ORANGE PARK — Children and adults alike became resident top hat chefs and healthy eating connoisseurs on Saturday, April 12.

In a day of nutritious fun, the Pi Eta Omega Chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. hosted their third annual "Mommy and Me" event, dedicated to empowering families and learning how to eat healthy. 

“Sometimes eating healthy is difficult because it can be expensive. But we’re showing them ways that you can do that,” said the chapter's First Vice President Kendra Mervin. 

The event, titled “From Soil to Skillet: A Healthy Eating Party,” allowed the children and their mothers to rotate among four stations. Every 20 minutes, a new group would make their own salad and fresh dressing, stir fry some veggies, infuse a cup of water with fresh fruit and munch on a slice of strawberry shortcake.

For the final station outside, guests planted seeds to begin their own take-home garden filled with lettuce, onions, cucumbers, parsley, peas, turnips, squash, chives and more. They were also gifted a personal chopping board. 

Event Chairman Lisa Allen said she was excited to see such a large turnout with 90 registrants both older and younger.

“We are enhancing [the environment] in every way,” Allen said. “From our children to our adults, to the garden to eating. [It’s] all healthy.” 

 No matter how old, the organization said that it’s never too late to learn how to integrate healthy living into one's daily life. Next year, they said they hope to grow the event even more in numbers.

“Next year, we want to see it grow to 200, we do. And use all of the space in the back,” Mervin said.