Welcome to my Blog! This is a first for me as i am generally computer illiterate. But with a little persuasion from friends and family and some help from a more computer savy comrade, i am well on my way to becoming part of the 21st century.
I lean a little towards the side of "hippy" when it comes to my lifestyle. People often raise their eyebrows when my husband Jonathan and I say we don't have cable television, iphones, or internet. Mind you we did have to cave and get an internet stick for Jonathan's business and this does seem to make more sense when one wants to start a Blog.
Fresh food has always been an issue for me. I'm sure it drove my mother crazy when i would constantly check expiry dates and refuse leftovers as a kid. My first five years were spent on a farm in Saskatchewan. My biggest memories seem to be of time spent raiding the crisp carrots and sweet peas from mom's garden. The smell of fresh buns filling our house. And of course, riding my horse in the wheat fields.
Warp ahead 26 years and i find myself wanting these very things for our three children. I find it crazy that I buy Canadian beef from a very American COSTCO. How many miles has that beef travelled to get on to our plates. Eating local seems to solve many problems occurring today. Of course environmental; the fewer miles travelled=smaller eco-footprint. It also supports producers who could be our friends, family or neighbors. And most importantly, for me, i know what I am putting into our children's mouths. Growth hormones, chemicals to promote longevity in food, and god knows what else is "added" for travel/taste. These things actually scare me. It was a little different when we didn't have kids. But now? now i am hypersensitive to what is in our food and how it affects their health, growth and behavior.
Having a background in Disability Studies, I worked with children of varying disabilities within their home and school environments. I really found that the parents who did their research and promoted healthy eating habits had better results with their child's behavior and overall health. This sometimes included limiting processed foods, removing sugars, and being generally more aware of food allergies occurring. I was able to SEE the difference with the children whose parents did the above and those who did not. This was one tidbit( along with many others) i chose to store for when i had my own children.
This will be an exciting journey for me. I look forward to all the ups and downs as well as the learning curve that is bound to happen.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Day 4

Really? is it only day 4??? So today's lesson? PREPAREDNESS!! Never take your three children under the age of 4 berry picking at nap time and then expect them to hit Superstore and Airdrie Farmer's Market. And, NEVER think for a moment that when you are on the 100 mile diet, you SHOULD be able to grab a quick bite for supper at the market...just does not happen. Then Karma goes and kicks your ass with VERY cranky children in the truck for the 20 minute drive home and have to prepare a locally grown meal...I felt so bad for our children, they really are troopers! The market was a success. Bought veggies from Innisfail Growers. $31.50 will get you cauliflower, broccoli, tomatoes, two lg bags of carrots and some green peppers. Dietz Meats out of Medicine Hat (I know a bit far, but tell that to your STARVING children) will really gauge you wallet with a large package of pretty tasty jerky for $20.00! Found a great egg grower out of Linden and she is very reasonable, Oxyoke Farms. My big find was the Homestyle Foods Inc out of Bowden, AB. They carry Pearson's raspberry jam as well as a concentrate lemonade from local fruit! Berry picking was wonderful, grandma came always and eager and ready for an adventure!!! The girls really can't get enough of her and her antics! We went to a farm just outside Cochrane. Meals today; pancakes AGAIN with fruit. Jonny cooked up leftover pasta at lunch, only took 15 minutes to heat up under the hood of his truck!! For real!!! I had granola and berries with yogurt and the girls had leftover soup! Crazy dinner was a scrambled egg pizza...I'll tell you about another time??? So that was it! Another day gone by, have to say i feel great with the lack of sugar...my kids on the other hand, did have a hard time in Superstore though. At one point Bur leaned over to Grams and said "I think I NEED sugar Gram??!!"
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1 comment:

  1. kokoAugust 6, 2010 at 1:08 PM

    I'm continuing to tune in and taking notes! We are trying to get all of our meat locally so have switched to chicken and bison. Our milk is still coming from the grocery store although we have switched to organic. Now I know what brand to look for though from your blog! I'll hit Planet Organic and Community Natural foods and start checking addresses.

    Today I aim to hit the MacLeod Trail and Heritage farmers market in Calgary. It is supposed to be completely direct sell - the farmers sell their produce! I'm excited to make some connections for winter supplies.

    Thanks for doing this!

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