Western Iowa Tech students show cooking is easy ahead of Valentine's Day
In honor of the holiday, culinary arts students with Western Iowa Tech Community College spent the day making Italian dishes that anyone could make at home.
'I'm personally making a chicken parm,' student Wyatt Colvert said.
'I'm making focaccia bread,' student Ume Vong said.
Western Iowa Tech holds Power of Hair Expo
'I am making a chicken alfredo,' student Benjamin Gallardo said.
And the best part: they spent as much money on the ingredients as they would have at a restaurant.
'At the end of your shopping trip, that's only going to cost you about $20 or $25, and that's going to feed two people,' Colvert said. 'If I were to go out to a restaurant or something, I'd spend $20 just for myself, right? os that's where that cheapness factor kind of comes in. You can spend the same amount of money that you would going out, but you can feed twice as many people.'
While cooking may look like a daunting task for many, the students say it can be as easy as pie.
'This process can take anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour,' Gallardo said. 'It depends on how you want your sauce. I'm going for a pretty traditional Italian-style sauce, so it will be taking around 30 minutes.'
But the best part of cooking your own Valentine's Day dinner is choosing what to make for dessert.
'My girlfriend quite likes ice cream, so it is like an ice cream, but not – it's a mousse, chocolate mousse,' student Adam Embrock said. 'To make the actual dish takes about 20 minutes. You have to let it chill. It just depends on what your freezer cooler is. It took about an hour to cool and completely solidify.'
Northwestern College receives $130k grant for nursing department
Valentine's Day is all about spending time with your other half, and cooking dinner together can make for a wonderful night.
'I mean, if you're with your significant other and you're doing something together, it's a memory made. So why not do it like that?' Embrock said.
Western Iowa Tech students want to remind people that anyone can cook – just simply believe in yourself.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Buzz Feed
3 hours ago
- Buzz Feed
13 Tough Things People Often Romanticize
While a certain thing might look glamorous from the outside, it can be a lot of work to do when you're actually in the middle of it. So when we asked the BuzzFeed Community: "What's something people only romanticize because they've never actually done it?" so many people shared their thoughts below. "Motherhood! It is a gift I wouldn't trade for the world, but holy shit, no one tells you how all-consuming it is. The anxiety, guilt, exhaustion, and feeling like you lost yourself. I felt bitter for some time that no one told me the ugly parts until I was already in it." —Anonymous, 30, Atlanta "Farming. Both Boomers (in the '70s) and Millennials (more recently) seem to have a group of folks who romanticized farming and 'getting back to nature.' Reality is that farming is often back-breaking work from before dawn (not at dawn or after dawn) until dark. The equipment is very expensive, requiring you to buy on credit or lease it, creating never-ending debt, but if you don't do it, you will fall behind and not sell enough. The market for your products can tank, leaving you in even more debt, or a harvest can fail. You have to hire help or have a large enough family who can pitch in. There are a number of zoning rules and health codes that can be hard to meet on an older farm, but newer farms cost too much. No sick days allowed (livestock require care every single day), and vacations are rare (if you can afford them). It is a hard and expensive life that only a few can truly handle." "Living in a small or smaller town. I can say from personal experience that while the slower pace is nice in comparison to bigger cities, there's not a lot of privacy either. Not to mention driving an hour out of town to get any real errands or shopping done." —Anonymous "The most stressed out I ever was at my grocery store job was when I was in management. To be fair, part of that time was during the start of the pandemic, which sucked for most people. But asking for a demotion was the best thing I did for my mental health." "Marriage. There is so much hype around marriage, especially for women, beginning when we're little girls. Finding Mr. Right, anticipating the proposal, the engagement, the shower, the parties and festivities leading up to the actual wedding day. Then reality sinks in: finances, kids, in-laws, balancing life and careers… the list goes on. I believe marriage is portrayed in a much more romanticized way than it actually is in reality. And now, with everyone living their lives on social media, the cycle continues. They don't show the hard work, compromise, and maintenance involved, and often, it isn't pretty." —Anonymous, 54, Los Angeles "Buying land and putting your own house on it. The whole process to build the house was so awful that I almost didn't want the place by the time it was