Tom Douglas and Premera Blue Cross Present `Made from Scratch` Kids` Cooking Classes

Top Seattle Chef and Leading Local Health Plan Mix One Part Gourmet Flair and
One Part Nutritional Guidance to Create Cooking Classes for Youngsters That
Nourish a Love of Healthy Food
SEATTLE--(Business Wire)--
Acclaimed Seattle chef Tom Douglas, his daughter Loretta Douglas and Premera
Blue Cross have teamed up to create Made from Scratch, a summer series of four
cooking classes for children ages 8-12. This joint venture aims to cultivate
within children a love of healthy food and an understanding of nutrition and the
food chain, and to teach them basic food preparation techniques. The partnership
between Premera and Tom Douglas Restaurants is the product of a shared
commitment to expand awareness of the importance and enjoyment of healthy
lifestyles.

"It goes without saying that I love food, but a huge passion of mine is to teach
kids that the best tasting food is also great for our bodies," said Chef Tom
Douglas. "Partnering with Premera Blue Cross allows me and Loretta to bring
these lessons into the kitchen and teach aspiring young cooks how to make
healthy choices, like cooking from scratch and using local, fresh ingredients
whenever possible."

"Making the right choices for healthy living is so important," said Dr. Roki
Chauhan, Premera`s Chief Medical Officer. "We know that at least 25% of the cost
of healthcare today is entirely preventable with better lifestyle choices. More
importantly, making the right choices leads to healthier, more enjoyable lives.
Teaching kids that healthy living can taste great and can also be fun - that is
an invaluable lesson early in life."

Kids will learn firsthand several fundamental nutrition lessons in each Made
from Scratch class: how and why they should include fruits and vegetables into
every meal; the importance of integrating low-fat dairy products and lean meats
and proteins into every meal; where their food comes from and the benefits of
preparing their own food; and finally, good food (and food that is good for our
bodies) tastes really good. Each child will receive a binder with recipes from
the class, healthy eating tips and links to recipe websites so they can continue
to prepare healthy meals at home.

Made from Scratch classes include:

* The Best Hamburger Ever - Saturday, June 20, 2009 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Kids will learn everything from how to grind meat and shape their own patties to
how to bake fries and whole wheat buns and select cheeses, condiments and
toppings. Nutritional lessons will include why baking is healthier than frying,
the benefit of whole grains and lean meat, and why a homemade burger with these
ingredients is a healthier choice than a fast-food burger. The session will also
include a discussion about other burger options, including veggie burgers and
turkey burgers as a substitute for lean beef. Balancing out a meal with healthy
side dishes is another key component to these classes, which means kids will
also spend time talking about and tasting healthy side dishes to accompany the
"best burger ever."

* Mac n` Cheese - Saturday, July 11, 2009 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

This session begins with a field trip to Beecher`s Handmade Cheese in Pike Place
Market to learn how cheese is made. Back at Palace Kitchen, kids will do a taste
comparison between homemade and processed mac n` cheese, learn about pasta
shapes and sizes, as well as discover the nutritional value of the ingredients,
including whole wheat options. This session will help build awareness of the
nutritional pros and cons of cheese, from the protein content to saturated fat,
and explain how to create a balanced meal by including healthy and tasty
vegetable side dishes.

* Pizza - Saturday, July 25, 2009 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

A pizza class wouldn`t be complete without a visit to Serious Pie, where kids
will see the stone-encased applewood burning pizza ovens and watch the chefs in
action. Kids will learn about yeast and how to slice vegetables and pepperoni,
in addition to making their own pizza dough, tomato sauce and pesto. The session
will include lessons on why it`s important to think about using lean meats,
vegetables and whole grain pizza crust, as well as side dishes to help add a
healthy balance to this kid-favorite food.

* Fruits, Vegetables and Ice Cream - Saturday, August 8, 2009 from 10 a.m. to 2
p.m.

With the guiding philosophy that fruits and vegetables are "great as food, great
as art," kids will make food sculptures, toss salads, sauté vegetables and
create their own dried chips, fruit popsicles, fresh pressed juices and fresh
homemade ice cream. They`ll visit the Belltown P-Patch community garden, enjoy
blind tastings of different fruits and vegetables, and learn how it`s easy and
necessary to integrate them into meals.

All Made from Scratch classes are taught by the Tom Douglas Restaurants team of
chefs at the Palace Kitchen. Each class is $30 per child including lunch and
snacks, and class size is limited to 20 children. To reserve a space, please
contact Loretta Douglas at LorettaD@tomdouglas.com or (206) 448-2001.

About Premera Blue Cross:

Our mission is to provide peace of mind to our members about their healthcare
coverage. We provide health insurance and related services to more than 1.5
million people. Premera Blue Cross has operated in Washington since 1933, and
Alaska since 1957. Premera Blue Cross is an independent licensee of the Blue
Cross Blue Shield Association.

Premera Blue Cross is a member of a family of companies based in Mountlake
Terrace, Washington, that provide health, life, vision, dental, stop-loss,
disability, and other related products and services.

About Tom Douglas Restaurants:

As a chef, cookbook author and restaurateur, Tom Douglas has been an integral
member of the Seattle food community for more than 20 years. His first
restaurant, Dahlia Lounge, opened in 1989, followed by Etta`s in 1995, Palace
Kitchen in 1996, Lola in 2004, and Serious Pie in 2006. He is one of the Pacific
Northwest`s most recognized food personalities and was named the "Best Northwest
Chef" by the James Beard Foundation in 1994, recognized as the 2008 Restaurateur
of the Year by bon appetit magazine, and nominated for the James Beard 2008 and
2009 `Outstanding Restaurateur` award. Dahlia Lounge was nominated by the James
Beard Foundation as one of the five best restaurants in the country in May 2006.
Tom Douglas` Seattle Kitchen was awarded "Best Americana" cookbook by the James
Beard Foundation in 2001. Other books include Tom`s Big Dinners and I Love Crab
Cakes! (Morrow/HarperCollins). Tom Douglas` product line includes the Rub with
Love spice rubs, sauces and snack mix.

Richmond Public Relations
Naomi Zeitlin / Lori Meyers, 206-682-6979
Fax: 206-682-7062
naomiz@richmondpr.com
lorim@richmondpr.com
or
Premera Blue Cross
Eric Earling, 425-918-3297
Fax: 425-918-5575
eric.earling@premera.com

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