Autumn 2022 Slow Cooker Project

Over the last couple of months we have been delivering our Kenny Fields slow cooker workshops, funded through grants from Feeding Britain, Feeding Liverpool, LCVS CIF and LCC HAF.

Each participant received a brand new slow cooker, if they didn’t already have one and each week we did a new recipe together with all the ingredients being provided according to family size and dietary & cultural needs, facilitated by two trained slow cooker workshop facilitators Margaret and Helen.

As well learning new slow cooker recipes, we all learnt about batch cooking and freezing meals, and cooking ahead e.g. porridge oats for an easy hot breakfast with fruit as an alternative to highly processed breakfast cereal.   The children also used the nutrition wheel to learn about food groups - minimising sugar and fat and maximising fruit veg and whole grains, and learning how to get their ‘five a day’.

The families also used our '£10 for £3.50' food pantry, alleviating the pressure on household grocery budgets - many of the ingredients have been put to use in their slowcookers outside of the organised sessions.  We also signposted some of the families onto other support (Healthy Start, debt advice, employment support).

We also purchased stainless steel cutlery with some of our grant which is more environmentally friendly (previously we had used plastic knives & forks for children’s food activities) and saves money in the longer term for the organisation.  Some of the younger age children are also transitioning onto using adult size knives and forks so this was important part food education within the project.   

Also, we bought some additional small items of kitchen equipment which meant the staff & volunteers could more easily cook and serve nutritious food to the children on the holiday play scheme & after school, and older persons lunch club sessions.    

We have set up a WhatsAp group and the families have been sharing photos of their slow cooker meals and they have begun swapping recipes, showing each other some of the other things they have cooked, and swapping ideas for saving money on food.   A couple of the mums have also enrolled on an online cooking course facilitated by Feeding Britain.  And one of volunteers on the project is actively looking for a food safety course as soon as one becomes available locally.

We have also engaged the children who participated in this project in our new Kenny Fields Young Growers project - in our newly renovated community allotment space in our back garden.     During half term some of the children planted onion sets, garlic sets and seedings of leeks, kale, brocoli, cabbage and sprouts - making the connection between the veg they had chopped up for their slowcooker meals and what comes out of the ground.  We will be continuing this over the coming year with a seasonal veg growing programme, to then use in the centre's food activities and share surplus with the community..       

So far, twenty young families and forty five older people (138 individuals) have benefitted from the slow cooker project. In many cases three generations within families have been enjoying from eating budget friendly slow cooker meals together, and in a couple of cases four generations, which is great to see!

If you would like some of the recipes or would like to get involved in our next slow cooker project in 2023, please get in touch in the usual way.