Merry Christmas everyone. Hope your Christmas season is all that you hoped it would be and Santa was good to all of you.
The Grade 11 and 12 girls at H. Hardcastle School took part in a provincial cooking competition Nov. 20. The Cooking Up Saskatchewan competition was held at Mount Royal Collegiate and sponsored by Agriculture in the Classroom with support from Chicken Farmers of Saskatchewan and Prairie Pride.
The girls were required to give an oral presentation on farm stewardship and chicken production as well as the nutritional benefits of poultry. The girls were successful and delivered the best presentation of the day. Following the presentation, the girls then had and hour and a half to prepare and plate both an appetizer and a main course for a panel of three judges.
They worked well together and thanks to their pre-competition practices, remained calm and laid-back while preparing their appetizer, honey Dijon chicken skewers. The girls commented they tasted absolutely amazing and the judges, a professor of commercial cooking, a representative from Chicken Farms of Saskatchewan and a retired home economics teacher, made it clear in their comments that they agreed.
Their entree was an apple potato crusted chicken with parsnips and peas. The girls chose an entree that used vegetables that are in season and used garden potatoes, apples and root vegetables. After deliberating for a half hour, the judges awarded the girls third place behind Leask Colony and Martensville.
This was a new experience for the girls and HHS and they found it exciting. They had no idea what to expect and are looking forward to another competition in the spring. Congratulations to teacher, Andrea Thom, and her girls, Miranda Moline, Mikayla Detillieux, Chelsea LaFreniere, Bailey Delainey and Kristen Gordon.
Nov. 27, a baby shower was held for Joey Elizabeth Siegel, who was born Nov. 11 to proud parents Tony and Kristine Siegel of Vawn. Also welcoming Joey are grandparents Robert and Bertha Troesch of Edam and David and Margaret Siegel of Rabbit Lake, great-grandparents, Herb Troesch of Edam, Ruth Hepp of Rabbit Lake and Ruth Siegel of Spiritwood.
Dec. 3, the Grade 7 home economics class completed their babysitting course with their traditional little buddy day. These students receive a certificate upon passing their course and have the morning with a youngster under supervision as part of their training. The morning ends with the Grade 7 students preparing lunch for their charges. This term those taking part were; Jolene Nedelec (Grace Fudge), Jonathon Seipp (Grayden Troesch), Payton Morin (Delainee Rogers), Tayla Poole (Nate Poole), Mason Detillieux (Jaycee Letwinetz), Zachary Gordon (Leah Frey), Elexis Bourrier (Kylie Wall), Micheal Jones (Keagan Russett), Travis Burgess (Owen Orchison), Jayden Manastyrski (Carter Cole).
Dec. 2, the high school students from Glaslyn were invited to HHS to attend the SADD presentation of Danae's Song. Cheryl Dupuis of Saskatoon was in the school to speak to the students about the loss of her 16-year-old daughter in 2000, due to an intoxicated driver she was riding with. Dupuis indicated that since the loss of her daughter she has also lost her husband to cancer and stated losing them was the hardest thing she has done. You are not supposed to bury a child and her loss was preventable. She let the students know that all their parents want to do is protect them, that they are loved to the extreme and asked them to be smart and careful when enjoying themselves with their friends. Pictures of Danae were posted in the gym for the students to see, as well as a PowerPoint presentation showing the accident, and Danae's life until her death and the days up to and including her burial. An intelligent young woman was taken needlessly before her time due to alcohol.
Dec. 4 found the Minnehaha Co-op Hall holding their annual Christmas concert. The evening started with the singing of the national anthem, followed by recitations and songs preformed by the youngsters of the community. Following the program, the children were invited on stage to sing Jingle Bells until the Jolly old man himself arrived to distribute gifts to those on his nice list. All in attendance received gifts.
Dec. 4, family and friends of Emma Nash joined her at the Legion Hut to celebrate her 90th birthday. The come and go tea was held from 2 to 4 p.m. This was followed by a family supper. Congratulations Emma, we are wishing you many more birthdays to come.
The Christmas shopping is near done and now it is time to wrap, so I know who I am missing. Good luck with your last minute shopping.
