NORWICH — National Blueberry Pancake Day is January 28 and Chenango 4-H is offering their fun filled pancake cooking celebration, “Breakfast for Dinner.”

The cooking event will be from 5 to 6 p.m., January 28, in the Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) kitchen, located at 99 North Broad Street in Norwich.

“ 4-H youth ages five to 18 are invited to flip pancakes for free, but registration is required,” said CCE Chenango County 4-H Youth Development Educator Nicole Starkweather.

“Our ‘Breakfast for Dinner’ program is a fun, hands-on 4-H cooking experience that celebrates National Blueberry Pancake Day,” said Starkweather.

“Youth will work together to make blueberry pancakes from scratch while learning how to properly measure ingredients, follow a recipe, practice kitchen safety, and build teamwork skills,” Starkweather said.

“This is our first official “Breakfast for Dinner” 4-H program, but we regularly offer cooking and baking programs.,” Starkweather continued. “Those have been very popular, and this felt like a natural and fun way to expand on that success.”

She explained her intentions were to create a program that feels refreshingly different while still teaching important life skills. 

“It’s designed to be both educational and enjoyable, and the youth get to eat what they make at the end,” she added.

“Breakfast foods are familiar and approachable for youth, which makes them a great starting point for learning to cook independently,” she said. “Tying it to National Blueberry Pancake Day also gives us a fun theme and helps make the experience feel like a celebration.”

Starkweather is leading the program but said she may ask for assistance from a few 4-H staff  if needed.

“We can accommodate up to 12 participants, which allows each youth to be actively involved while still receiving plenty of guidance and support,” she said.

She believes cooking is a life skill that builds independence, confidence, and responsibility and said when youth learn how to cook, they also learn how to follow directions, manage their time, work as a team, and make healthier food choices. 

“In 4-H, we also connect these skills to future opportunities, like entering baked goods in the Chenango County Fair, where accurate measuring and recipe-following are essential,” Starkweather said.   “Depending on how entries are judged at the county fair, they may also be selected to advance to the State Fair. 

“It’s about preparing youth for real-world success in a fun and supportive environment,” she added.

Starkweather noted she also incorporates an in-person baking program each month to help youth build their skills and confidence, while highlighting different foods they could prepare and potentially enter in the county fair. 

Next month, she said they will be making Banana muffins for National Banana Bread Day on February 23rd and in addition, plan to restart the “4-H Kids in the Kitchen” program in the next few months. 

“This program provides 4-H youth with ingredients for a recipe they prepare in the comfort of their own kitchens, while following along via Zoom, to learn the step-by-step cooking process together,” said Starkweather. 

Register at reg.cce.cornell.edu/Breakfast-for-Dinner_208, For additional information, contact Nicole Starkweather at nrs98@cornell.edu. Or call 607-334-5841, extension 1134.