done." "Working in a chocolate shop! It's a nightmare and not at all romantic — and Valentine's Day is the worst! Non-stop chaos from open to close and largely because of chocolate-covered strawberries! The shop gets filthy. There are always a few employees hogging the register, and no one else gets a chance. Employees are judged by their sales, and if they don't sell enough, they could lose their jobs. Management doesn't do a thing about the register hogs. Yeah, very romantic." —Anonymous "Moving to Japan. It is not all anime, technology, and 7-Eleven. It is working long hours for low pay and is quite isolating. I managed to get settled, but I know many who fall into depression or leave the country quite quickly. Amazing place for a holiday, but don't expect the same experience if you choose to live here." "Owning a house. It sounds awesome; it's yours. Until you realize all the costs are also yours, and it's actually not yours but the bank's, and you have to pay and arrange everything. New heater, your problem. Leaking roof, you pay. And if you don't pay for repairs, the bank can take the house from you for neglect because it's still theirs." —dietarycharger "Yes, business travel. It seems cool and it is for a bit, but when you do it once a month or more, it's absolutely exhausting, and dealing with what feels like never-ending jet lag sucks." "Being a chef. Romantics would have you believe it's a world of cooking, great food, and top restaurants. Uh no. It's hot, demanding, and exhausting work under people who sometimes have no business being in charge of toilet paper, let alone a restaurant. It's hours and hours on your feet, working all hours, dealing with the public, and a LOT of stress." —Anonymous, 53, Virginia "As someone who's been diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder and severe anxiety, I was to open-hand smack people when they romanticize depression or claim to be depressed when they're just bummed out. Depression is no joke; not feeling excited, inspired, or happy about anything truly sucks. Flat affect sucks." "Meeting your idol. Thinking they would be just like they are on film and talk shows. Turns out, your idols aren't anything like what you thought they were, and that's hard to take when you used to have such affection for them." —babycapricorn129 What's a thing people only romanticize because they've never actually done it? Tell us what it is and why in the comments or anonymously in the Google Form below:
Indianapolis Star
20 hours ago
- Indianapolis Star
Restored Queen Anne home from 1904 features original parquet floors, pocket doors & more
In August 1904, Ada H. Peters purchased a lot in what is now known as New Albany's East Spring Street Historic District. Shortly after taking ownership of the property, she built an 1,800-square-foot, Queen Anne-style home that was rented to Harry E. Borgerding and his family through July 1909. Borgerding was associated with the H. Borgerding Manufacturing Co. on Corydon Pike and later became secretary — and eventually president and treasurer — of the Borgerding Motor Car Co. on Spring Street. His memory lives on through the house he once lived in, now owned by Anne and Matthew Phillips. "It's a Victorian," Anne said, "but it's a craftsman and Victorian cross (from) the beginning of the 20th century. Almost everything in here is very simple; it's not that frilly, Victorian (aesthetic) — and I think that's why it was preserved." The home still boasts several original features, such as woodwork that has never been painted or stripped. This includes the staircase, which led the Phillips family to purchase the home in 2017. "I guess the staircase is what sold me on the house," Anne recalled, adding that she grew up in old homes and is accustomed to their quirks and oddities. "It had good bones, but cosmetically, (there was) a lot to do." Superficial changes were made throughout, but the kitchen required a complete overhaul, as critical updates were needed to keep it functional. Anne explains that the microwave was falling apart, and the oven would start steaming whenever the temperature exceeded 375 degrees. "We didn't change the layout," Anne said, "but we did take it down … to the studs." The room features new electrical, plumbing, cabinetry, and appliances, but Anne kept the home's character beadboard cabinetry — painted a cool, dark green Sherwin Williams hue called Messenger Bag — features latches that mimic the original ones upstairs. The home's original milk door is still intact, though it's now used to store keys. "We don't try to restore; we try to enhance," Anne said. "(With) the kitchen, I wanted it to feel like (it was always) part of the house." Though the house became a single-family home in the 1980s, signs of its past remain. "There are numbers on the doors because those were the rooms," Anne said, adding that their primary bedroom once held another kitchen — and the old gas line is still visible. Their bedroom is room number one, and room two is a guest room. Room three is Matthew's office, which holds