OCTOBER 2020qcwacountrykitchens.com.au

Regional Round Up

Monthly Munch

Connecting women who have the power to heal their communities

It has been a busy couple of months with lots of branches getting back out into their communities and running Country Kitchens acitivies. Keep reading below to see what each region has been up to!

In Southern Region, Burpengary Green Wattles branch has established a weekly women’s group open to the public, to meet on Wednesday mornings. Country Kitchens is on display with healthy recipes for morning tea. Oakey branch is continuing their partnership with the local council to support the Box Off the Streets program. They have been providing healthy afternoon snacks to the teens attending the program. Over in Western Division, St. George branch has continuinedtheir Friday open days with the general public. These provide the general public with the opportunity to learn all about the QCWA and Country Kitchens program, and share a cuppa with others in their community. A special shoutout to our Division Convenor in Darling Downs, Wendy Gordon, for filming a recipe promotion video with the ABC. Stay tuned for the final footage soon! Allora branch has started a new yoga and pilates class for members every week to promote the key message ‘sit less move more’.

In Central Region, Tannum Sands branch hosted a Hands on Nutrition Workshop for some interested ladies in the Agnes Water community, which was a huge success. Maree and the CK team also travelled to Biloela to interview a number of farmers in the region for our new Meet a Farmer project – stay tuned for our first farmer spotlight in next edition of the Monthly Munch. Over in Gladstone the branch held a Country Kitchens talk at their meeting with lots of healthy options for morning tea. Calliope branch had a display at their local market day to promote the program in the community. Mt Larcom branch also continued with their weekly walking group and have even scored an invite to a local tai chi group. Tewantin Noosa branch have partnered with the Noosa farmers market, as well as some local farmers to promote healthy recipes using fresh local produce. Country Kitchens will be visiting the Noosa farmers market for some cooking demonstrations very soon.

In Northern Region, Magnetic Garbutt branch continue their partnership with the Upper Ross Community Centre, incorporating healthy Country Kitchens snacks for the children’s playgroup. Townsville branch continue promoting ‘sit less move more’ at every meeting by breaking up periods of sitting with their walking group activities. Bowen branch continue their partnership with the local neighbourhood centre and Freshwater branch have been busy promoting the program on social media, highlighting healthy recipes.

Thank you to all the division convenors and facilitators who submitted a yearly report in for their division AGM’s! It’s great to see the Country Kitchens program becoming embedded in the organisation. The team is excited to finally be back out on the road! Country Kitchens buddies Lindsey and Katy had lots of fun running a Hands on Nutrition Workshop with Wallangarra and Glen Aplin branches for the new Granite Belt Weekenders group. Jemma and Aleks will be travelling out to Townsville and Hughenden later his month to support Country Kitchens showcases in the area. If you are a planning an upcoming Country Kitchens event and would like the team to support you in person, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with your buddy!

Judy Stubbs of Maleny BranchThis month we would like to highlight Judy Stubbs from Maleny Branch in the Nambour North Coast Division of the QCWA. Here are a few words from Judy about her time as a facilitator:

The Country Kitchens program offers a wonderful extension of the QCWA’s commitment to support the health and well-being of Queensland families. I have enjoyed serving QCWA in a variety of branch committee positions since 2003. I have been a Country Kitchens facilitator for five years and have held a number of Division Convenor positions, all with the aim of supporting our members and the community in maintaining healthy, happy lives and reaching their full potential.

I have been able, with the support of the Country Kitchens team, and fellow members, to reinforce the 5 key messages of our program. I have done this through attending training days, supporting Hands on Nutrition Workshops and conducting showcases and demonstrations at branches, open days, agricultural shows, schools, community groups, Girl Guides, STEMM (Young Parents) and USC graduating students. Thanks to the combined effort of all, I was awarded Facilitator of the Year in the second year of the program. Our activities have been supported by the media including The Glasshouse and Maleny News, Hinterland Times and Sunshine Coast Daily. Support has also been received from community leaders, Sunshine Coast Councillors, and local MP’s.

As a former teacher, I enjoy sharing my skills in cooking, gardening, and all forms of handcraft, especially with young people. All our 5 key messages are important, sugary drinks and portion plate activities have been favourites with children.

My favourite “munch” is Arlene Robert’s snack time slice from our black and white Healthy Cookbook. I am looking forward to Country Kitchens new “Meet a Farmer” project, spotlighting the agriculture industry and holding demonstrations and tastings.

