Contact: Marsha Boswell, [email protected]
For audio version, visit kansaswheat.org.
Whether you know you will be stress eating carbs during March Madness, have old bananas in the freezer you’ve been meaning to make into bread or just are looking to bring a smile to someone’s face, good things come to those who bake — especially in March! This month is designated as Bake and Take Month, and Kansas Wheat encourages all to use this opportunity to reconnect with others through a heartfelt, freshly-baked treat.
The premise of Bake and Take Month is simple — bake something and share it with a neighbor, friend or relative. Perhaps even more important than how the finished product looks or tastes, deliver them with a personal visit or leave a handwritten note.
“The tradition of Bake and Take Month stretches back more than 50 years,” said Cindy Falk, nutrition educator, Kansas Wheat. “What started as a promotion to educate consumers about the importance of home baking and the nutritional value of wheat foods also provides a way for us to spend time with our loved ones and give back to our communities.”
Bake and Take Month started with Bake and Take Day in 1970 as a community service project of the Kansas Wheathearts in Sumner County. The Kansas Wheathearts, an auxiliary organization of the Kansas Association of Wheat Growers, set out to share baked goods with family members, friends, neighbors and others, generating community goodwill. The idea of a community member sharing a favorite recipe with someone special was so successful that the Kansas Wheathearts created a national Bake and Take Day celebration in 1973, celebrated on the fourth Saturday in March. Although the Kansas Wheathearts disbanded in 2001, Kansas Wheat continues to support this tradition in partnership with the Home Baking Association.
“Bake and Take Month is a great opportunity for us to gather together in the kitchen and around the oven,” Falk said. “Break out the oven mitts and create memories together while spreading cheer in your community.”
Baking together as a family provides not only an opportunity to bond together — and potentially cover your kitchen in flour — but also a chance for your children or grandchildren to hone math, science, art, reading and direction-following skills. Learn more about how to include your little ones in Bake and Take Month at https://eatwheat.org/learn/cooking-kids-kitchen/.
“Getting kids in the kitchen has many benefits,” wrote registered dietician Jill Ladd on the EatWheat site. “Not only are children more likely to consume foods that they help prepare but inviting them into the kitchen from a young age can instill a love for cooking and help teach them fundamental life skills.”
However you choose to celebrate Bake and Take Month this March, the surprise of a baked good is sure to bring a smile to the recipient’s face — continuing the long tradition of baking and sharing together as a community.
Looking for a new recipe to try out for Bake and Take Month? Visit https://kswheat.com/bakeandtake or check out the DIY food gift ideas at https://eatwheat.org/learn/diy-food-gift-ideas/.
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Written by Julia Debes for Kansas Wheat
