Mexico, Guatemala and many Latin American countries celebrate February 14th as a Day of Friendship, Love and Agape Love. Not only is a romantic day, but also a day when friends get together to celebrate each other.

To celebrate St. Valentine join our amigas Velvet Hernandez-Johnson and Carla Jones to learn how to make authentic fajitas, yummy queso dip, rice and refried beans.

Cooking along with the teachers is welcome but not required! We will send the ingredient list and recipes out within a week of the class so that you are ready to go when the class begins.

About the teachers:

Velvet Hernandez-Johnson, a Guatemalan native, came to the United States as an international college student. She graduated with a degree in International Studies and Marketing from Harding University and completed a MBA from UTC. Velvet has a long tenure career at one of our largest Chattanooga's insurance companies. During her free time, she enjoys community and volunteer work. Her main passions are in women's and children's advocacy, arts, and culture. She is a volunteer-technology teacher for La Paz and Tech Goes Home and serves on the board of The Creative Discovery Children's museum. Velvet is also a strategic partner to Irie Love, her daughter’s initiative to provide care packages to Guatemalan children who work instead of attending school. In 2012, she was a recipient of La Paz Chattanooga Latino Leadership Award. And in 2014 she was recognized nationally as a Hispanic Young Achiever by the Hispanic Association of Corporate Responsibility. Hernandez-Johnson’s attributes her success to her parents for instilling a strong work ethic and love for people. She believes that sharing our talents with others in the community enriches the lives of all involved. Velvet lives with her husband, Eugene, and daughter, Irie, in Lookout Mountain GA.

Carla Jones, a native of California, grew up in Leon Guanajuato in Mexico. From an early age she developed a passion for food and cooking Traditional Mexican dishes. Carla loves that Mexican cuisine is full of color, flavor and culture. For her, cooking is not a chore but a way to show love to family and friends.