Experience Level: Beginner

Learn how to decorate cookies for spring at Spring Cookie Decorating on Saturday, March 15 from 12 to 3 p.m. in the Greenhouse Café.

Learn to decorate spring-themed cookies with royal icing, crusting butter cream and rolled buttercream! Instructor Jennifer Holhubner will demonstrate and explain wet-on-wet technique, outlining and flooding and make flowers. Each participant will receive directions to decorate five cookies.

$75/person*. Register here by Feb. 28. All sales are final.

*Students should bring a take-home container.

If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email Olivia Bunting at owarren@illinois.edu.

By attending, you consent to your image being used in Allerton marketing, social media and publications. Please alert the photographer or videographer if you do not want your image taken.

About the instructor

Champaign-Urbana native Jennifer Holhubner taught herself how to decorate cakes when she was 16 years old and took up cookie decorating in 2019.

“Although they intimidated me, I forged on and got better with each order. I still have room to grow as we all do in whatever task we take on,” she said. “But I love to share the aspects of baking and decorating. I can actually now say, I am cookier!”

Jennifer also teaches decorating classes at Parkland College.

Experience Level: Beginner

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by taking part in Irish Baked Goods: Barmbrack & Irish Soda Bread on Monday, March 17 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Mansion Carriage House.

In this workshop, Chef Leah Bodine will teach the basics of creating the batter needed for these Irish favorites. Students will take home recipes, instructions and the batter to bake these treasured treats!

$45/person. Register here by March 10. All sales are final.

Learn more about the space where your course will take place here. If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email Olivia Bunting at owarren@illinois.edu.

By attending, you consent to your image being used in Allerton marketing, social media and publications. Please alert the photographer or videographer if you do not want your image taken.

About the instructor

Leah Bodine calls herself the ‘accidental chef’ with years of experience in the food industry. She started her catering company, Blue Dragonfly Catering, to express her creative mind in food preparation and cultivating recipes. She loves sharing her skills with others and seeing the fascination on students’ faces when they realize how creative they can be and how easy it is to do so.

Her experiences in the food industry have led her to live in Paris and cater for rock and country legends.

About The Farms

The Farms: An Allerton Folk School, offers classes, workshops, and gatherings focusing on art, health & wellness, history, nature & outdoor education, or science. All experiences value hands-on, experiential teaching and learning, and are facilitated by and for the members of the community.

See the complete Spring Session schedule here. 

Experience Level: Beginner

Take part in a delicious series at Wines of the World on Wednesdays, Feb. 19, March 12, March 26 and April 9 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Mansion Solarium.

Renowned wine educator and television personality Mike Lee will lead this delightful and delectable wine class, where he takes students on an enchanting journey through the vineyards both domestically and across the globe. With a wealth of knowledge and passion for introducing students to tasting, talking, and understanding wine, Mike’s engaging style immerses students in wines of the world.

Mike’s class is for beginners and wine lovers alike, from the refined elegance of Bordeaux to the inspiring hills of Tuscany, the bold flavors of Rioja and the full, rich vintages of California. Each class will include tastings of 5 to 6 wines (see below for details on varieties).

$200/person for the entire series* or $60/class (Ages 21+). Register by Feb. 12th or one week before each class. All sales are final.

Registration links:

— Feb. 19: Navigating Blends/The Art of Winemaking — discover the world of blended wines and why winemakers choose to blend

— March 12: Sense of Place — a class contrasting wines from regions across the globe

— March 26: Oregon and Washington — exploring American winemakers outside of California

— April 9: Choosing Wines for Any Occasion — Match wines to seasons and occasions

*Sign up for all four classes individually and use the promo code “WINE40” to get $40 off at checkout.

Learn more about the space where your course will take place here. If you will need disability-related accommodations in order to participate, please email owarren@illinois.edu.

By attending, you consent to your image being used in Allerton marketing, social media and publications. Please alert the photographer or videographer if you do not want your image taken.

