The Taste of Home Cooking School is just around the corner. Do you have your ticket yet? You can still purchase a ticket for just $10 at Ripley Publishing Co., Versailles, go online to www.ripleynews.com, or call the office at 689-6364.

The cooking school event will take place November 8 at the South Ripley Elementary School Gymnasium with lots of prizes to be given away.

The grand prize is a freezer donated by Southeastern Indiana REMC, purchased from Four Seasons in Osgood. Ripley Publishing Co. is giving away a microwave and there is a host of other prizes and goodies in store for those who attend the event.

Doors will open at 5 p.m. with a variety of booths set up. Attendees will want to browse the booths for good deals, samples and prizes. The booths will close at 7 p.m. when the cooking show begins with popular culinary artist Dana Elliott, who has been to Ripley County before.

Throughout the lively show, there will be fun and surprise prizes given away by the culinary specialist. Also, all of the delectable dishes she prepares that evening will be given away.

Everyone will go home with a goodie bag filled with coupons, specials, products, and two magazines from Taste of Home.

“This is a must see show,” noted Linda Chandler, publisher of the Osgood Journal and The Versailles Republican, sponsors of the event. “You get a lot for your money,” she noted, adding the goodie bag alone more than pays for the fee for a ticket.

The Taste of Home Cooking School and Ripley Publishing Co. are proud to announce Cooks Who Care as part of this season’s cooking show. Created by Taste of Home, Cooks Who Care is a pro-social effort to celebrate acts of caring by home cooks and communities across the country.

Introduced as a magazine feature in October 2007, Cooks Who Care unites compassionate, real people across the country, who give back through food. Their stories of kindness are shared in print and on-line at www.tasteofhome.com.

At the last cooking school at the South Ripley Elementary School, the culinary artist was amazed at the outpouring of love the community had as they brought canned goods and filled a barrel overflowing onto the floor. “It’s so fun to see people at shows across the country bringing food items to donate,” noted Dana Elliott, culinary artist for the evening.

This year everyone attending is encouraged to bring a non-perishable item for the local food pantries in need. “This is a great way to remember how fortunate we are and help those less fortunate,” noted Chandler. She said she knows the generosity of the people in Ripley County and knows they will come through again to help others.

The evening is exciting from beginning to end. It’s a win-win for everyone. Come early to reserve your seat, see a great cooking show, enjoy the booths (bring cash or checks to shop), have dinner at the Dabney Baptist Church food booth, and maybe you’ll win a prize or two.

There will be a limited amount of tickets available at the door on Tuesday evening if you haven’t purchased your ticket in advance.