Residents at
Market Lavington care home, in Devizes, Wiltshire, had fun making a modern-day version of peppermint creams with the home’s wellbeing team and chef.
Wellbeing Coordinators Michaela Powell and Riaz Ali, lead groups of Residents in making these fluffy fondants using icing sugar, condensed milk, peppermint essence and green food colouring.
When asked, none of the Residents could recall ever making peppermint creams so this made the activity more fun. No one in the group knew exactly how to make them, so they were very glad they a recipe to follow.
They each took it in turns to stir the mixture, getting into every corner of the bowl, as the mixture came together our hands went in to turn a sticky mess into a smooth, green and minty dough.
Lewis Matthews, one of the chefs at the 80-bed residential, nursing and dementia care home, even joined in on the fun and got stuck in with the Residents, supporting them to cut out their shapes and roll out the dough.
Gordon Grist, who lives at Market Lavington, joked, “We have a professional among us, the chef has come to test our skills!”
After the activity, all involved enjoyed a well-earned hot drink and slice of cake. Angela Wakeley, Gordon Grist, Phyllis Shellard, Joyce Kennedy, Rona Bushell, Susie Hilton and Pam Johnson, who all took part in the activity, said that they liked trying something new and being able to create something for everyone at the home to enjoy.
Angela said, “I’ve never made peppermint creams before, I was always making cakes and pies though. I loved baking!”
Michaela Powell, Wellbeing Coordinator, said, “Sometimes all it takes is a certain smell, taste, sound or image to bring back fond memories from the past. There were certainly a few memories remembered this afternoon during our baking session.”