Hands-on workshops, farm tours and hikes in the forest are part of the curriculum at Agriculture in the Classroom summer courses for kindergarten through 12th-grade teachers at Penn State University, main campus, July 18 to 23 and Delaware Valley College, Doylestown, Aug. 1 to 6.

The courses are designed to provide teachers with the tools they need to address the Agriculture and Society standards that are part of the state standards for Environment and Ecology.

For details, call Carol Ann Gregg, Agriculture Awareness Foundation, at 724-458-6108. Deadline is June 10.

Winning teen chef

Congratulations to Heather Buechel, a Baldwin high school senior who won a bronze medal in the Art Institute's National Best Teen Chef Competition Saturday.

The 18-year-old won a $30,000 tuition scholarship to The Art Institute.

Her menu at the cook-off included Chilled Avocado and Cucumber Soup, Caesar Salad, Steamed California Vegetables with Penne Pasta and Macadamia-Encrusted Mahi Mahi with Tropical Fruit Salsa.

The budding chef got her culinary start at Louis Tambellini's on Route 51, where she worked in the kitchen under executive chef John Manjilo. Despite working, she has maintained a 3.8 grade point average in school.

Another trip to the Bake-Off

Betty Boyle is a finalist again in the Pillsbury Bake-Off, and we wish her luck with the oven June 26-29 in Hollywood, Calif. The Monroeville resident made it to the finals in 2000 with her Sweet & Saucy Meatloaf. Also among the 100 finalists is Patty Ankney of Somerset in her try for the $1 million top prize. There are six Pennsylvanians competing this year.

Southern Living Cook-Off

Calling all cooks with an original recipe in their apron pocket.

Southern Living is looking for quick, easy, attractive, tasty recipes for the Southern Living Cook-Off 2004, which features a $100,000 grand prize.

Categories are Taste of the South, Kids Love It!, Easy Entrees, Healthy and Good For You, and Signature Desserts.

Last year's grand prize winner was Southern-Fried Stuffed Chicken with Roasted Red Pepper and Vidalia Onion Gravy.

For rules and entry form, go to www.southernlivingcookoff.com. Deadline is June 16.

Kitchen windows to the soul

An IKEA survey of more than 1,000 Americans found that kitchen decor and behavior patterns tell us about ourselves.

For instance, people with TVs in the kitchen were more in tune with the news and the world around them -- 36 percent talked politics at the dinner table compared to only 21 percent of people without a set.

Apron-wearers also were more likely to talk about politics at the dinner table (29 percent), compared to the apronless (22 percent).

People in edgier-designed kitchens tend to lead a more liberal lifestyle and even have romantic encounters in the kitchen, whereas more than 50 percent of traditional-styled kitchen respondents said they never do.

Not dog food, dog cuisine

Is your dog eating a "nutritionally balanced" diet -- or one full of chemicals, artificial ingredients, byproducts and preservatives, like yours?

Help may be on the way. Bon A-Paw Tete, a company in Phoenix, makes organic, nutritious, environmentally correct, gourmet pet food, frozen and vacuum packed for freshness.

On the menu are chicken lo mein, liver and vegetable pate, pizza, salmon souffle, apple meatloaf and cheesy veggie cake. You might want to pick up a few for yourself.

Check out the Web site at www.bonapawtete.com and read the "testimonials" from dogs and cats. The press release says the food is coming to Petco, but it doesn't say when.

New on the market

Nabisco -- Reduced Fat Oreos. At last! Trans-fat-free Oreos that are as irresistible as the originals. Extensive inter-office testing produced two thumbs up for this healthier version of the favorite sandwich cookie. Also new and fat-free are Oreo Golden (vanilla cookie, white filling) and Golden Uh Oh! (vanilla cookie, chocolate filling).

General Mills -- a slew of "Shrek"- themed products, including cereal (corn puffs with marshmallow pieces), waffle sticks, toaster strudel, fruit snacks, popcorn and a sugar cookie kit.

Ocean Spray -- Juice & Tea. Black tea with your choice of cranberry, wildberry, peach or diet wildberry juice. A nice mix, not too sweet.

Balance Bar -- GOmix. Small bags of energy snack mix (nuts, fruits, seeds) in three flavors: toffee crunch, chocolate nut crunch and mixed berry crisp.

The last word

"Hell is an idea first born on an undigested apple dumpling."

-- Writer Herman Melville