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| LIFE IN SOLERA | JULY 2026 | 31 The Bon Appetit Cooking Club continues to flourish, and the June event was filled with excitement and special guests! Event Highlights: Founder Recognition: We celebrated our founder, Linda Dostal (inset), who started the club 12 years ago and received a lifetime membership in recognition of her dedication. Scholarship Winner Announcement: We proudly introduced Valerie Duarte Ellis, the recipient of the 2026 scholarship. Valerie completed the Culinary Arts pathway at Beaumont High School and plans to further her education in Hospitality Management at Cal Poly Pomona. Her ultimate goal is to specialize in catering for large operations like the Ritz-Carlton and eventually start her own catering business. Kitchen Gadget Showcase: Attendees enjoyed popcorn and snacks while Jan, the Gadget Queen and owner of Kitchen Kitchen, showcased an impressive array of kitchen gadgets. Standouts included a magnet divide that came in two pieces used to clean the sides and bottom of tall jars, a battery operated apple peeler that you can multitask with and a gadget to make square boiled eggs! She brought three tables of items for members to purchase, contributing 10 percent of the proceeds back to the club for our 2027 fundraising efforts. It was reminiscent of the "Little Mermaid" with all the gizmos, gadgets, and thingamabobs! Treasure Chest Giveaway: We also held a fun giveaway from our Treasure Chest, filled with gadgets donated by members. It was a delightful challenge to guess their uses! So many gadgets that we will be giving away more in the coming events. The Bon Appetit Club meets on the first Friday of each month, except in July when we will meet on the second Friday at 1 pm. Join us for a BBQ to celebrate America's 250th year of independence, along with our first-ever virtual Solera Iron Chef competition. If you're interested in joining or being a guest, please contact Diane Gell at (909) 223- 9270. Come join the fun! BON APPETIT CLUB Valerie Duarte Ennis our scholarship winner with Susana Aguilar-Beaumont School District and Chef Jonathan Weiner, culinary pathways instructor Rae basket winners