Q: Are you offering a Master Food Volunteer Training in 2009?

A: Yes. The 2009 Extension Master Food Volunteer Training will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursdays, starting Feb. 12 through April 9 ( but excluding March 19). Although we collaborate with both Leavenworth and Shawnee counties in offering this training, all of the classes will take place at the K-State Research & Extension-Douglas County Office, 2110 Harper St.

If you enjoy food, love to cook, are interested in nutrition and want to become a “master” at your culinary skills and also help your community, then the Master Food Volunteer Program is for you!

During the 40 hours of training, the Master Food Volunteer Training provides a foundation of knowledge to volunteers in the subject areas of food safety, food science, food preparation and food preservation. These classes will be taught by K-State Extension nutrition and food safety specialists; county extension agents in Douglas, Leavenworth and Shawnee counties; and community nutrition educators. Each day of training will be filled with demonstrations and hands-on learning.

Once completed, volunteers will have the opportunity to share their skills and knowledge with their community. Projects could include providing cooking classes for adults and children such as the popular Cooking 101 course, running a nutrition display at health fairs, writing food-related articles for various media, preparing food for demonstrations, assisting with foods judging at the county fair or offering culinary workshops, just to name a few. The possibilities are endless! If you have an idea, we’ll consider it.

Applications are due by Jan. 30. A $75 fee, payable before the first class, is charged to cover the notebook, apron, name tag and teaching supplies.

The class size is limited to 30 people. For an application and more information, please contact Susan Krumm for Douglas County at 843-7058, Denise Sullivan for Leavenworth County at (913) 250-2300 or Lisa Martin for Shawnee County at (785) 232-0062. Applications can also be found online at www.douglas.ksu.edu. Once the applications have been received, an informational interview will be scheduled before the beginning of the training to answer questions and review program requirements.

Q: I can’t find the recipe you printed a long time ago on making your own condensed cream of mushroom soup. Could you share it again?

A: I’m not sure if this is the very same recipe, but here’s one from the University of Illinois Extension Nutrition Program. While manufacturers are making low-fat and low-sodium varieties, this cream soup mix reduces these two nutrients even more.

Healthy Cream Soup Mix

2 cups nonfat dry milk powder

3/4 cup cornstarch or clear gel

1/4 cup instant reduced sodium chicken or beef bouillon granules

1/2 teaspoon dried crushed thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried crushed basil

1/4 teaspoon ground white or black pepper

Combine ingredients. Store in an airtight container. Mix makes the equivalent of nine cans of condensed soup.

To prepare as a substitute for one can of condensed cream soup in recipes: Stir together 1/3 cup dry mix and 1 1/4 cups water in a saucepan or microwave cooking dish. Cook and stir until thickened.

Cream of mushroom soup: Sauté 1/2 cup of chopped mushrooms in a bit of olive oil and add to prepared soup.

Cream of chicken soup: Add 1/4 cup chopped, cooked chicken to prepared soup.

Cream of broccoli soup: Add 1/2 cup chopped cooked broccoli and 1/4 cup reduced-fat cheddar cheese to prepared soup.

Cream of celery soup: Sauté 1/2 cup of diced celery in a bit of olive oil and add to prepared soup.

— Susan Krumm is an Extension agent in family and consumer sciences with K-State Research and Extension-Douglas County, 2110 Harper St. She can be reached at 843-7058.