Stirrin' Stuff
Though living a busy life, Scottish Masterchef Fiona Bird is passionate about getting kids cooking and has begun a campaign to encourage this.
We at The Foody are happy to publish her article, as we too believe that being able to cook is an invaluable 'life skill'. We wish her every success and will be happy to keep you informed about her progress and any events that she becomes involved in.
I do hope that you will find the time to consider "Stirrin' Stuff" - a campaign to get families cooking.
On graduating from St. Andrews in 1981 I worked in London for four years with a charity for needy Scots.
I am now a mother of six living in rural Angus and have spent the last 15 years rearing my family of five boys and one girl. Number six is now four and at last I have the time to devote to this campaign.
I entered Masterchef this year (and made it to the final) to gain some credibility for my culinary skills - this done I am flagrant in my use of my 'Scottish Masterchef' title to further this campaign.
I am indebted to Union Pictures (and Gary Rhodes) for a Masterchef semi-final that gave high profile to a ten year old daughter who made delicious chocolate brownies, one of my friends said "Lily clinched it for you!".
I am not really a Masterchef, just a mum with loads of children who wants to see other mums and dads in the kitchen, with their kids, getting stuck into chocolate brownies or whatever grabs their fancy!
I am getting charitable status for "Stirrin' Stuff" and am hoping to get the enthusiasm, that has already been 'stirred' up by the Waitrose bus and other initiatives, into making 'kitchen time' a real shared family activity and routine.
The idea is to offer an alternative to both the chore of preparing a meal or snack and the temptation of sending for a 'carry-oot'.
There is the real and 'mouth-watering' possibility of getting all the family in the kitchen (maybe not all at the same time!).
'Stirrin' something up and talkin' about all sorts of 'stuff' - a sort of therapy that's good for the sanity as well as the 'santé'. It is an opportunity, to lose the inhibitions, of trying to cook something from simple ingredients and the chance to vary the diet because-it-was-made-by-the-person-who-is-going-to-eat-it.
Hopefully this is not just a fad to be taken up by those better motivated and informed, this is about 'doing things together' and building confidence in people's ability to do things for themselves and in a way that is not, and does not appear, patronising.
Fiona Bird
If you would like to find out more or offer help, why not contact Fiona Murray
Email: The Foody UK and Ireland
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