Special Workshops

Fermenting Made Simple

Kimchi, Sauerkraut, Lacto-fermented Pickles and Wild Ferment-ed Kombucha and Sourdough

Mother. What is fermented food? Do you know they are good for your gut health? How is it made? What types of ferments are there? Chances are, you have eaten fermented foods before and did not realise it. Many traditional food preserving methods are actually fermented such as olives and pickled onions are lacto-fermented. Sourdough bread, yoghurt, vinegar, even beer and wine. In this workshop you will learn to make five simple ferments on the day and take them home so you can continue to ferment for years to come.. Anyone can learn make simple ferments and move to a healthier lifestyle. This workshop includes a light lunch of local breads, ferments, cheeses, preserves and pickles.

Cheesemaking At Home

Cheesemaking is a simple skill anyone can learn. Labneh, Ricotta, Camembert and Halloumi are easy to make in your own home. It only takes a little knowledge to become a master and the superior handmade flavour will impress anyone. Each participant will take three cheeses home as well as recipes and your own cheese mould so you can make many more in the future. You will never waste yoghurt again once you know how to make Labneh. Ricotta can be made in five minutes and is delicious drizzled with honey. Age your Camembert in your own environment to create a cheese that is as unique as yourself. Once you eat Halloumi crafted with your own hands you will never bother with the rubbery, inferior ones from the supermarket again. A light dinner of spanakopita and baked camembert will be provided and we will taste test ricotta and halloumi once it’s freshly made. Please bring with you - 3-4 containers to take your cheeses home and an apron and a cooler bag if the weather is warm. (Some spares will be available if required).

DAY: Saturday

DATE: May 20

TIMES: 11 am - 2 pm

COST: $130.00 Bookings are essential for these workshops - GST inclusive. Phone 5342 7050. PLACES WILL BE LIMITED. MINIMUM OF 6 students required for these workshops.

Neighbourhood House Week Free Healthy Soup Session

The Centre wishes to invites you to come learn how to cook a hearty, healthy soup and damper with the help of our qualified naturopath Cath Thomas.

Cath will help you with your nutrition questions in regards to making a wonderful healthy soup ‘meal’ to help you keep and ‘boost’ your vitamin levels up though the winter months. Join in and enjoy a bowl of soup as well! Call to register on 5342 7050.

DAY: Wednesday

DATE: May 10

TIME: 11 am - 1 pm approx.

DAY: Friday

DATE: May 19

TIME: 10 am - 2 pm

FEES: $120.00

NB: Students to bring five jars (one very large, minimum 1 litre), and an apron and a cooler bag) if it is warm. Book early as places will be strictly limited.

FREE TAKEAWAY MEALS THAT ARE HEALTHY!

Eating take away at work costs a lot of money and most often there are not healthy choices available. We want you to learn how easy it is to prepare healthy lunch boxes. These sessions have been developed to those who may want to trim costs, improve health and learn new easy meals that can be taken to work, or school, or eaten at home!

Demonstration and tastings, and two follow up calls are included in these sessions to help keep you on track.

We can encourage you to start your ‘healthier’ journey, and even get your family to join in. You will receive:

 Step by step demonstration of healthy food preparation

 Recipes provided for easy, healthy, tasty food options

 Tastings of food prepared. Register your interest and link your whole family to this great opportunity to learn the tips and tricks to preparing healthy take away for work and school. Open to ages over 15 years.

DAY: Wednesdays

DATE: May 17 and 24

TIME: 11 am - 1 pm approx.

COST: FREE

‘Thisprojectis/wassupportedbytheGoldenPlainsCouncilthroughits CommunityStrengtheningGrantsProgram.

Special Guest Artist Michelle De Groot

Michelle de Groot, lives in Dereel on a 70 acre hobby farm. She has a studio there and has been sewing since she was a child. At school and at home she was taught how to sew clothing and make her own clothes from patterns and home made patterns that her mother helped change to suit her six ft tall height. She progressed to creating with flowers and art and crafts and became a florist and business owner. This was a wonderful career but with marriage and a child she decided she needed something else and when she saw a patchwork shop she thought straight away, “I can do this”. And she did!

She started with the basics early on sewing her quilts together by hand piecing and hand quilting. And then progressed to machine sewing as I realised I wasn't going to live long enough to make all the wonderful things she wanted to make. After realising she had found a new love and addiction. So started taking classes and practiced a lot and after 4 years of constant practice began to quilt her own quilts, saving a fortune! Once this was achieved, she wanted a new challenge, so decided to try textile arts. Once she found her ‘niche,’ she decided, after many people asked to teach them to do what she did, that is what she would do. So today, she is a textile artist, professional quilter, artist and tutor in her own right. She has won awards for her wonderful work so don't miss this opportunity to meet Michelle and learn how to achieve her easy way of creating a beautiful piece of quilting art!

FABRIC PAINTING AND FREE MOTION QUILTING

Come and enjoy a lovely day of fabric painting and some no stress quilting to finish it off. No art nor painting experience needed. A small amount of sewing machine experience would be handy!

DAY: Friday

DATE: April 21

TIME: 10 am - 4 pm (BYO lunch)

COST: $45.00 - GST inclusive

You will need to bring with you - 2 x 15 inch squares of black cotton fabric and wadding/ batting same size, black thread, pencil and paper, sewing machine in good working order and free motion quilting foot - you will have use of tutors paints for the day. Class limits apply. Book early!