When one of my schools asked if I could do a live Online Cook Along with parents and their children I thought, why not?! With the pandemic preventing parents from entering schools, teachers wanted to connect with them and the wider community and also get pupils cooking again, safely, from the comfort of their own homes.
I love a challenge and am missing the best part of my job; being in schools, working with children and parents. Delivering live online assemblies and other activities had worked well this term so I thought surely we could do a live Cook Along!
The school dealt with the technical side setting up the Teams meeting and emailing parents a festive flyer with the link on. So, with my laptop and ‘cookery set’ in place, we all logged on at 4pm. Everyone looked so festive wearing Christmas jumpers and pyjamas, antlers and santa hats. I was asked to make Orange Shortbread https://www.phunkyfoods.co.uk/recipe/orange-shortbread/ because it’s fun and could be easily made to give as a gift. I could see all the families as I talked them through the recipe, showing them what to do, so it was easy to ensure no one was left behind. We had a great time and I loved seeing the follow up pictures of the children proudly showing off their finished, decorated shortbread.
We’ve had some wonderful feedback from parents saying how much everyone enjoyed themselves and the school’s asked for another Cook Along in the new year –I can’t wait!
Written by Harriet Chappell, PhunkyFoods EDC for Copeland, Cumbria.