Creativity and Activity- Learn and bake at least 3 vegan dessert dishes
I am a reality show freak, I watch mostly all indian shows, and especially masterchef. Watching masterchef really got me interested in making dessert dishes of my own, and it really got me excited. I had only done cooking when helping mom in the lockdown, so this sudden thought and urge of trying it got me really excited and hence I decided to take it as my CAS experience. I thought that I would at least make 3 dessert dishes with the help of youtube. Also I wanted to try veganism for so long, because it is cruelty free and very sustainable.
The learning outcomes I focused on were LO1, LO2, LO3, LO5 & LO6.
LO1- Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth
While helping mom in the kitchen during lockdown, I got to know when my mom said that I had a really good hand in mixing, chopping, and other usual actions of cooking. I even enjoyed it, especially chopping. I knew I would kill it in baking as well, as that would be easier compared to cooking on gas. I looked forward to trying new things and developing new skills.
LO2- Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process
While I was fond of vegetables and indian lunches, desserts were something completely new to me. I had not baked even once in my life, and this definitely made me weaker but more enthusiastic at the same time. I learnt a lot of new stuff while baking, like how to make whipped cream with a blender, how to decorate with chocolate, nuts and toppings, how to whisk batter, etc. I also learned the science of baking, like how baking powder and carbonated soda, and baking soda works in making sweets softer and fluffier, how butter, condensed milk, milk powder makes desserts creamier and richer, and many more things. Baking was not that hard as I followed everything shown in the videos, and I had a great time! Also finding vegan products like almond/cashew milk, vegan chocolate, vegan cream, etc was a task,because desserts are mainly dairy based.
LO3- Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience
Planning is a key in cooking any type of dish. I wrote down all the recipes and the ingredients needed for the same and got it all before hand. Also I planned timings of when to put and remove the baking dish from and to the oven. Planning included me deciding on the ratios of ingredients I will need to make 4 portions of each dish, ingredients availability, baking timings, freezing timings, etc.If the planning is not right, I might have had to compromise on the recipe and the taste of the dish, so it was important to plan everything beforehand.
LO5- Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively
I obviously did not make all these desserts alone, my mom helped me through it. She had baked a lot of things and had good knowledge about it, so she kept guiding me on how to stir, what temperature to set, etc. It was really great spending time with her cooking, tasting batters and doughs, I just enjoyed all of it. It was great having my mom by my side and looking over what all I am doing, or else I would have surely burnt the desserts.
LO6- Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance
Veganism is following a plant-based diet avoiding all animal foods like dairy, meat, and eggs. I believe in veganism because it is ethical, healthy, sustainable and eco-friendly. I always wanted to try vegan food, and what better than desserts?! Making these delicious vegan desserts really was very fun, and it taught me how with a few small lifestyle changes we can help save more animal lives and our planet as well. Veganism looks towards 5 sustainable development goals! Good health and wellbeing, responsible consumption and production, climate action, life below water, and life on land. Veganism is the future of sustainability, and this experience really motivated me to change my lifestyle of food habits.
The learner profile attributes that I showcased in this experience were firstly, Inquirer- as learning how to bake is something completely new to me, I learnt about chocolate, flours, cream, alot and how to mix them well to create wonderful desserts. Secondly, Knowledgeable- I know a lot of new things like how to whip, how to make delicious desserts, how to mix and match to make new creations of the already desserts, which would surely be helpful when i get the sweet cravings next time. I also learnt a lot about vegan alternatives of dairy products,and in general about veganism and its importance. Thirdly, Ristaker- as I did something I never did before on my own with the help of the internet and it turned out great! I had just the best time. Lastly Caring- as I cared about the animals and the environment by making vegan desserts. To conclude, I would definitely say this was a success, and a tasty one! I am so glad that I took this as my CAS experience. This entire experience made me learn new things, connect more with my mom, make some lip smacking desserts, and educated and motivated me towards veganism and plant based diets. I ended up making tastiest chocolate tarts, mug cake, chocolate filled cookies, cake, desserts cups, and fudge. This is definitely not the end, I look forward to making more such vegan desserts and dishes, and experimenting with chocolate and flour. The things I learnt in this experience, I would definitely be using them in the future, and keep practising and improving.
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