James McIntosh's Weblog

HomeEcConnect

James McIntosh — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 12:01:40 +0000

Written by Jay Deagon @ HomeEcConnect

Like, Follow, Join In & Upload: Seeking home economics success stories

We could all use a little good news. Many of us are aware of the sustainability challenges we face – but many of us may still wonder “what can I do about it?”. HomeEcConnect is an online space to share hope, courage, practical initiatives and good news. We can do this by communicating and passing on the innovative, creative and inspiring ways that we are addressing our challenges as individuals and as a global home economics community.

Home economics is not just a curriculum subject learnt at school. As an internationally recognised qualification, graduates go into many different fields. For example, home economists work to ensure that a range of products developed within industry keep the needs of the family in focus. I have an education and research background, James is an industry home economist. Regardless, of our differences, James and I both believe that to invigorate the home economics profession we need to use the technological tools available to us. Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) give people access to information. James is an exceptional example of a fearless social networker. He fully utilises the internet to promote his unique perspective and obvious passion for home economics. James has a Facebook page, a Twitter account, a LinkedIn profile, a YouTube channel, his business Whisk website, an IPhone and IPad Touch 600 recipe application and he blogs regularly. James has also plugged into HomeEcConnect which provides an umbrella service or hub for home economics teachers, students and professionals to share local knowledge with global audiences.

HomeEcConnect is an opportunity to:

showcase home economics while raising its web presence and public profile
showcase your school
encourage active local and global citizenship
focus home economic teachers, students and professionals on relevant and exciting local and global home economics projects
share ideas
integrate ICT and digital technology into home economics classroom practice
widen professional horizons
participate in a research project

Get connected with Jay Deagon @ HomeEcConnect:

Join in discussions on the Website
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Tune into the Youtube Channel
Upload a video that shows home economics in action.

Many home economists around the world work under the International Federation of Home Economics Position Statement (2008) to guide our work. Sustainability features heavily in contemporary home economics. I have learnt that “sustainability” does not just mean renewable energy, recycling bottles, giving food scraps to worms and making new garments from old fabric… it also means raising children in nurturing ways, keeping families communicating, fun and play, housing, furnishings, economics of the home, cooking, cleaning, equitable labour division, safe parks and playgrounds, food security, ethical and sustainable clothing. Sustainable relationships, families, communities and living environments all contribute to a sustainable future. Advocating for health, education, peace, equity, justice and respect… I believe this is what home economics is all about. Internet communications tools can facilitate ‘future proofing’ and sustainability of the home economics profession.

Social networking sites are about listening, understanding and participating. As a place to build relationships and cross-cultural understanding, they can be a hub for collecting and sharing grassroots knowledge. HomeEcConnect was built for this purpose. It is a website that brings together home economics teachers, students and professionals from all over the world to share our dreams and realities. HomeEcConnect is about working collaboratively, being inspired and taking action on local and global issues that affect the everyday lives of individuals, families and communities while respecting diversity and our common Earth home with all its creatures, land, air and water.

About Jay Deagon

I am the founder of HomeEcConnect. HomeEcConnect contributes to promoting home economics as essential education. I believe home economics not only provides individuals, families and communities with essential skills to enhance quality of life; it successfully achieves this goal because of the thousands of caring and service oriented professionals who actively inspire others. I am collecting these good news stories to share with the home economics profession and the general public. I am a PhD Candidate at Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia. HomeEcConnect is part of my research project that seeks to understand home economics in digital times and its relationship with spiritual health and well-being and education for sustainable development. I am working under the supervision of Professor Donna Pendergast, Griffith University. For more information about any aspect of this project please contact Jay at j.deagon@griffith.edu.au or Donna at d.pendergast@griffith.edu.au.

The end of the ultimate road trip.