About the Instructor

Mike Lee is an accomplished wine, spirits, and beer educator with 9+ years in the alcohol industry. Having achieved the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (London) Certified Educator achievement in Wine, Lee is certified to teach levels 1 and 2 internationally. With experience with class sizes large and small, he is known for his ability to adapt to any learning environment with excellent facilitation skills.

About The Farms

The Farms: An Allerton Folk School, offers classes, workshops, and gatherings focusing on art, health & wellness, history, nature & outdoor education, or science. All experiences value hands-on, experiential teaching and learning, and are facilitated by and for the members of the community.

See the complete Spring Session schedule here. 

Wines of the World

Experience Level: Beginner

Take part in a delicious series at Wines of the World on Wednesdays, Feb. 19, March 12, March 26 and April 9 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Mansion Solarium.

Renowned wine educator and television personality Mike Lee will lead this delightful and delectable wine class, where he takes students on an enchanting journey through the vineyards both domestically and across the globe. With a wealth of knowledge and passion for introducing students to tasting, talking, and understanding wine, Mike’s engaging style immerses students in wines of the world.

Mike’s class is for beginners and wine lovers alike, from the refined elegance of Bordeaux to the inspiring hills of Tuscany, the bold flavors of Rioja and the full, rich vintages of California. Each class will include tastings of 5 to 6 wines (see below for details on varieties).

$200/person for the entire series* or $60/class (Ages 21+). Register by Feb. 12th or one week before each class. All sales are final.

Registration links:

— Feb. 19: Navigating Blends/The Art of Winemaking — discover the world of blended wines and why winemakers choose to blend

— March 12: Sense of Place — a class contrasting wines from regions across the globe

— March 26: Oregon and Washington — exploring American winemakers outside of California

— April 9: Choosing Wines for Any Occasion — Match wines to seasons and occasions

*Sign up for all four classes individually and use the promo code “WINE40” to get $40 off at checkout.

Learn more about the space where your course will take place here. If you will need disability-related accommodations in order to participate, please email owarren@illinois.edu.

By attending, you consent to your image being used in Allerton marketing, social media and publications. Please alert the photographer or videographer if you do not want your image taken.

About the Instructor

Mike Lee is an accomplished wine, spirits, and beer educator with 9+ years in the alcohol industry. Having achieved the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (London) Certified Educator achievement in Wine, Lee is certified to teach levels 1 and 2 internationally. With experience with class sizes large and small, he is known for his ability to adapt to any learning environment with excellent facilitation skills.

About The Farms

The Farms: An Allerton Folk School, offers classes, workshops, and gatherings focusing on art, health & wellness, history, nature & outdoor education, or science. All experiences value hands-on, experiential teaching and learning, and are facilitated by and for the members of the community.

See the complete Spring Session schedule here. 

Experience Level: Beginner (ages 15+)

Learn about cheese-making at Making Fresh Mozzarella on Wednesday, April 16 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the Mansion Solarium.

Instructor Lee Schuler will take students through the process of turning milk to curd and curd into fresh mozzarella. Students will be able to sample their cheese with some of Lee’s flavored olive oils and crostini and take the remainder home!

$75/person (ages 15+. Ages 15-17 should be accompanied by a registered adult). Register by April 9. All sales are final.

If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email Olivia Bunting at owarren@illinois.edu.

By attending, you consent to your image being used in Allerton marketing, social media and publications. Please alert the photographer or videographer if you do not want your image taken.

About the instructor

Lee Schuler recently moved from Illinois from Pennsylvania, where she taught fungal identification and edibility at environmental education centers for the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and for private land owners. She is certified as a wild edible mushroom expert and licensed to harvest and sell to restaurants and markets in the State of Pennsylvania. Schuler is also a contributing culinary author for a wild mushroom trade journal.

A graduate of East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania, Lee has worked as a field biologist and environmental educator, and currently works in public health. She is an artist and cook and enjoys acquiring new and useful skills as much as she loves sharing them.