are coming into the kitchen and being used for homemade pizza, veggie lasagna, spaghetti sauce and salads.  Support staff attending classes with individuals with disabilities have learned how to substitute fresh produce in recipes and create tasty new creations. 

This past week, the participants in our Healthy Cooking Group class, with Adam Rast, are having fun making taco salads with each student participating in making the meal from start to finish.  The meal consisted of ground turkey and spices, fresh tomatoes, onions, avocados, romaine lettuce and limes.  The participants waited patiently for one another to fill their plates with the fresh taco salad before consuming the fruits of their labor.  When the time came, there were smiles all around!