Cooking this year has definitely taken on a more important role for me as it has allowed me to clear my head of the stressors that are going on around me and just focus solely on what I am doing.
Wellbeing by Teacher is dedicated to improving the lives of teachers and school leaders by providing them with informative, evidence-based strategies on how to care for their body, mind and overall sense of wellbeing. We also share recipe ideas, fitness tips, book reviews (and more!) from teachers, school leaders and others working in the sector.
In today’s piece, Kylie Kickbusch, a Sports Program Leader at Chanel College in Gladstone, Queensland, talks about how cooking helps her to relieve stress and shares a recipe that she uses in her food technology classes.
Cooking this year has definitely taken on a more important role for me as it has allowed me to clear my head of the stressors that are going on around me and just focus solely on what I am doing at hand, which is cooking up something delicious.
The recipe I’m sharing today for apple and cinnamon muffins is one that I have used with my Year 8 Food Technology students. Each and every time I have cooked this with them, the students have really enjoyed them, but more importantly, have had heaps of fun making them.
Seeing this joy on their faces reminds me of the joy that cooking brings to me and it's really important, even more so nowadays, that you take time to enjoy the simple pleasures in life.
Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 cups gluten-free self-raising flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 2 small pink lady apples
- Warmed honey, to serve (optional)
Utensils:
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Glass bowl
- Wooden spoon
- Electric mixer
- Muffin tray
- Patty pans
- Spatula
Method:
- Preheat oven to 190°C/170°C fan-forced.
- Grease a 12-hole, 1/3 cup-capacity muffin pan.
- Combine flour, cinnamon and 2/3 cup brown sugar in a bowl.
- Make a well in the centre.
- Add milk, oil and egg.
- Using a wooden spoon, stir until just combined.
- Peel and grate 1 apple.
- Fold grated apple into muffin mixture.
- Spoon mixture into holes of prepared pan.
- Core and quarter remaining apple.
- Thinly slice. Arrange 2 to 3 apple slices on top of each muffin.
- Sprinkle with remaining brown sugar.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until browned and cooked through.
- Stand in pan for 5 minutes.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
How do you care for your own health and wellbeing? Do you have any recipes that you’d like to share with your colleagues in education? We’d love to hear about them. Email us with a brief outline and we’ll be in touch.
