ST. IGNATIUS — St. Ignatius second-graders from Mrs. Schock’s and Mrs. Hout’s classes were in the holiday spirit Monday afternoon as they helped prepare chili packets for the Mission Valley Food Pantry.  

The “special chili recipe” had students scooping garlic, onion, oregano, cayenne, and of course, chili powder. The students would then add a can of beans and tomato paste all ready for cooking,  or as 8-year-old Gracie DuMontier  said, “it’s a meal in a bag!” The students also had the opportunity to look at what goes into preparing a meal.

 “My hands smell of spices!” Dylan Schock exclaimed, “I like cayenne pepper and I’m used to spices since I help my mom cook at home all the time.”  

Mrs. Schock said, “we chose to make chili bags because lots of people like chili and it is something that can sit on the shelf and is easily prepared.” She added, “it was also something that was easy for the children to assemble, very hands-on.”

Mason Smith, age 8,  of Mrs. Schock’s class shared what he enjoyed most about the activity, “I liked doing something that I knew would help people.”

In Mrs. Hout’s classroom the spices were arranged in stations for students to learn how to measure the  ingredients and then to add the correct contents to each chili bag.

Although Mrs Hout said that “Mrs. Schock was the mastermind behind the operation,” the most important part of the  activity for her was “teaching students that we all take from the community, but that it is important to give back.”