By: Siti Hajar
In Class Grade 3, Kirana, Dianda, Wira, and others were wearing chef uniforms this morning. They looked cute with their white chef hats, just like the master chefs on Master Chef Indonesia.
Miss Salsa, their teacher, also came to class in a chef uniform. She looked adorable. She was very beautiful and always smiled at everyone.
“Hello, everyone! Good morning! How are you?” asked Miss Salsa in front of the class.
“Hello, Miss Salsa! Good morning. Alhamdulillah, we are great today,” the students replied cheerfully.
“Alhamdulillah. You look so cute today, Masya Allah. It’s time for cooking class. Are you ready?”
“Absolutely, yes, Miss! I can’t wait anymore,” said Karina. Karina loved cooking.
At home, Karina always helped her mommy prepare food for her family.
“Miss, I’m sorry. I forgot to bring tomatoes because I was in a hurry to come to school,” Dianda said, looking worried.
“Oh, it’s okay, Dianda, but next time, don’t let it happen again, alright? Who else said they would bring tomatoes yesterday?” asked Miss Salsa.
“Me!” Liya raised her hand. “I brought extra tomatoes, Miss.” Liya felt lucky because she could help Dianda.
“Good, Liya.”
After that, Miss Salsa divided the class into two groups. Dianda’s group consisted of Dianda, Rina, Fahri, Wira, and Satria. The second group included Liya, Zahara, Hanafi, and Razak.
Miss Salsa explained that today they would make tomato juice and fruit skewers.
“Why tomato juice, Miss?” Zahara suddenly raised her hand to ask their teacher.
“Does anyone know why we chose tomatoes as the main ingredient for the juice?”
“Because they’re easy to find, Miss!” Karina answered.
“Right! Any other reasons?” Miss Salsa looked at Hanafi. Hanafi looked sleepy.
“Oh, what? I… I don’t know, Miss,” he stuttered.
Miss Salsa just smiled and focused on Hanafi. “Good boy, why do you look sleepy?”
“He didn’t take a shower, Miss!” Wira, who was sitting behind Hanafi, said. As always, Wira mocked others.
Wira’s comment made the others laugh.
“Oh, really, Hanafi?” Miss Salsa came closer to Hanafi.
“Yes, Miss. Because last night I played games until late at night,” Hanafi answered with a sheepish grin.
“Oh, that’s too bad. I just want to remind you not to spend too much time on screens. It’s dangerous. It can make your eyes tired, make it hard to sleep, and cause you to be late for school. If you get sick or your grades drop, that’s not good. So, only play games in moderation.”
The class was silent, listening to Miss Salsa’s words.
“Don’t do it again, okay?”
“Yes, Miss,” Hanafi replied, lowering his head.
“Good!”
After that, Miss Salsa distributed the materials for making tomato juice and fruit skewers. They only had one blender, several glasses, knives, and washbowls. They also had water, sugar, and a little salt. For the fruits, they had mango, melon, watermelon, grapes, and papaya.
Miss Salsa guided the students as they prepared their ingredients. “Now, everyone, wash your hands first. Hygiene is very important when cooking,” she reminded them kindly.
The students quickly washed their hands and returned to their tables, excited to start.
“Group one, you will make the tomato juice first,” Miss Salsa instructed. “Group two, you will start preparing the fruit for the skewers. Don’t worry, everyone will get a chance to do both!”
Dianda’s group carefully washed the tomatoes and placed them in the blender. “Don’t forget to add a little sugar and water,” said Miss Salsa. Rina measured the sugar, while Fahri added water. Then, Satria pressed the button, and the blender roared to life.
“Wow! It smells so fresh!” exclaimed Wira, as he peeked into the blender.
Meanwhile, Liya’s group began cutting the fruits into small pieces. Miss Salsa demonstrated how to use the knife safely, and the students followed her instructions carefully. Zahara threaded colorful pieces of mango, melon, watermelon, and grapes onto the wooden skewers. “These look so pretty!” said Razak, holding up his finished fruit skewer proudly.
When it was time to switch tasks, the groups traded places. Now, Dianda’s group was busy threading fruits onto skewers, while Liya’s group made the tomato juice. Everyone worked together and helped each other, laughing and chatting as they prepared their food.
Finally, everything was ready. The students gathered around Miss Salsa, holding their glasses of tomato juice and plates of fruit skewers.
“Before we taste our creations, let’s thank each other for working so well as a team,” said Miss Salsa. “You all did an amazing job today!”
“Thank you, everyone!” the class said cheerfully.
“Now, let’s talk about why tomato juice and fruits are so important,” Miss Salsa continued. “Tomatoes are full of vitamins and antioxidants that help keep our bodies strong. Fruits give us energy and keep our skin healthy. If you drink tomato juice and eat fruits regularly, you’ll grow up strong and healthy!”
“Wow, I didn’t know that, Miss!” said Hanafi. “I’ll try to eat more fruits and drink juice instead of playing too many games.”
Miss Salsa smiled warmly. “That’s a great idea, Hanafi. Now, enjoy your healthy snacks!”
The students sipped their tomato juice and bit into their colorful fruit skewers. “Yummy!” said Karina. “The juice is so fresh, and the fruits are so sweet!”
Everyone agreed it was delicious. The classroom was filled with happy chatter and laughter as they enjoyed their cooking creations. Miss Salsa looked around, feeling proud of her students.
“Remember, cooking and eating healthy foods can be fun!” she said. “Let’s keep taking care of our bodies, so we can always feel happy and strong.”
“Thank you, Miss Salsa!” the students shouted together. It was a day they would never forget.
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