James McIntosh — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 11:03:03 +0000

I’ve spent a thoroughly enjoyable summer travelling all over England in the AGA Total Controlvan. I’ve loved waking up early in whichever room I am staying at the time, watching the sun rise across the fields which I drove past the day before, the thousands of miles stretching into the distance. I think about the patchwork of counties, towns and villages through which I travelled and replay the stories shared by customers during the previous week, the enthused accounts of how much they love their AGA. These good people may have entirely different backgrounds yet the one thing they share is how their cooker fits perfectly into their family life. I love seeing the excitement which washes over others when they tell me that they are having an AGA installed in their home. I particularly love helping with the buying process – they always swither over choosing the colour, but then there are eleven gorgeous shades to choose from.

Our new AGA Total Control

After each event I have attended I have subsequently held demonstrations in the local AGA shop. Many customers attend to not only find out more about the AGA Total Control but also to see it in action. I can easily explain what makes AGA products so appealing but nothing rivals firsthand experience of using them. At each of these demonstrations I cook twenty dishes in an hour and a half, and it is always humbling to see the look of awe light up in a customer’s eyes at the sheer amount of food the AGA Total Control can hold. It is just like a classic AGA except that it heats up quickly after turning on, and can be fully programmable to suit the needs of any family.

Truly, this AGA is flexible enough to be perfect for any season, even when those seasons appear to be out of alignment. As I write, it’s October but a record-breaking 29 degrees! As I walked through Clapham Common a few evenings ago I noticed how the leaves laying on the ground were painted in autumnal colours. Even the squirrels were confused. The new AGA, in contrast, is much more reliable and can be easily controlled to provide for the unpredictable weather we experience in the UK.

One of the most personally memorable days this summer was when I attended the Chatsworth Country Show. It was the first time the Red Arrows flew after the tragic accent which befell their team, and as they wowed the crowds with their aerobatics I was cooking live with the AGA Total Control. It was a privilege and a pleasure to represent AGA at such an event. Elsewhere, I cooked onstage at the Leamington Food Festival with none other than Rusty Lee, undoubtedly the original television chef in the UK. It was definitely one of the most enjoyable days I have ever had at work. Whilst I explained how to make the most of local produce I tried my hardest to keep a straight face as Rusty’s infectious laugh boomed behind me. Finally, I met more AGA owners at food festivals in Battersea, Oxford and Nantwich – the latter is situated less than an hour from where AGA cookers are made.

Each time I demonstrate the benefits of working with AGA I cook a huge dinner with breakfast, quiche, pizza, steak and a roast. However, it’s always the puddings which pull the customers back for seconds – and occasionally, thirds. The old line about the proof of the pudding… well, I’m now the very proud owner of an AGA Total Control. I bought one for my Mum which was installed back on the family farm in Northern Ireland. I flew home to watch it being fitted, where I was amazed at the anticipation both Mum and I felt as the Total Control arrived. That was nothing compared to the emotion which engulfed us as we switched it on for the first time to cook our dinner. There are many reasons to recommend this Great British Cooker, such as the fact that they are handcrafted in Shropshire in the same foundry which birthed the Industrial Revolution or the moistness and flavour which imbues AGA cooked food. More than that, it’s the sensation of waking up in the morning in a house which has an AGA cooker in its kitchen. It truly is the heart of any home. I wish I could bottle this feeling, this heat and comfort which cannot be mimicked by a radiator or any other device, and place it in my AGA Total Control van to share with customers. If they could experience this, if they could have this insight into how an AGA complements any household, then they would see why these products are so uniquely special.

I hope to see you at one of our AGA demonstrations soon.

A Tale of 2 Cities

James McIntosh — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 10:39:02 +0000

Last week I took the AGA Total Control van to Country Warmth, an AGA distributor in picturesque North Yorkshire. I always love to visit that part of the country as the scenery is as breathtaking as any in the world. One of the few things I remember about studying, and I use that term loosely, English Literature in school was reading Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, with its vivid descriptions of moors, craggy hills and lush, green fields. It is one of the few places that I would take a detour just to refresh my memory of the views. Further, the people there are so genial and down to earth, as epitomised by those working at the family run Country Warmth and those who attended the demonstration.

I once again displayed the benefits of cooking on the new AGA Total Control. During an hour and a half I produced a veritable feast covering any possible meals and snacks one could eat in a given day: a full cooked breakfast, a loaf of bread, baked salmon, pizza, red onion and goats cheese quiche, leg of lamb, fillet steak and stir-fried vegetables to name but a select few. To those who are not fans of cooking, this might sound like quite the ordeal, but I can confirm that any pressure or real labour is removed by the ease of cooking with AGA Total Control. I know that if I am talking about a raspberry summer sponge cake, for example, and I open the oven containing it, I am not going to be confronted by a burnt or soggy surprise. The AGA Total Control cooks food exactly as it should do. It really is that easy.

Afterwards, those attending were able to sample the food and I answered more specific questions on the Total Control technology. I told them how it is fully programmable so that it turns on when you want it to, and off when you want it to. In fact, there is more to it than that. The user can set one oven to come on at a given time, or all three ovens and both hot plates, or any combination they desire. The benefits of such functionality should be obvious to those with busy lifestyles and demanding occupations. Imagine how liberating and comforting it is to know that you can programme your dinner to cook when and how you want it to.

A day later, I flew to Northern Ireland to launch the AGA Total Control at the shop in Belfast and did it all over again. It was a great opportunity to not only catch up with friends and family but also show off the new cooker to customers in my home country. After keeping this secret for so long, it feels fantastic to be able to speak about it.

Fat Americans look for the answer.

James McIntosh — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 10:57:05 +0000

Well, that could be fat people anywhere. However an article int he New York Times raised the issue this week about how Home Economics could be the answer. Have a read here.

Many people ask me what the difference is between a home Economist and a Chef, I wrote a blog about it a while back. Have a read and all comments welcome.

Standing Room Only

James McIntosh — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 23:41:03 +0000

Last weekend the AGA Total Control Van, which has now become my second home, rolled up at the Essex Spectacular, a two day event for all the family at Barleylands Farm Show Ground near Billericay. The show featured motoring displays for car fanatics and a mini big top where children could learn circus skills, but of course my place was at the Taste Village. This area was a buzz of culinary activity with many distinguished chefs taking part. Television celebrity chefs were cooking at the AGA Rangemaster Cookery Theatre. The inexhaustible Antonio Carluccio put on demonstrations right throughout the day whilst Cyrus Todiwala was hilarious, particularly when he described growing up in India: as a youngster he used to hide in the ovens of the family AGA. Only when they were turned off, mind you.

Standing room only at the AGA Rangemaster Cookery Theatre for Antonio Carluccio

Other people taking part included Executive Chefs from celebrated hotels on Park Lane. The Lanesborough, Sheraton Park Lane, Claridges and The Oriental Club were just some of the restaurants and bistros represented.

Elsewhere, Rob Kirby from Lexington Catering held a cookery workshop for children and he had many taking part. It was cheering to see young people being so enthusiastic about an activity which is far too often dismissed as something that only adults do, and exciting to think that being at the Rangemaster Theatre might be the catalyst for more careers in the industry. On a personal note, it reminded me of my own childhood and how my parents taught me the great rewards of working with fresh produce and good equipment.

Rob Kirby teaches kids to cook at the AGA Rangemaster Cookery Theatre

Speaking of which, I was again spreading the word about the AGA Total Control, extolling the truly marvellous technology which drives the cooker. Many people came to ask about the benefits of having such a desirable thing in their home. In fact, the tent was full to capacity and the atmosphere was electric.

As Saturday night culminated with a firework display, I drove home in the AGA Total Control Van, once again affirmed that nothing brings people together like the promise of good food and how an AGA Total Control turns a house into a home.