For most youngsters, it is the great outdoors which beckons during the summer vacation — when they're not playing video games, or sprawled in front of the TV, that is. Similarly, when most Bermudians living abroad return home, they have sun, sand, and family reunions in mind.

But when you put 24 Bermudian children together with Karla Lacey-Minors, it is for a totally different reason. Over the past two weeks, the former corporate executive conducted two Jr. Chef Camps, each for groups of boys and girls with an interest in cooking.

The five-day courses were wide-ranging, and included everything from learning about nurition and healthy eating to visiting a farm and kitchen garden, mastering the art of food preparation, including the safe use of sharp professional knives, and preparing three-course meals.

Lifestyle's Nancy Acton spent time sitting in on the final session of last week's Jr. Chef Camp to learn more about about the programme, and what the participants learned.

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The scene was the demonstation kitchen at International Imports, and around the central work area a group of boys and girls aged ten to 13 were working their way through preparations for various recipes in the camp's final menu. Some were chopping fruit, onions, garlic and fresh herbs, while others were measuring and assembling ingredients in large bowls. A few were at the stove, sharing a little banter.

"Organised chaos," Ms Lacey-Minors quipped.

The remark was deceptive because, with the trained eye of someone who has been conducting similar classes for some time in California, where she now lives, she was in control, and nothing escaped her notice.

"I saw that," she told one girl who was about to do something unacceptable. "Don't run in the kitchen," she admonished another. "Look at the recipe," she advised enquiring minds.

In short, Ms Lacey-Minors was as much a kitchen traffic cop as she was the instructor, because that was the way things stayed on course and got done. Yet it was obvious that the children liked and respected the lady they called 'Chef Karla'.

Normally based in a commercial kitchen in South Sacramento, California, this year marked the first time local children were able to experience a Jr. Chef camp, and it was a great success. Participants had learned a great deal about so many things, and were not only wiser but also keener to continue cooking at home, in their schools, and in any future camps.

Passionate about cooking and good nutrition, which is why she started Jr. Chef Central in 2004, Bermudian Ms Lacey-Minors' aim is to teach children to make healthier lifestyle choices for themselves and, by extension, their families, and also to focus on the common denominator of food to bridge cultural, social and economic divides among young people.

"We lecture kids on how to eat right — the food pyramid, how much fruit and vegetables they should have daily," she said. "When they go home they have to eat what mummy and daddy put on the table, so we are really lecturing the wrong generation. Therefore, unless the kids learn to make the choices which are good for them, these classes are all for nought. That is where we fill in the gap — the joy and the skills of selecting healthy foods, knowing where their healthy foods come from, and how to prepare them to their taste."

Part of the process includes encouraging parents to let children who have been through her classes to cook at home.

"People become very territorial about their kitchens, and say they don't like their kids cooking because of the mess and so on, but the actuality is that they don't want to let go," Ms Lacey-Minors said. "It is important for parents to step back and let their children cook, otherwise, they will get frustrated and give up. Cooking is something every child can do, and they take great pride in being able to feed someone with what they have made with their own hands."

In terms of acquiring new tastes, one of the Jr. Chef camp rules is that all participants must try everything they prepare unless they have an allergy. While not every child was smitten with every unfamiliar morsel, none were repelled. On the contrary, they all found it an enlightening and positive experience.

"I have been really impressed with their willingness to try different foods," Ms Lacey-Minors said. "If you let a child determine what they are going to make, choose the ingredients, and use their hands to prepare it, they are going to eat it."

Outlining some of the aspects of her first Bermuda Jr. Chef camp, the former resident said these included a visit to Wadson's Farm and a private kitchen garden, both of which were eye-openers. Some of the children had never seen produce growing before, while others were inspired to want to start home gardens themselves. A visit to Lindo's supermarket taught them how to read and understand nutrition labels — another eye-opener, as many were surprised to learn just how unhealthy or nutritionally valueless their favourite things were.

