Dispatches: A Recipe for Success

Most people speak only one language. Some speak two. Sierra Bennett is well on her way to speaking three different languages.

Bennett, a junior at , is majoring in French and Spanish and hopes to continue those majors at college. To help her learn more about Spanish language and culture, Bennett is hoping to study abroad in Spain during the upcoming Spring semester.

To help pay for the semester, Bennett has come up with a unique fundraiser. Bennett is selling a cookbook, “Where on Earth did you get that Recipe?” to help raise funds.

The book is a collection of more than 150 favorite recipes that Bennett gathered from friends and family members, she said. Bennett said she is selling the books for a $15 donation.

The book has a breakfast, bread, entrée, and soup section, along with others. One of Bennett’s favorite recipes is for “Hawaiian Chicken,” a simple recipe that includes, chicken, peppers and pineapples with a sweet and sour sauce.

Bennett said creating a cookbook for raise money was one of the suggestions the study abroad program gave for raising money and said she enjoys cooking so it was the perfect fit.

“I don’t have the patience for baking,” Bennett said.

Bennett said her goal is to sell 500 books. So far, she has sold 32 cookbooks and is looking for more places to sell them. Bennett said she hasn’t had much luck with grocery stores in the area because she’s technically not categorized as a non-profit group so they won’t let her sell them outside their shops.

Bennett said she’s always wanted to go to Spain and her Spanish teacher told her the dialect she is learning is closer to the dialect they speak in Spain. She said she’s only taken a year of Spanish so far.

“It will be hard at first not knowing everything they’re saying,” Bennett said but added that she’s looking forward to learning more about the language and culture in Spain.

Through the program, Bennett will be staying with a host family. She said it will be interesting and difficult to adopt her host families way of life. She said she has heard from other students who studied abroad about the long-lasting relationships they developed with their host families. Bennett said she hopes to do the same.

Bennett’s mom, Sherri, said she’s going to miss her daughter a lot but believes it will be a great experience for her. She said it’s the best way to learn a language, to be submerged in it in another culture.

Sherri spent time in Europe backpacking with a friend after school and said it was an amazing experience and one reason why she thinks it will be good for her daughter.

“You learn a lot about yourself,” Sherri Bennett said.

Sierra Bennett said she hopes to continue traveling when she goes to college in a few years and would like to study in France.

To buy one of Bennett’s cookbooks or to share marketing suggestions, email her at sierrascookbook@verizon.net.