This weekend my daughter turned 21. (Yes, I feel very old.) We were searching for something different to do for her birthday, and I thought that a cooking class would be fun.

After searching the Internet for a cooking class in Oklahoma, the only classes I found were in Tulsa. For some reason, Joyce's class jumped out at me. I don't recall what the ad said, but I believe I saw something about tea, and that sounded like exactly what we would enjoy. So we recruited my mom for the class and three generations of women went to Tulsa to learn how to cook. During the two-hour drive to Tulsa, my mom and daughter discussed their thoughts on what they assumed we could be making. They discussed biscuits and cookies, and lots of sweet treats, and they chided me for not asking what was on the menu.

As we arrived in Tulsa, and called Joyce (because as usual, I was lost), and we arrived for our class only 30 minutes behind schedule. We were greeted by opera music and the charm of a home built in 1929 in the historical district of Tulsa near downtown. Joyce's home was filled with antiques and English treasures, and we soon learned that her parents immigrated to the US from England and Joyce and her sister were raised in a traditional English home. We would be creating the recipes that she grew up eating, including: tongue sandwiches, lemon tarts, sausage rolls, and short bread. After hearing what was on the menu, my daughter and mom were not thrilled about eating a cow's tongue, but when the brick of tongue was produced from the refrigerator and placed in the pan, they maintained their enthusiasm and went with the flow of the class.

During a phone call, we learned that Joyce had just celebrated her 80th birthday. We were all shocked, as she had twice the energy and stamina of the three of us combined and she appeared to be in her mid to late sixties. She was a true inspiration to all of us and we truly enjoyed our day with her in the kitchen.

By the time we sat down to enjoy the fruits of our labor, Joyce and her sister, Doreen, felt like old friends. We drank warm tea and ate foods we had thought we would never eat, and enjoyed getting to know each other better. We dined on tongue sandwiches (which tasted like roast beef), water cress sandwiches, cucumber sandwiches, sausage rolls, short bread, and lemon tarts--all cooked from scratch by us during a day of learning and fun.

If you live within a few hours of Tulsa, and are searching for a new adventure, or if you have young children who could use a lesson from someone who grew up during the depression on being frugal in the kitchen, contact Joyce Jackson and book a cooking class with her. It will be an experience you will never forget. You can contact her at donjoycejackson@sbcglobal.net

Thank you for reading my blog and may you have a blessed day.