Meanwhile, back in the kitchen, where only fresh ingredients were used, the budding chefs learned a host of kitchen lore and culinary skills in preparing their dishes — everything from how to julienne, chiffonade, chop, dice and mince (by week's end, they were wielding their knives like pros), to herbs and oils; various cooking methods, including baking; sautéing, steaming; as well as the importance of eating in season.

"The thing that Bermudians have in common with all kids is that they are not used to a diet that necessarily focuses on what is fresh and in season," Ms Lacey-Minors said. "Once they left Wadson's Farm they actually tried fresh things because they saw where the produce came from."

She admitted to being amazed at the huge difference between the prices of fresh produce here and in California — "about four times as much here" — and also the lack of variety. She said these factors, and whether or not children could afford to eat healthy, fresh produce all the time, were the biggest challenges she faced in holding her Jr. Chef camp here.

Nonetheless, feedback from the children was positive and enthusiastic.

Brothers Kyle (12) and Ryan (11) Cancarella, both students at Warwick Academy, enjoy cooking at home with their parents, but said they had learned a lot at the camp. In fact, Kyle, who has cooking lessons at school, and holds a Cub Scout cooking badge, now wants to take the Jr. Chef advanced course. Ryan, who cut a pretty professional figure with a knife, aspires to join the army, where he "could" be a chef, but wants to be an officer. Meanwhile, both boys were enthusiastically drawing up menus to prepare and serve to the family's many summer house guests.

Zachary Pettingill enjoys cooking with both his mother and his father at their respective homes, which exposes him to both vegetarian and non-vegetarian cuisine, both of which he likes. Learning that it was healthier to have a garden added to his pride in using the fresh herbs, vegetables and fruit growing in his dad's. "Thyme is divine when you put it in a burger," he assured. He likes trying different foods, and has earned his Cub Scout cooking badge. His favourite part of the Jr. Chef camp was making "all sorts of meals, pastas and desserts".

Jay Trott (10), a student at Summerfield Academy, loves cooking with his family, who rarely buy fast food. The course was a new experience he would happily undergo again. His liked the way Chef Karla explained things, and never imagined he would learn so much. He enjoyed making whole menus the most, and baking the least. He likes creating his own dishes, and has "invented" a soufflé called Jae. He wants to become a chef, along with his cousin, best friend and fellow Summerfield student, Harouna Gadio, and said the duo were focusing on opening a restaurant.

Daniel Hetzel (10) attends Warwick Academy. He enjoys cooking at home, particularly desserts. He found the camp interesting, and also learned a lot. Although not a big junk food eater, studying nutritional labels made him more aware of the importance of healthy eating. Learning different ways to cook food was the most interesting aspect of the camp for him, and his favourite recipe was Chinese Chicken, which he planned to prepare, along with other camp recipes, for his family.

Conor Outerbridge (11), another Warwick Academy student, joined the camp because he wanted to know more about cooking, which he does "a bit of" at home. He thoroughly enjoyed the week, liked everything about the programme except chopping onions, and would gladly participate again. He now looked forward to beginning food and nutritional classes at school, for which he felt the Jr. Chef camp gave him a head start.

Kiarrah Rogers (12) also attends Warwick Academy. Although she enjoyed helping her mother around the house, cooking was not her forté, so she found the programme a great help, and was now looking forward to her upcoming food and nutrition classes at school. She had never seen vegetables growing before the field trips, and thought that was "pretty cool".

Learning to cut vegetables correctly without cutting herself was "interesting", and nutritional information and what one should eat now inspired her to eat more healthily. Her favourite things to make were Chinese Chicken, and lemon and lime squares.

Ashley Gibbs (13), a Bermuda High School for Girls student, said the camp was "interesting", and she particularly enjoyed the visit to Wadson's Farm. She had never seen a kitchen garden before, and thought it was fun to see what could be grown at home. She was also more informed now about the food she eats.

She cooks at home, but wanted to do more, and looked forward to trying the new recipes on her family. She liked making the lemon bars, but not preparing onions.