Soups made with love are a nourishing and inexpensive way to feed your family. In this series, we will share techniques, tools, ingredients and tips learned through years of cooking for family and friends.  You’ll learn techniques for preparing ingredients and bringing them all together, as well as tips on storage and serving.  A focus of the workshops will be the use of affordable and locally available ingredients, and adapting recipes to a variety of tastes and dietary  requirements. Handouts, recipes and a small container of soup for your family to try will be provided.  

This is an in-person class; all registration fees are donated to the Loaves & Fishes Food Pantry.  

Chowders  Nothing speaks New England like a creamy chowder!  You can make a seafood chowder for a special event, or a corn chowder for a quick weeknight meal that delights.  We’ll make a simple fish chowder together to learn and share some of the techniques and ingredients universal to chowders. 

Annie has always loved to cook for family and friends. She started cooking when she was seven and was a keen observer of all the cooks in her family and beyond. She's worked in kitchens and also spent most of her childhood and early adulthood in western and eastern Europe, the Middle East and South Asia, so her palate is broad. She shares her love of cooking with family and friends through the preparation of food full of flavor. One of her priorities when she's cooking is to create a meal that accommodates all dietary requirements--a meal that everyone can enjoy. 

In this exciting and hands-on class, students will have the unique opportunity to unleash their creativity by carving their very own wooden spoon and crafting a beautiful gourd bowl. As the class comes to a close, we will gather together to savor a delicious group meal, where we will proudly enjoy hearty soups and crusty bread. The best part is that this meal is on the instructor, a delightful way to celebrate your accomplish-ments in this class!  This is an in-person class.

In this Instant Pot workshop, you'll learn how to make quick, healthy meals using this versatile pot. From basic settings to advanced functions, the workshop covers techniques for pressure cooking, steaming and sauteing. Attendees will gain confidence in meal prep, and learn timesaving tips, making it easier to create nutritious dishes at home with minimal effort. 

Participants will receive a cookbook and an Instant Pot. 

Soups made with love can be a nourishing, flavorful and inexpensive way to feed your family. 

In this series, we will share techniques, tools, ingredients and tips learned through years of cooking for family and friends.  You’ll learn techniques about preparing ingredients, bringing them all together and tips on storage and serving.  A focus of the workshops will be the use of affordable and locally available ingredients, and adapting recipes to a variety of tastes and dietary requirements. Handouts, recipes and a small container of soup for your family to try will be provided.

Blended soups are a great way to use a variety of vegetables you have on hand.  In this workshop, we’ll prepare potato leek soup and try a few others.  We’ll share lots of ideas about ingredient options to make soups creamy and about herbs and spices that will create a rich flavor to have your family coming back for more.  This is an in-person class.

It's that time of the year when the sap comes up from the roots of a maple tree and starts to feed the tree new buds. This is when we tap the maples to gather the sap and boil it down to make maple syrup or other yummy, sweet products. Join us to learn the basics of maple syruping and how you could start making your own maple syrup in your own backyard!  This is an in-person class.

We have cookie swaps, but how about going healthy and sharing ideas about how to dress up a salad?  Let's learn from each other about creating dressings that will make you and your loved ones look forward to eating healthy greens and vegetables! 

Whether you're new to homemade salad dressings or just love to share cooking ideas, this workshop is for you.  Annie Sargent will bring some of her favorite recipes and tips, and we hope if you have some favorites you will do the same.  This is an in-person class.

Soups made with love are a nourishing and inexpensive way to feed your family. In this series, we will share techniques, tools, ingredients and tips learned through years of cooking for family and friends.  You’ll learn techniques for preparing ingredients and bringing them all together, as well as tips on storage and serving.  A focus of the workshops will be the use of affordable and locally available ingredients, and adapting recipes to a variety of tastes and dietary requirements.  Handouts, recipes and a small container of soup for your family to try will be provided.  This is an in-person class.

All registration fees are donated to the Loaves & Fishes Food Pantry.    

Brothy Soups  When you want a lighter soup featuring key ingredients this is the choice for you. We will be preparing chicken noodle soup.  This workshop will feature choosing the right broth and ingredients for your family, lifestyle, budget and diet.  

Annie has always loved to cook for family and friends.  She started cooking when she was seven and was a keen observer of all the cooks in her family and beyond. She's worked in kitchens and also spent most of her childhood and early adulthood in western and eastern Europe, the Middle East and South Asia, so her palate is broad. She shares her love of cooking with family and friends through the preparation of food full of flavor. One of her priorities when she's cooking is to create a meal that accommodates all dietary requirements--a meal that everyone can enjoy!

Your instructor, Mary Laury is an accomplished watercolorist and highly esteemed teacher. She encourages all her students to believe they can be successful. Painting is an exciting medium; it flows and moves and does beautiful things. If you have never painted in watercolors, we will start at the beginning. If you have painted before, you will pick up some new tips and tricks as well. We all learn together!

Step back to a time when President Franklin Roosevelt, Eleanor, and their family escaped to their “beautiful little island” in the Canadian Maritimes, Campobello Island. We will be exclusive guests of the international park, staying in historic Victorian cottages. Workshop participants will explore and paint the same coastal scenery enjoyed by the summer residents at the turn of the 20th century. All meals are included in the workshop fee as well as specially planned optional evening activities designed to extend your learning from the day’s workshops. Register for the retreat then call Sherry Mitchell at 506-752-2922 to make room reservations. Acadian Arts Retreats participants will have exclusive overnight accommodations in the park. 

Feedback from recent Acadian Arts Retreats participants: 

“Mary is a wonderful guide and a gifted teacher.”  “Very helpful watercolor instruction."