grainchain.com is delighted to announce the return of the Schools Bake Off. Paul Hollywood will once again judge the event, which will be held at the Cake & Bake Show at Manchester Central in April 2013.

The event in London in September was brilliant; we had some fantastic entries, fantastic prizes and fantastic fun.

If you bake with your students head over to our competition page and sign up now. You will need to tell us about your best bake and why you love baking. You could be in with a chance to meet Paul and even bake for him.  

Use the time over the holidays to brush up your baking skills in time for the event. For some inspiration try some of our tried and tested children's recipes.

grainchain.com have been invtited to give a talk on their education resources, with particular emphasis on inspirational and interesting ways to use them in the classroom. 

Barbara Monks, award winning teacher, author, deli-chef, who is passionate about cooking, family and work-life balance will be giving the talk.

So if you are looking for ideas for cover lessons, five-minute fillers, or extension activities for students who have finished their work early then come along to this free session.

The session is run as part of the branch meeting of the London D&T Assn, and will take place on Monday 3 December from 4.30pm at the Cass School of Education and Communitites which is on the Stratford Campus of the University of East London.

Anyone is free to attend, you do not need to be a member of the D&T Assn. The session is be designed for secondary school teachers, but primary teachers who feel it may benefit them are welcome.

For directions; further information; or to confirm your attendance, please contact Kate Jones at the University of East London.

We hope to see some of you there!

"Bread is more important than something you eat - it's part of our identity"

So, who are you today?

See http://bit.ly/NuKlnz for dozens of fabulous bread recipes

 

 

Welcome in the new year by introducing or recapping healthy eating and healthy living with your students.

grainchain.com have a host of resources to help with this. Teaching objectives cover:

• What is energy
• how to measure energy
• how energy is provided by food
• the different food groups
• the role of food in the diet
• the Eatwell plate
• the foundations of a healthy balanced diet
• designing and planning a healthy breakfast.

For the 7-11 age group you can use the topic Energy in energy out which consists of two lesson plans, information pages, an interactive whiteboard game and some activity sheets. 

Also for this age group is Food for life a three lesson topic again with information pages, interactive white board activities and also videos.

 For 11-14 year olds our topic Healthy eating healthy living uses a range of resources including information pages, IWB games and activity sheets to explore food groups and test for fat, starch and protein.

Also for that age group are is the topic The balancing act: energy in energy out.  This lesson looks at the role of energy; how we get this from food; the pattern of energy intake during the day and goes on to creating and planning meals and menus.

Children’s understanding and experience of food issues is better than many people think, according to the results of research recently carried out with over 2,500 school-age children.

 

The research, commissioned by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) in conjunction with Farming and Countryside Education (FACE), found that 79 percent of children aged 7 to 11 said they had cooked at home, with 32 percent doing so on a regular basis (once a week).  The children described making snacks and sandwiches and helping parents prepare meals as experiences of cooking at home, alongside more traditional activities such as baking cakes.

 

grainchain.com has created a new Families section within the main website.  Incorporated in this section is a recipe section where each month a selection of recipes are showcased including a recipe for bread; a breakfast or lunch recipe; a main meal and a sweet or savoury bake.  November’s recipes include pizza scones; cauliflower cheese; and iced fairy cakes.

The United Nations, as part of its Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace, has designated 30 July as the International Day of Friendship.

The UN recognises the importance and value of friendships. Friendships, between individuals, countries, organisations, and cultures can inspire peace, transcend differences and provide opportunities to grow. grainchain.com has a handout on special days for families and friends which investigates how celebrations for individuals vary across cultures from Saints Days in Italy to Mother’s and Father’s Days.

The end of term might be an ideal opportunity to reaffirm the friendships between your students before the long summer break. Why not get them making cards or cooking fairy cakes to share.

Pasta, in all its shapes and sizes, is loved the world over and can now call itself the world’s favourite food. In a global survey by Oxfam, pasta has overtaken other staples such as meat and rice to be the most widely eaten food as it soars in popularity in countries such as Brazil and South Africa.

Italy remains the number one producer and consumer of pasta.

Each region of Italy has its own variations and specialities. The most popular shapes are conchiglie (shells) and farfalle (bow ties).

By Italian law, all pasta made there must use durum wheat. This wheat is different to the wheat grown to make bread flour; having a higher gluten content and typically being more golden in colour hence the yellowy colour of pasta.

grainchain.com has a whole section on the science of baking. Aimed at 11-14 year olds this section aims to uncover the science behind the remarkable natural processes involved in making bread rise including the role that gluten plays.

You may also like to indulge in the world’s favourite foodstuff and get cooking. We have a quick, simple, tasty and nutritious recipe for tuna pasta bake that should feed a group of four.