Local Mom using own dough to help bring back Home Economics classes

It's just something about a good home cooked meal. Unless, of course, you don't know how to cook

“I'm just trying to open their eyes to new ways to make food other than a microwave and hitting a couple buttons.\"

Mom Monica Verfuerth saw that a retro staple, the home economics class, was starting to disappear in local school districts.

So the chef at heart whipped out a pot, spoons, and real restaurant chef Bridget Nagorsen and cooked up a class herself at Port Washington High School.

\"I pay for her to come here, and I pay for the supplies, the food, and whatever supplies we need for serving,\" Verfuerth said.

Schools don't have much funding for the arts, leaving culinary classes on the chopping block. There is no kitchen, just portable burners and students don't get any credit. Administrators tell Verfuerth it could cost $60-70 thousand to get “home ec” officially on the books, but she's passionate.

\"Food is a part of everyday living, you need food to live.\"

The class is not only filling stomachs, it's helping students bond with family and friends.

\"Some of the students went home that night and made salad for their families, and it was just really heartwarming to hear that they took what they learned in my class one day, and they're using it, and they're telling people about it.\"

And in a fast food world, students are thinking twice about what they are eating and where it comes from.

“The mashed potatoes are really good you know, compared to like the ones out of the bag,\" student Jacob Liebergen said.

Verfuerth has reached out to local restaurants, hoping to get more support, and more fresh food next school year.

\"It's just a like a circle, the kids are finding out about local restaurants, their finding out, where can I get this really good bread? Where did you get those meats? I got them all here in town.\"