Cooking Up a Fundraiser
They are also seeking recipes from community members and fans of Ocracoke.
"From Jen Esham's chocolate chess pie to Gloria Perez's tamales, everyone on Ocracoke is proud of their food traditions. We all love to eat, think, and talk about food," said 4th grade teacher Jeanie Owens. "Our cookbook will be a great opportunity to share the diverse and yummy food flavors that our island has to offer."
The cookbook will be spiral-bound so it will lay flat – always a help when you're reading and cooking simultaneously. It will include the recipes the kids love and some traditional Ocracoke classics, plus a selection of authentic Mexican dishes (a first for an Ocracoke cookbook).
It's almost, but not quite, too late to contribute a recipe. Ms. Jeanie welcomes "anybody with taste buds" to bring their favorite to her at school (feel free to add a note about what makes it special), or you can also email recipes to ocracokecurrent@gmail.com. (I'm helping Jeanie with the data entry.) The deadline is Monday, January 30th (yes, 3 days away!) The good news is that you can't put it off and forget about it. Just do it today!
Ocracoke School's 4th and 5th grade classes are planning an epic trip from the sea to the mountains – and back again – in the spring. They will travel by schoolbus all the way to Grandfather Mountain, near Linville, NC, stopping in Raleigh, Guildford, Winston-Salem, and other points of interest along the way. Fundraisers so far this school year have included a 50-50 raffle, bake sales, sandwich sales, tamale sales, and a yard sale. The kids and parents have worked hard to help teachers Jeanie Owens and Paige Bennett raise the money for gas, fuel, lodging, and entrance fees.
The kids will be selling cookbooks when they arrive, and you'll also be able to find them in island shops this season.
