Feeding your family on a budget

In November each Friday a group of young mothers brought their children, alongside an older couple, to St Mary’s Capel church hall to discuss how to keep energy costs down and save money through cooking at this time of recession.
 
It came to the attention of the people at St Mary’s Church that some families in the village were struggling on how to feed their family affordably and nutritiously. Some ladies from the church collated recipes and ideas of how to cut back on energy costs, and were keen to pass on their knowledge to the families.
 
 “The first night we demonstrated how to assemble tinned salmon fishcakes and cooked them on site. All the audience had a taste of the fishcakes and seemed to thoroughly enjoy them.” – Yvonne Rogerson said.
 
Sarah Kelland added: “While Yvonne was cooking, I took the children and together we baked oat biscuits and flapjacks.”
 
Yvonne and Sarah remarked: “There were many questions asked about cooking economically with lots of ideas flowing on alternative ways to cook I.e. slow cooking, microwave, pressure cooking – or simmering a meal on the hob.”
 
The following week Val Bridgman demonstrated how to cook chicken and mushroom bake – followed by drop scones. Everyone in the hall tasted the chicken and mushroom dish followed by a small plate of tiramisu made by Sarah with the help of the children. Later the children helped to ice and decorate fairy cakes to take home.
 
The Revd Sally Letman added: “Everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves and each guest was given a free bag of food to enable them to assemble the demonstrated meal at home. All promised to attend again the next week with a friend to sample the delights of different recipes. The aim is to create meetings in hospitality – eating with young people who are learning how to cook. We will continue after Christmas in connecting community and connecting generations.
After all, the whole bible is based on offering hospitality.”