SBHS Life Skills students bake and sell ‘Baler Biscuits’ to
raise money
Mixing in real-world skills while mixing together peanut butter
and baking powder, students in San Benito High School’s Life Skills
classes have cooked up a plan to make money by selling
”
Baler Biscuits
”
dog treats.
After receiving a suggestion from a colleague, teachers Tania De
Leon and Matt Andrade decided to have students bake and sell the
shaped biscuits
– four for $1 – as a way to enhance the vocational aspects of
the summer school curriculum.
SBHS Life Skills students bake and sell ‘Baler Biscuits’ to raise money
Mixing in real-world skills while mixing together peanut butter and baking powder, students in San Benito High School’s Life Skills classes have cooked up a plan to make money by selling “Baler Biscuits” dog treats.
After receiving a suggestion from a colleague, teachers Tania De Leon and Matt Andrade decided to have students bake and sell the shaped biscuits – four for $1 – as a way to enhance the vocational aspects of the summer school curriculum.
“We sold some to summer school teachers and we’re hoping to be able to sell them around the county,” said De Leon, who works with students with various handicaps. “Kids of all levels can participate and it’s fun, quick and easy. I’ve asked staff for feedback and they said their dogs loved it.”
The Baler Biscuits baking effort promotes basic job skills from which the Life Skills students can benefit, including independence, responsibility and efficiency.
“They’re learning things that they’ll use in their daily lives while also learning what goes into a business,” Andrade said, as he watched students roll dough onto a baking pan and us cookie cutters to form various shapes. “We’ve talked about how we get people to buy biscuits, using the Internet to spread the word, selling at stores.”
The project is the definition of life skills, Andrade noted.
“These are situations they’ll find themselves in later in the future,” he said. “They’re working but at the same time having fun.”
After reviewing the recipe for Baler Biscuits – a basic mix of flour, baking powder, milk and peanut butter – on a white board, students washed their hands and began preparing the mix for the oven.
While the oven warmed to 375 degrees, Andrade helped two students measure baking powder while others were given cookie cutters and a rolling pin. He then asked a student, Sebastian, how many cups of milk were needed for the mixture.
“It’s their business,” said De Leon. “The kids are in charge; it’s their job to find out what they’ll need. I’m there to shadow them.”
Laminated cards on the work table show pictures of the various elements that go into the creation of Baler Biscuits, including the ingredients, a mixer, an oven and a timer.
“OK, how do we mix it, with our hands?” Andrade asked the class.
A resounding “Noooo!” echoed through the room.
“OK, we’re going to use a mixing machine,” he replied.
While a student connected a bowl to the mixer and added flour, the class clapped and said “Yay, Brandon!” as the mixer began to turn.
Students took turns on each step of the preparation process, including rolling out the mix onto upside-down pans lined with aluminum foil and sprinkled with flour. Each group was given a lump of biscuit mixture to roll into thin strips and cut into the shape of dog bones, ducks and other items.
“You guys are doing a good job,” Andrade announced, drawing smiles from the students.
Life Skills students make and sell gift tags during Christmas holiday season, but “this is a couple steps further,” De Leon said.
“It’s something else to give the kids different skills to learn,” she said, as the trays of biscuits were readied for their 20 minutes in the oven.
How to Buy Baler Biscuits
Contact Tania De Leon at 637-5831, ext. 301 or Matt Andrade at ext. 318. All proceeds benefit the Life Skills class.
