Demonstration Outline: Quick and Easy No-Bake Chocolate Pie

Emily Davis[1]

SPCH 101-11

General Purpose: To inform

Specific Purpose: To inform the audience how to make a quick and simple no bake chocolate pie including preparation and cleanup afterwards.

Organizational Style: Chronological

Introduction:

Attention Getter: Baking is actually good for your health. According to Elana Goldberg, manager of Goodnet.org and self-proclaimed “kitchen therapist”, baking is good for your mental health. In a 2013 article titled 5 Reasons Boking is Good for Mental Health: Effective Kitchen Therapy on her website, she states that baking is meditative, it stimulates senses, it is creative, and it makes other people happy.

Relevance Statement: Not only does baking have a positive impact on anyone’s mental health, it is also a great way to enjoy the simple things in life. Because we are all busy college students without the oven that is crucial for baking, it seems almost impossible to make an enjoyable dessert. Knowing how to make a quick and easy no-bake, chocolate pie is a great skill not only in your college years, but also later on in life.

Credibility Statement: My mom taught me how to make this pie when I was about 6 years old and I have been making it for every bake sale, slumber party, and any other special event since.

Thesis Statement: Knowing how to make a quick and easy no-bake chocolate pie is not only delicious, but also a useful skill to take with you through life.

Summary of the Main Points: I plan to cover what ingredients and supplies you will need and how to prep the work space, then I will walk through the steps of how to prepare the pie itself, and then explain how to clean up the mess afterwards.

Transition: Before making the pie itself, you must gather all the materials and prepare your work space.

Body:

  1. First, you must prepare all ingredients and gather needed utensils.
  2. You will need a pre-made pie crust, a box of instant chocolate pudding, 3 cups of milk, and a can of whipped cream.
  3. Upon going to Walmart, I picked up all of these items for exactly $4.65.
  4. Less than five bucks is a bargain for anyone living on a budget.
  5. To mix the ingredients, a whisk, a medium sized bowl, and a measuring cup are needed.
  6. It is also important to make sure your work space and hands are clean before getting started.
  7. Jay Hardy, a microbiologist and medical technologist, explained in 2011 on the page “Could Singing Yankee Doodle Save your Life?” on his personal website that 80% of all infectious diseases are transmitted by touch.
  8. According to informational materials produced by the Massachusetts Health and Human Resources Department at Mass.gov, every year in the United States, foodborne illnesses cause 76 million people in the world to get food poisoning.

Transition: Once everything is ready, it is time to make the pie itself.

  1. Now it is time to mix up the ingredients.
  2. Prepare the box of pudding according to the “5 minute” directions located directly on the back of the box.by stirring the mix and the 3 cups of milk for 2 minutes.
  3. Spoon the pudding into the pie crust.
  4. Top with whipped cream.

Transition: After the pie is made, there is still work to do before you can enjoy it.

  1. Clean the area and make sure any supplies are cleaned.
  2. Make sure to wipe down your work space.
  3. Wash the dishes that you used.
  4. Associate Professor Barbara Mullan from Curtin University’s school of psychology has spent years studying behavior in the kitchen, and explains in a 2016 interview with Emma Wyneof the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that leaving dishes in the sink can cause bacteria to spread more rapidly in your house.
  5. In that interview, Mullan also says that “Bacteria can stay alive on surfaces, even clean surfaces, for up to four days. So on dishes that have contamination like food particles, bacteria can stay alive and grow for a very long time.”
  6. Jennifer Davis, my mom and the best pie- maker I know, has always said, “The best part about making something is getting to enjoy it afterward.” (J. Davis, personal communication, 2017)

Transition: Once all the steps are completed and you get to enjoy your masterpiece, you will be thankful you took the time to make such a delicious dessert.

Conclusion:

Restated Thesis: Knowing how to make a quick and easy no-bake chocolate pie is not only delicious, but also a useful skill to take with you through life.

Clincher: Where there’s a whisk, there’s a way. So I encourage all of you to find a way to make a scrumptious dessert for you and your friends to enjoy. I promise it will be worth it.

References

Hardy, J. (2011). Could Singing Yankee Doodle Save your Life?.Hardy Diagnostics. Retrieved from:

Goldberg, E. (2013, October 8).5 reasons baking is good for mental health: Effective kitchen tharapy.Goodnet: Gateway to Doing Good. Retrieved from

Massachusetts Government Agency. (n.d). Handwashing Education Materials for Healthcare Professionals. MassachusettsHealth and Human Services. Retrieved from

Wynne, E. (2016, May 19). Do the Dishes: Why you should keep up with the Washing Up. ABC News. Retrieved from

[1]Many thanks to Emily for allowing me to use her work as the basis for this example. A student consent form is on file.