Kindy cooks up a healthy idea
Recipes reflect what Te Puna Kindergarten is all about: family and community
Te Puna Kindergarten families have been cooking up a storm in fundraising efforts towards their new building. The rural kindergarten has successfully undertaken the task of creating and publishing a 200-page professional cookbook. It has raised more than $13,000 so far. Proceeds from
go towards the new kindergarten’s outdoor environment at the new build (which began last month) at the end of Minden Rd.
Head teacher Paula Osborn floated the recipe book idea, which was taken on by Emma Ward and a fundraising committee of seven. Graphic designer and kindergarten mum Amanda Wells has taken photos (with help from photographer Angela Hay) and put together the final product.
Most families of the kindergarten contributed to the project by submitting their favourite healthy recipes — some passed down through generations — and more than 150 recipes were considered.
The committee whittled the number down to 90, choosing recipes which reflected what Te Puna Kindergarten is all about, Ward says. Their website states . . . “we are passionate about family, community and a healthy lifestyle with a bit of naughtiness thrown in for good measure. Thus, our cookbook is full of delicious recipes from our homes to yours.”
Families also helped with the mammoth task of cooking all recipes for the photography.
Chapters contain recipes with wholesome ingredients that are grown — which is in line with their ethos of encouraging children to grow and eat healthy food. Chapters include savoury, quick dinners, winter recipes, salads, snacks, allergyaware meals, baking and deserts.
Recipes include special family favourites such as Usha’s authentic butter chicken, roast tomato couscous and crispy chickpea salad, salted caramel fudge and chocolate torte with salted caramel nuts. Many recipes have a sentence from the contributors of its origins.
About 500 copies have already been pre-ordered with another 250 for sale ($35). Ward says she was “blown away” by support for the book. “The support of the families has been amazing. It’s something we are
Visit the Grounded in Goodness Shopify website for more information and stockists. The book is available at city libraries as well.
all really proud to be involved in.”
The book also pays tribute to their neighbour Gordon Burr who allows the children to harvest fruit from his orchard and vegetables from his garden.