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Donna Nowicki, of Center City, has had an interest in cooking - especially baking - through most of her life. She recalls asking for an Easy-Bake Oven at age 7, and at the library. "Many kids would read fiction books, I'd read cookbooks."

As a young adult, she decided to focus on decorating cakes, training through Wilton Industries. She has shared her 30 years of experience teaching classes at the Chef's Gallery cooking in Stillwater, the Chefs' Abode school in Lilydale and at Cooks of Crocus Hill, schools in Edina and St. Paul. She has also provided cake decorating instruction through public school community education programs in St. Paul, Stillwater, Anoka and Forest Lake.

Last fall she completed a program through the Culinary Business Academy, and is a certified personal chef. Nowicki would love to start sharing her joy of cooking and baking with the children of today. "Kids' birthday parties, stuff like that," she said. This winter and spring, she will have classes appropriate for all ages scheduled in kitchens of three Chisago County churches.

There is a place for food-a-on-stick beyond the State Fairgrounds, and Nowicki will share the art of creating Valentine "cake pops." Her class will be 6:30-9 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 9, at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, 28005 Old Towne Road in Chisago City.

She will share cake decorating tips for Easter in a class scheduled for noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 24, at Trinity Lutheran Church, North Branch (38460 Lincoln Trail). She will bring those same Easter dessert ideas into the social hall of St. Bridget of Sweden Catholic Church, 13060 Lake Blvd. in Lindstrom, from 6:30-9 p.m. Monday, April 2. Nowicki will return to Trinity of North Branch, noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 5, for a class on Mother's Day cake pops. To not ignore fathers before their honorary day, she will introduce what she calls "BBQ cupcakes" in Trinity of North Branch noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 9.

"A lot of people, they like meat and potatoes," she said. "I'm more of a cupcake person."

The BBQ cupcakes are not savory cakes, but sweet cakes decorated to look like round kettle grills that might be found in typical backyards.

Mothers and daughters, fathers and sons or any other multi-generational mix of students are welcome to register for any of Nowicki's classes. "Food is something that brings families together," she said.

She is charging a $35 fee per person for each class. Beyond the registration fee, she regularly adds $5 to $10 per person for supplies, but she told the County Press that she plans to keep the supply charge at $5 for each church event.

Pre-registration is required for any of her classes. She welcomes contacts by phone at 257-9271 or email at cookwith [email protected]. The registration deadline for the course on Valentine cake pops is Monday, Feb. 6.

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