A parent of a little boy I care for asked me the other day how I manage to find time to cook a proper, fresh meal at lunchtime ...

Well, apart from years of experience in cooking for a large family, I also have a very useful slow cooker which I often fill up with fresh stewing beef or chicken and fresh, organic vegetables before I go to bed. It makes delicious one-pot stews all ready to add to rice or pasta for our lunch the following day. The softness of the stews also makes them perfect for blending for babies to enjoy.

I have organic vegetables and fruit delivered weekly by Riverford.

I peel/cut/slice potatoes and other vegetables before the first children arrive in the morning.

It is really easy to make a cheesy, broccoli potato bake e.g. or to have a fresh ham cooking during the morning all ready to add salad or homemade oven chips to and the fantastic home cooking smells that waft from the kitchen as lunchtime approaches give security and routine to the children.

Today we had minced pork, leek, carrot and kidney bean stew with the children’s homemade bread. It took 15mins this morning - whilst the two boys were doing some colouring at the kitchen table and the baby was sorting coloured clothes pegs - to sweat the chopped leeks and carrots in olive oil, add the pork, then some vegetable stock, kidney beans and tomato puree and pop it in the conventional oven to slow cook for two hours whilst we carried on playing.

And when we came in from playing in the garden our warm kitchen smelt very welcoming and comforting.