New catering business launched

Given their love of cooking, the mother/daughter team of Peggy Johnson and Rhonda Howells recently decided to start up a catering business in town, which they named “Cooking with Care.”
“We want people to know that quality is more important than quantity . . . . And that we take pride in what we do,” Howells remarked, noting they felt there was a need for someone to prepare food for luncheons and funerals—basic catering for functions.
The idea came to the pair after they prepared hundreds of trays of Christmas baking. “People told us we should be selling them and that got us thinking,” Johnson said.
They even had a booth set up at The Christmas Store here, where they tried out a few of their creations, such as double-stuffed potatoes and the dainties.
Howells and Johnson said they will cater for almost any event, including birthdays, anniversaries, and baby or bridal showers.
As well, they possibly could cook the food for larger functions—if the facility had a kitchen they could use. Currently, the duo is working out of their homes.
“We’ll cook anything, though. You tell us what you want and we’ll cook it,” Howells said, though noting they specialize in soups, dainties, and fancy sandwiches.
“Cooking with Care” also ensures all their fare is homemade.
“We don’t use anything from a package—everything is made from scratch,” she stressed. “All breads, soups. The meats are real meat, no processed.”
And since Howells and Johnson frequently have been involved in organizing and planning events, they are willing to go above and beyond food preparation to assist with the planning aspect.
“We’ll help in whatever way we can,” Johnson noted, explained they recently catered a 70th birthday where they helped with the invitations and making a picture board.
“We like to meet with the clients beforehand and discuss what they’d like done, whether it’s just about the food or anything more we could do,” Howells said.
Those interested in the catering services offered by “Cooking with Care” can contact Howells and Johnson at 274-9687 or 274-7514.