Food for thought

17/10/2026

It's spooky season at the FFT HQ 👻💀

16/10/2026

The perfect autumn meal 😍 🍂🍁

Throw some veg into be roasted, I use tomato, pepper, garlic and onion. Let it cool for around 40 mins, you add a little oil and salt.

Let it cool slightly

Pop it in a blender.

Butter your bread and have the buttered sides on the outsides, throw some cheese in between and pop it in the oven for 12 mins.

Whilst that's cooking, add your veg to a saucepan and season to taste whilst heating, I add a little sugar and vinegar to counteract the acid in the tomatoes.

And done ✅

Healthy, delicious, filling and easy 🖤

15/10/2026

Progress isn’t always instant, but every small step adds up! 🌱✨

Max worked with us for 6 weeks, focusing on overcoming sensory challenges around food textures and smells. Fast forward to now: he’s picking, prepping, and trying fresh produce right from the greenhouse, using the safe knife skills he learned with us! 🥔🍎🌶️

A huge thank you to Jon for sharing this wonderful update. Watching Max take control of his food journey with such curiosity and confidence makes everything we do so worthwhile. Keep shining, Max! 🤩

15/10/2026

Here....let me de-influence you.

No great lighting,
No expensive products,
No perfect pies,
No pushing products,
No pressure.

Just easy, homemade food that tastes good.

A roll of short crust pastry, a couple apples, a bit of sugar, cinnamon and honey.
Give it an egg wash and a bit of Demerara sugar if you have it, milk can work fine too.

Wack it in at 160°c and bake for 20/25 mins.

The sides don't need to be perfect, the apples don't need to be cut exactly square, you can measure the sugar, cinnamon and honey with your heart.

Cheap, wholesome food you and the kids can make.

Add custard or ice cream and you get a pudding.

Make them smaller and you have a lunch box filler or a snack.

Use any apples, cooking or eating, they both work, change the apples for pears, strawberries, mixed berries, drained tin fruit etc.

The possibilities are endless!

🖤

14/10/2026

Oh look at these amazing little spooky bites today from Mentoring For You - Forest of Dean ... This is very much fft approved 👌😍👻

Today we made Halloween themed goodies!

Using nothing but images from the internet for inspiration this activity prompted the need for:
- problem solving skills
- adapting quickly and resilience when things didn’t quite go to plan
- estimating required quantities of ingredients
- asking for help or guidance when needed
- self belief in being able to achieve the desired outcome

How I support this activity as a mentor to develop the skills above:
- encourage independence, step back and observe, showing I have trust and believe in their capabilities
- not dismissing requests for help, some tasks require teamwork and that’s ok, not everything needs to be done alone
- do not rush to take over and ‘fix things’ or give the answer, instead, ask questions or give prompts to encourage independent thinking for problem solving
- provide a safe space to make mistakes and encourage trial and error, something doesn’t work out as it should, no problem, we will work together to find an alternative approach
- give reassurance and recognition when overcoming self doubt
- own not knowing the answer to something, it’s ok not to have all the answers, just because I’m an adult doesn’t mean I know it all, instead we will work together to find our

If there’s one thing I love as a mentor, it’s observing the way a young persons brain can work when given the freedom and belief to trust in themselves.

Just because a task isn’t being completed the same way I’d do it, doesn’t make it wrong and more often than not the results are far more creative than I could have ever thought of!

These young minds really are amazing when given the opportunity to flourish in an environment which brings out the best in them 😊

14/10/2026

Oh yeah 😍

A whole load of tomatoes, peppers, onion and garlic roasted ready to be divided into pasta sauce and soup 🍲😋

13/10/2026

Our olio has gone live, please check under Emily and Ben, both collections from soudley until 11pm tonight 🖤

13/10/2026

No filter needed for these tatoes 😍

Absolutely gorgeous

13/10/2026

Sophisticated quiche that is easy to make 🖤

Caramelised an onion and some of them spring onions we froze the other day.

8 eggs and 400g of greek yogurt whipped together.

Add in 45g of Parmigiano Reggiano but normal cheese works perfectly well too.

Layer the onions
Eggs mix
Add a sprinkle of extra cheese on top 👌

Cook for 40mins, divide into 6 portions and you get a good slice of quiche at 206 calories and 18g of protein per slice 🖤

Perfection

12/10/2026

Well I'm not going to lie, that was a rough weekend 😷

Lots of pain, a&e visit but I managed to avoid another surgery due to the sheer amount of drugs they pumped into me 😅

The wound is not healing, it's just all ABIT of a pickle! It's been 10 weeks now and no end is in sight 🫩

BUT on a very positive note, we managed to put out 7 boxes of free food from olio to help local people 😊

So despite all that, it was a win and I'll take it!