Situation regarding school cookery lessons.

Penny_Watcher

bestpud wrote: »

I've been at my local co-op at 7.40 in the morning before now getting HE stuff

Have you ever tried buying ground rice after 4pm on a Sunday? DS1(13) had 'forgotten' to give me his ingredients list for Monday's Food Tech shortbread lesson. Birk :mad:.

I tried 6 local shops and drove miles, but it's not a line small shops stock. I bought some from the supermarket first thing on Monday morning, took the flippin' scales with me in the car, weighed out the right amount into a bag and dropped it at school for him. Never again.

He gets his list for the following Monday at the end of this Monday's lesson IYSWIM. That's only reasonable.

Savvy_Sue

Penny_Watcher wrote: »

Have you ever tried buying ground rice after 4pm on a Sunday? DS1(13) had 'forgotten' to give me his ingredients list for Monday's Food Tech shortbread lesson. Birk :mad:.

Been in a similar situation, nightmare, isn't it?

Although I think the best time was this late night conversation:

DS1 "I need ingredients for tomorrow."

me "OK, what do you want to cook? I think I've got ingredients for that nice chocolate cake."

DS1 "No, I need to do a Development."

me "What's a Development?"

DS1 "I don't know."

We eventually decided that if he put a tin of sweetcorn into the pasta dish he'd cooked the previous week, that would count as a 'Development'. After that I stocked up on what he needed.

DS3 hasn't really learned - waits until the day before to say he needs chicken breast, feta or a particular kind of pasta.

shellsuit

Well there were 3 boys in the class who didn't take their ingrediants in, the teacher didn't say anything to them at all, so friends son didn't hand the note in, which means the teacher won't know there is a problem!

Kids eh!!! :rolleyes: :rotfl: :rotfl:

UglyBetty

Living in London there is no excuse - there is always a shop open within easy reach (even Tesco Metro, garage etc. if not 24hr supermarkets) and children can easily get ingredients themselves. If you don't live in easy reach, say in a rural area or miles from the shops then it's a different issue and of course one week notice is needed. If enough parents have the same problem then approach the school or PTA or let the school know it is an issue for you and see if they are prepared to be a little more organised. At least they should be able to say in one lesson what is needed for the next.

laurajayne

Ahhh, Home Ec, the bane of my mother's life when I was at school. Many a time we'd have to go out at the last minute, get stupidly expensive ingredients and then I'd drag back some inedible concotion.

In the end my mum wrote to the school and told them that she was refusing to send me in to cook again - she was sick of the money being wasted. (an apple crumble springs to mind that was so awful, even my mates chooks wouldn't eat it!). She told them that she'd teach me!

Thing is - I cook now. and I love it - and I'm not bad either lol. At least it didn't put me off for life - and I was banned from Home Ec as a GCSE subject

Prudent

I must have been very lucky. I never had to pay for, or buy, ingredients for dd's cookery lessons. All we were asked to provide was a container to bring them home. She is now past that as into other exam courses, but I enjoyed the things she made.

inkie

The thing that we are finding is the DD is making stuff that she has been doing with me at home for at least a couple of years e.g. jacket potatoes/toasties/jam thumbprints...
I think they ought to have a wider range of things to stretch people that do have some experience of cooking/baking.

sillyvixen

when i was at school (a long time ago - i am showing my age by saying i did o level home ec.) we got the lists of ingriedents at the end of the previous lessson, thus giving harressed working mums time to fit the buying into a normal weekly shop. i can't believe it that when more and more mothers work a school is giving these lists out with so little warning - maybe it is a sign of changing times with more supermarkets opening 24 hours harressed mums are supposed to go to mr T's in the middle of the night to source ingredients. surely the school could be a bit more realistic. i am sure that very few people on this board would disagree that children should be taught to prepare their food!!
when i progressed onto exam level home ec we were told what type of food we were to prepare and had to come up with our own recipies, as we didnt have cook books at home i had to borrow books from libaries and nieghbours to come up with recipes and shopping lists, it was a worthwile exercise as we also had to work costings and were often given a budget to work to as well as a time limit to make the food. i learned a lot from these lessons, and still today use some of the recipies i discovered in home ec lessons.

Bagpuss1973

I would have thought a weeks notice should be given. It's not only about the money issue although for some parents I'm sure that is a big issue. But not everyone sits around at home every evening and the family may have other things to do than go shopping for some obscure item for a school cookery lesson.

I would approach the teacher concerned and let them know there is a problem and how it can be resolved.

elona

As someone who had to cajole DH into driving to three different supermarkets over ten miles away to get a particular type of wine vinegar I know how the OP feels!!!

That was about six years ago and the memory is still fresh!!!!:eek:

Why do our offspring only "remember" after 4p.m. on Sunday when all shops are shut or else on the actual morning they need stuff????