If you or someone you know are keen to work with the QCWA Country Kitchens program, we are always looking to increase our volunteer workforce. To learn all about what we do, join us for a quick 30 minute online information session on the 27th of October at 12:30 pm. Register on the events page of our website!

qcwacountrykitchens.com.au

Facilitator Spotlight

Bean BrownieServes 12 Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 15-18 minutes

This month we bring you the black sapote! This large fruit is closely related to the persimmon. While it is native to Mexico, it also grows well in tropical Australia so you may have seen it in your local supermarket before and wondered what it was.

This amazing fruit has an emerald green exterior which becomes dark after being picked. Once ripe, the flesh of the sapote is a soft, pulpy, dark chocolate colour and is sweet tasting, giving it the common name chocolate pudding fruit. It is an excellent source of fibre, as well as potassium, vitamin B3, vitamin A and vitamin C. In fact, black sapote contains about four times the amount of vitamin C found in an orange!

While the fruit is delicious on its own, the black sapote is also very versatile in cooking. Simply cut the fruit in half and scoop out the flesh, removing the seeds. The flesh can then be added to smoothies for a refreshing chocolate flavour, or baked into cakes and breads. Try adding black sapote in place of bananas in a healthy banana cake or bread recipe. You could even add half a cup of black sapote to the bean brownie recipe we’ve shared below!

What’s that fruit?... Black Sapote

Recipe Corner

INGREDIENTS

400g can black beans, drained

⅓ cup brown sugar

½ cup rolled oats

½ teaspoon baking powder

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon espresso coffee or orange zest

1 egg

¼ cup vegetable oil

Recipe courtesy of Fiona McKenzie, Brisbane City Nights Branch

1/2 serve per portion

Connecting women who have the power to heal their communities

METHOD

PREHEAT oven to 170ºC. Line a small slice or loaf tin with baking paper.

COMBINE beans, sugar, oats, baking powder, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, coffee or orange zest, egg and vegetable oil in food processor. Blend until smooth.

SPOON batter into tin. Sprinkle chocolate chips over the top.

BAKE in oven for 15-18 minutes, cool before slicing.

SERVE with sliced banana and a dollop of yoghurt (optional).

Healthy Corner

P 3236 6419 M 0417 539 663 A RFH on Gregory, 89-95 Gregory Tce, Brisbane Q 4000 E countrykitchens@qcwa.org.au

My name is Meg O’Donnell and I am the new Country Kitchens State Program Manager. I have been very fortunate to work with Fiona McKenzie over the last few weeks, as part of my transition into the role. I have been learning all about the amazing work the QCWA and the Country Kitchens’ team have been doing over the past 5 years. I feel extremely lucky to be joining a team of women working to connect and support Queensland communities.

I am passionate about food and nutrition, with an educational background in public health and nutrition. I have previous experience working on community nutrition and health promotion projects, in a variety of country and urban settings. This has included over three years living and working in Central Queensland. Having relocated, once again, to Queensland, I am looking forward to supporting the QCWA members and the Country Kitchens team as we work to connect and empower communities to improve their health and wellbeing.

I am very excited to get started in the role and I look forward to getting out and meeting you all soon. In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to give me a call on 0417 539 663 or email ck1@qcwa.org.au.

Get more fruit and veg into your mealsFruit and vegetables are plentiful in spring. Try incorporating some into your breakfast by adding fresh fruit to your muesli or cereal, or spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms and avocados to your eggs!

Cook at homeMake your own snacks to take with you when you go out such as rainbow frittata muffins or hummus with vegetable sticks. This will not only save you time and money, but will help increase your daily vegetable intake too!

Check your portion sizeGrill or lightly sauté some vegetables to fill up half of your plate. By doing this, you will be getting at least 2 serves of vegetables into your day!

Be aware of sugar in your drinksInstead of choosing soft drinks, try flavouring your water with some seasonal fruits such as lemon, limes, oranges or berries.

Sit less, move moreThe warmer weather of spring makes it a great time to get outdoors for some exercise. Try taking a walk in the fresh air for 30 minutes at a moderate pace.

5 key messages for spring

qcwacountrykitchens.com.au

Cooking Guidelines

Introducing Meg O’Donnell, Country Kitchens State Program Manager