Savvy

“Most of the teachers in the community are doing it as a side job; I’m doing it as a full-time job. I do Girl Scout troops, kids’ birthday parties and Mommy and Me groups,” Dimond says. “I’m trying to get kids interested in cooking and eating healthfully.”

The course – classes last an hour to one and a half hours each week for six weeks – can be helpful for kids of all ages, Dimond says. Younger children especially seem to respond to what is being taught.

“I know from experience. I taught middle schoolers and high schoolers. Middle schoolers are much more open to trying new things. High schoolers … seem set on the foods they eat,” Dimond says. “That’s my passion. The younger kids are the ones I can get interested in healthy eating.”

One of Dimond’s go-to recipes is a nutritious pizza that the kids learn how to make. Vegetables aren’t just toppings for her pizza – they’re incorporated into the sauce as well. The class also has a math component, as students must use fractions when doubling recipes.

Dimond teaches the students to use mixers and ovens properly and teaches knife skills to all ages when the recipe calls for it – even if the students are using plastic knives. At the end of every class, students get to taste the creations they just learned to make and take home a packet of recipes, most of which have pictures to help guide them.

“My passion is to encourage people of all ages to develop their creativity in the kitchen, learn basic kitchen skills and experience great-tasting and healthy foods,” Dimond says.

To sign up for classes, go to www.dublinschools.net and click on “Community Education.”

Carly Kohake is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at laurand@ pubgroupltd.com.

Healthful 50-Minute Pizza

Crust recipe adapted from

INGREDIENTS:

Dough:

• 1 ¼ cups unbleached flour, plus ½ cup whole wheat flour

• 1 envelope Fleischman’s Pizza Crust Yeast (not long-acting yeast)

• 1 ½ tsp. sugar

• 1 tsp. salt

• ²/3 cups very warm water (120-130 degrees)

• 3 Tbsp. canola or olive oil

Sauce:

• 1 cup homemade or store-bought tomato sauce

• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh or frozen baby spinach

• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh or frozen basil

• 1 Tbsp. finely chopped red and yellow peppers

Toppings:

• 1 ½ cups low-moisture, part skim pizza cheese

• ½ cup chopped turkey pepperoni

• Thinly sliced vegetables

• Mild banana peppers (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine only 1 cup flour mixture, undissolved yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add very warm water and oil. Mix together above ingredients until well blended – about 1 minute.

Gradually add rest of flour mixture until dough forms a ball. Dough will be sticky. Dump dough onto clean floured surface and knead until smooth, adding small amounts of flour when needed to keep it from sticking to your hands. Press dough out evenly onto a greased pizza pan. Set unbaked crust aside. Combine sauce, spinach, basil and peppers. Spread evenly over crust, not edges. Sprinkle cheese over sauce, add toppings. Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes.