Christmas cookery activities

Well it's that time of year again and I am running two Cracking Christmas Cookery sessions during the Christmas holidays.

We will be making Christmas reindeer cupcakes and a savoury item to take
home.

10am to 12noon for ages 6 to 14 years
Maximum at each session 16
£10 per child, which includes the cost of ingredients.

Thursday 22nd December Briercliffe Children’s Centre

Tuesday 3rd January Briercliffe Children’s Centre

Book direct with Susan Balf on 01751 433400 / 07778640893

or by email on info@readytocookuk.co.uk

October half term activity

October half term is coming up and I will be running sessions on Thursday 27th October for children aged 7 to 14 years. The session costs £10 per child and includes the cost of all ingredients. Your child will come home with 2 items they have made during the session. The theme will be autumn flavours and produce.

9.30am to 11.30am at Raincliffe School, Scarborough
1.30pm to 3.30pm at Filey School, Muston Road, Filey

If you want to book a place call me on 01751 433400 / 07778640893

Age UK launch in Scarborough

I had an excellent day yesterday at The Spa in Scarborough when Age Concern Scarborough and District relaunched itself as Age UK Scarborough and District. I caught up with people I had worked with in the past and met new people too. Throughout the day I did some cookery demonstrations and promised to put the recipes on this blog, so here they are - enjoy!
Baked Thai Salmon - serves 2
2 x 150g salmon fillets
100g carrots
100g leeks
1 tsp lime zest
1 tblsp Thai fish sauce
1 clove garlic thinly sliced
2cm fresh root ginger, peeled and grated
2 tblsp fat free coconut milk
1 tblsp fresh coriander, chopped

Preheat the oven to Gas 5, 190C
Cut a large piece of baking parchment and put in a baking tin, lay the salmon fillets on it.
Cut the carrots and leeks into thin strips, put them in a bowl with all of the other ingredients and mix.
Spoon this over the salmon and sprinkle over the coriander. Bring the baking parchment together like a parcel.
Put it the oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with green vegetables.

One cup pancakes
1 egg
1 cup self raising flour
1 cup of milk
Mix together the flour, milk and egg.
In a non stick frying pan, use a small amount of butter or oil and heat.
Spoon in small amounts of the batter, you can make 2 or 3 pancakes at a time.
Turn the pancake over when you see small bubbles coming on the top of the pancake and turn over to brown the second side.
These can be eaten straight away, wrapped in foil and reheated in a frying pan or microwave or frozen.
Delicious with yoghurt and stewed fruit for breakfast.

Pork, apple and mushrooms
2 pork loin slices
1 cooking or eating apple, sliced
150g mushrooms, sliced
1 cup apple juice
creme fraiche and pepper

In a frying pan, with a splash of oil, cook the pork loin steak to brown each side, take out onto a plate.
Put the apple and mushrooms in the frying pan and cook until just starting to colour.
Add the apple juice and bring it to a boil, then add 2 tablespoons of creme fraiche and pepper to taste, this makes a lovely sauce.
Put the pork back into the pan and ensure the sauce covers the pork and cook for a further 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the pork.
Serve with mashed potato and green beans.

Orange and apple rockies recipe

We've had great fun this morning at Filey School making Cowboy Chicken and Coleslaw and one of my favourites - Rock Cakes - takes me back to making them with my Grandma.

Orange and apple rockies - makes 24
225g self raising flour
115g margarine
1 eating apple
100g mixed dried fruit including apricots and nuts if liked
1 small orange
75g demerera sugar
1 egg
2 tblsps milk

Method

1.    Put the flour in a bowl and rub in the margarine until it looks like breadcrumbs.

2.    Peel and chop the apple, grate the rind of the orange and place them in the bowl.

3.    Add the mixed fruit, apricots and nuts.

4.    Add the sugar except 2 tblsp of the sugar.

5.    Beat the egg and milk in a small bowl and stir into the flour with a wooden spoon.

6.    Place spoonfuls of the mixture onto a baking sheet covered with baking parchment.

7.    Sprinkle each rockie with the remaining sugar.

8.    Bake in the oven at 190C for 12-15 minutes until golden and firm.

Enjoy your baking!

Summer activity cookery sessions

If you're still looking for activities for your children to do over the summer I still have places available at the 2 dates I'm running in Filey. The sessions are for 7 to 14 year olds.

Thursday 11th August and Monday 15th August - both at Filey Secondary School from 10am to 12 noon.

In addition, there is a session next week in Scarborough at Briercliffe Children's Centre on Tuesday 16th August from 10am to 12 noon

Both sessions cost £10 per child, in Filey My Time vouchers can be used.
Just call me on 01751 433400 to book a place.

Sizzling Summer cookery sessions

Ready to Cook cookery activity - Sizzling Summer Snacks          £10 per child 

Do your children love cooking but you hate the mess, then this cookery activity session is for you. This session we will be making food with a Summer picnic theme.

Children will need to bring 2 plastic containers to bring their food home.

10am to 12 noon                   for ages 7 to 14 years          Maximum at each session 20

Monday 8^th and Tuesday 9^th August at Raincliffe School, Scarborough

Thursday 11th and Monday 15th August at Filey School, Filey

at the Filey sessions My Time vouchers are accepted

Tuesday 16^th and Thursday 18^th August at Raincliffe School, Scarborough

Book direct with Susan Balf on 01751 433400 / 07778640893

or by email on info@readytocookuk.co.uk

Fruit faces at Thirsk Children's centre

On Saturday I took part in Thirsk Children's Centre Family Fun Day. I set up a table where children could make Fruit Faces and try different types of fruit and vegetables in a fun way. We also made some guacamole with avocado and tried that too. 