pieces of a different past. "He's definitely into the 80s, and he's got all his things," Anne said, noting the Ms. Pac-Man and Mortal Kombat arcade games, which sit below framed pop art. Opposite the games, neon Pac-Man lights adorn the wall just above the bookcase, which holds dozens of books and other knickknacks reminiscent of the period. "It's a little more midcentury," Anne said, "(but) I think it all still flows and works together." When the Phillipses first moved in, the attic was unfinished and filled with decades' worth of other people's belongings. "We completely redid it because in 2020," Anne said, "when I shifted to work from home." The room is accessible only through a door in the second-floor bathroom, which opens to a small set of stairs and up to Anne's office. The banister, she says, is both practical and sentimental. "This is a noodle pin that was my great-grandmother's," she explained, adding that Matthew whittled it to create a functional piece for their home. Up the stairs, Anne's office furniture sits on wood flooring that boasts a unique look. "It's not stained," Anne said, explaining that its appearance is the result of previous high-heat damage. "It was cleaned up, and with the sanding and the poly, it looks like tortoise shell." One side of the attic is lined with seven built-in closets, a feature Anne and Matthew added for storing seasonal clothing, holiday decor, and other occasionally used items. Though it's one of the newer features of the home, it blends in seamlessly, further enhancing the essence of the home's historic charm. "We were just taking the space we have," Anne said, "honoring what it was, and trying to enhance it for modern life." The Philllips home is open for viewing on this year's New Albany Historic Home Tour, held on Sept. 13. Know a house that would make a great Home of the Week? Email writer Lennie Omalza at aloha@ or Lifestyle Editor Kathryn Gregory at kgregory@ WHAT: Presented by New Albany Main Street, this tour features some of New Albany's finest properties in its numerous historic neighborhoods. This self-guided tour offers a unique opportunity to explore interiors not typically open to the public while learning about the stories, styles, and preservation efforts behind each home. WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 13, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. WHERE: Address of all tour properties will be shared upon ticket purchase. TICKETS: $20 in advance, $25 day of, $5 for students in grades K-12. Purchase tickets online with a credit card at MORE INFORMATION: Visit email info@ or call 812-941-0018. Owners: Anne and Matthew Phillips. Anne is a dietitian and Matthew is the chief technology officer for The Astro Technology Company. Also in the home is the couple's dog, Wilbur. Home: This is a three-bed, one-and-a-half bath, 1,800-square-foot, Queen Anne home in New Albany's East Spring Street Historic District. It was built in 1904. Distinctive elements: Original parquet floors in parlor, living room, and dining room; original pocket doors between parlor and living room and living room and kitchen; original heat vents throughout home; original windows in front of house and box gutters; original woodwork throughout house; original room numbers from when home was a boarding house; original milk cabinet in kitchen; distinct floor in attic from high-heat damage; small ventilation door in attic stairwell that overlooks stair case; handrail in attic stairway crafted from owner's Hungarian great grandmother's noodle pin that her great grandfather whittled; original bead-board storage cabinets in attic stairwell inspired renovation in kitchen, which features added bead-board elements and inspired cabinet latches; Taj Mahal Quartzite kitchen counters and backsplash.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Blind dog's arrival to rescue leaves workers worried
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — The arrival of a 6-year-old blind dog has workers at the Sioux City Animal Adoption and Rescue Center asking for help. An unidentified person delivered the dog named Raven to the center in a kennel early Thursday afternoon. Story continues below Top Story: USD moving medical school to Sioux Falls Lights & Sirens: Nebraska officials recover body from Missouri River between Macy and Decatur Sports: Denison native Brandon Scherff announces NFL retirement after ten seasons Weather: Get the latest weather forecast here The good Samaritan told the shelter they found the dog along the side of the road and then left before workers could get additional information. The shelter has more questions than answers. 'We're actively looking for the community's help to try and find out who the person is that abandoned this dog along the roadway. It's very, very hot today, and it wouldn't have taken long, would have succumbed to this heat,' said Rarrat. Center officials say if anyone has information about this, please call them. Their number is: (712) 279-6968. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