This format can be used where there is an event with no access to cooking facilities and gets across the healthy eating message in a fun way.  

Here are some of the fruit faces created by chilkdren at the event.

WW2 cookery workshop at Yorkshire Air Museum

Last week I took part in the Flightpath event that NYBEP organises for primary schools in the York area. I ran a WW2 cookery workshop where we looked at rationing and tasted some WW2 recipes - Woolton Pie and Eggless Cake. We time travelled back to my 1942 kitchen and I stayed in character for the whole workshop showing amazement that they had bananas in their lunchboxes.

If any school would like a similar cookery workshop linked to WW2 or any other historic period, please contact me.

Cooking healthy family food on a budget

I am running a series of 4 sessions for parents looking at providing healthy meals for your family on a budget for the local Children's Centre in Norton, Malton. We will look at how to shop wisely and the types of food to purchase to get the best results. There will be an opportunity to share the food we cook with your child at the end of the session.
The sessions are free and a creche will be provided at the Children's Centre, the cookery session will be in the nearby Salvation Army Hall.
Places must be booked by contacting 0845 0349586 / 01609 536229
Tuesday 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th June from 10.30 am to 12 noon.

No Cook Fun Food session

I'm doing some work with NYCC Adult Learning and am running a session for them in May half term at the adult learning centre at Lady Lumley's School in Pickering.

Why not come along and have fun with your children?

Experiment with different foods and textures, and even make some simple recipes!

Friday 3^rd June

10am - 1pm

Adult Learning Centre, Pickering

Free of charge

Call 0845 3006681 to book

Each adult can bring up to 3 children.

Grandparents and carers are welcome!

Cookery birthday parties

Are you looking for something different for a childs' birthday party?

Why not book a cookery birthday party, I work with children from 2 years upwards and the party can either be in your own home or another venue of your choice.

If you would like to find out more contact me on info@readytocookuk.co.uk to discuss your needs.

Future cookery activity sessions

Sorry we are not running cookery sessions in the May half term holiday, however we are planning sessions for the summer break, so look out for sessions over the summer.

For information check the website at http://www.readytocookuk.co.uk
where there are details of how to make contact.

Easter chocolate cookies

We had a great time during the cookery activities making chocolate cookies, so here is the recipe so you can make them again and again.

Chocolate and oat cookies, makes 20
100g chocolate chips
125g soft margarine or butter
125g caster sugar
1 egg beaten
125g self raising flour
1 tblsp cocoa powder
50g porridge oats

pre heat the oven to 180c or Gas 4

• cover a baking sheet with baking parchment
• put the margarine and sugar in a bowl and cream together
• add the egg, flour. cocoa powder and oats and mix together
• then add the chocolate chips
• scoop spoonfuls of the mixture onto the baking sheet, leaving a psace between each one to allow them to spread, don't worry if they merge, you can cut them apart.
• bake the cookies for 10 to 13 minutes until they are lightly browned
• leave to harden on the baking sheet and then place on a cooling rack to completely cool
• best eaten on the day but they can be kept in a tin but they are difficult to resist

Here is a slightly blurred photo of what they look like. Have fun making them again and have a good Easter.

Easter holiday activities

The schools break up tomorrow for the Easter break so I've been busy putting the programme together for activities. This time we will be making dishes with ingredients that have traditional links to Easter - chocolate and oat cookies, chicken and vegetable filo parcels and another snack to make and eat at the session.

 

Children will need to bring 2 plastic containers to bring their food home.
Sessions are from 10am to 1pm, for ages 7 to 14 years, cost £15 per child or FREE with Me Too vouchers. There is a maximum of 20 children for each session.

Sorry transport is no longer available under the Me Too scheme.

Monday 11th April at Raincliffe School, Scarborough
Tuesday 12th April at Raincliffe School, Scarborough (a repeat of the session on 22nd)
Tuessday 19th April at Raincliffe School, Scarborough - with a different set of dishes being prepared.
Book early to avoid disappointment - contact Susan via email on info@readytocookuk.co.uk or call on 01751 433400 / 07778640893

February half term activities

It's only four weeks to half term, so I've been busy putting the programme together for activities. This time we will be making a whole days worth of healthy meals - pancakes and fruit for breakfast, rainbow salads for lunch and meatballs and spaghetti for dinner. Children will need to bring 2 plastic containers to bring their food home.
Sessions are from 10am to 1pm, for ages 7 to 14 years, cost £15 per child or FREE with Me Too vouchers. There is a maximum of 20 children for each session.

Monday 21st February at Lady Lumley's School in Pickering
Tuesday 22nd February at Raincliffe School, Scarborough
Wednesday 23rd February at Raincliffe School, Scarborough (a repeat of the session on 22nd)
Thursday 24th February at Eskdale School, Whitby

Book early to avoid disappointment - contact Susan via email on info@readytocookuk.co.uk or call on 01751 433400 / 07778640893

New Year and new sessions

Thank you to all those children that came to the Christmas cookery sessions in Scarborough and Ryedale, I hope that you enjoyed eating your muffins and sausage rolls, many didn't even make it out of the activity before they were devoured.

I am planning sessions for the February half term holiday and will post dates as soon as they are confirmed, I hope to run a session in Whitby too this time.

I am doing some work with Norton Children's Centre during January and February, called Teeny Tasters, working with parents and young children together, for more information contact Norton Children's Centre direct on 0845 0349586.

Finally if anyone is interested in having a different theme for their child's birthday party, how about booking a cookery party, email me if you would like more information.