Celebrating families and shared food.
In this Celebratory issue of GDM, we are hailing grandparents and honouring their contributions. What are celebrations all about and how do they feed us? Celebrating is a magical part of our lives. It's about connecting to people and nature in a way that changes us for the better. We grow and lock in happy memories and milestones. Celebrations inspire us to do our best, to be grateful and to look to the future with joy and hope. I think we all love celebrations!
Today we celebrate often. Weddings, birthdays and holidays but also school events, end of the workweek, kid's day and the dog's birthday and so on can evoke a "reward me" response. I'm all on board with the notion of celebrating often in life. I think it can be very healthy! Do we need to celebrate in grand or unhealthy ways? I think we can compromise.
Celebrations often seem to be intermingled with traditions and rituals but they are not bound by them. Celebrations can change, grow and adapt. My mother once told me about how folks celebrated Christmas in Unterloibl, a small Carinthian mountain village in Austria. Gifts were hand-made and even shoes and dresses were the tasks of shoemakers and dressmakers in the 1920s. My mother told me about the tradition of children getting an orange for the holiday and how much it meant to them. Yes, a small, juicy, intoxicating orange brought a lot of joy, sunshine and drippy deliciousness into the dark cold winter days at a time when it was most needed and appreciated. So we fast forward to my childhood where Christmas stockings always included an orange and some nuts. Today many of us still acknowledge this tradition; I've since learned that the orange also symbolizes the season of giving because the segments of the orange allow for easy sharing. A friend told me that in her house they have replaced the orange fruit in the stocking with a chocolate orange. I had to chuckle a wee bit to see how traditions are already taking a turn in my lifetime. With people having citrus year-round, and an abundance of exotic fruits, a simple orange may no longer be seen as special. It may seem sad that many of our traditions will undergo some change or fade away. What I feel is more important is that there is an unlimited supply of specialness in the world from which we can tap into and pass along. Let's explore some ways to do this.
Home-made foods are special and healthier. In today's busier than ever lifestyle there just isn’t enough time. We beg for simpler solutions so we have time to de-stress and enjoy ourselves. We can make food simple. For easy healthy breakfasts consider avocado toast, overnight oatmeal, mason jar omelets or a good old fashioned nut butter and jelly sandwich that children can make themselves. I am also a fan of leftovers for breakfast and lunch, though not everyone will welcome risotto as the first meal of the day! Want breakfast to be more celebratory? Use cookie cutters to make toast into fun shapes, serve food in special dishes to look fancy, or add tasty toppings like herbs, nuts, dried fruits and seeds to use as sprinkles. Getting kids to help set the table, prepare food and clean up is easier when you tell them you need their help. Make this a routine and your life and your grandchildren's life will be richer. Enjoy decorating the table with fallen leaves, legos, seashells or artwork. Let children be part of the family by working alongside you. Find ways to acknowledge their contributions. Thanking them from the heart goes a long way! Children are learning real-life skills, creativity, teamwork and family values.
Who can be more fun and understanding than grandparents to introduce playfulness in the kitchen? While playing with food was once discouraged, today it does not have to be. Children are all different and if being more sensory with food gets them comfortable with trying new things...that's a step forward! Children who are familiar with vegetables are more likely to try them. By that I mean see, smell, feel, taste and learn about them. This interaction sparks the friendship that leads children to healthy life-long eating habits. Creating veggie/fruit people, flowers, or skewering them to make kabobs is fun for the whole family. Remember ribs of celery filled with peanut butter and raisins on top? Aka ants on a log? Tried and true does not go out of style. Having done these projects with preschool children I can assure you that they will have lots of creative ideas! No need to stress on this activity just set out a nice variety of vegetables and fruits but not too many as to be overwhelming. Older kids and Grandparents might enjoy learning some fun and intricate garnishes. Have older children research this topic on the Internet. There are a lot of great ideas and videos out there.
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My head may say I should be much stricter in my food choices but my heart says that food and drink are so much more than sustenance and nutrients. We are social creatures and I for one do not wish to be left out of fun group activities or social bonding. Miss a picnic or slice of cake? Hmm, probably not me. I also hate to leave anyone else out who needs or wants to make dietary changes. Food can draw us together in a most exciting inclusive way. Today food can also be emotional and polarizing in the workplace or at our family's table. We are all different and being mindful and supportive of people's choices is a necessity. Food does not have to divide us or be stressful. Can we have it all? I like to think so, even when some days there will be a give and take.
Here are some more simple tweaks and adjustments that can help with food challenges. Potlucks are one great easy solution for everyone to bring what they like to eat and for people to share. In our home, we host a 12th Night party each year where we might get 40-80 friends attending. My husband and I make three vats of chili which takes us days to prepare. Every year we try not to cry over all the chopping of the onions. We've tried various machines, lighting candles, fans, slices of bread under the nose and goggles. The onions always seem to win. We like to be silly and name our chili. "Love Mom's Beef Chili”, "Road Kill Chicken Chili" and "Hot Like Hell Vegetarian Chili” are some we've made. Our friends all help and bring side dishes to share making this night quite a special and varied feast.
Easy substitutions can also turn a "no-no" dish to a "yes-yes" dish for people needing dietary swaps. Here's a great learning opportunity to make meals healthier for your loved ones. I find that I can reduce sugar in every recipe for a simple win. Smaller portions of recreational foods (foods with no real nutritional value) are best eaten after a nutritious meal. It's always good to slow down the sugar absorption! My approach for doing better is simply to embrace a daily portion of veggies and fruits. Keeping them available and prepped, I am more likely to fill up with the good stuff.
Today we celebrate often. Weddings, birthdays and holidays but also school events, end of the workweek, kid's day and the dog's birthday and so on can evoke a "reward me" response. I'm all on board with the notion of celebrating often in life. I think it can be very healthy! Do we need to celebrate in grand or unhealthy ways? I think we can compromise.
Celebrations often seem to be intermingled with traditions and rituals but they are not bound by them. Celebrations can change, grow and adapt. My mother once told me about how folks celebrated Christmas in Unterloibl, a small Carinthian mountain village in Austria. Gifts were hand-made and even shoes and dresses were the tasks of shoemakers and dressmakers in the 1920s. My mother told me about the tradition of children getting an orange for the holiday and how much it meant to them. Yes, a small, juicy, intoxicating orange brought a lot of joy, sunshine and drippy deliciousness into the dark cold winter days at a time when it was most needed and appreciated. So we fast forward to my childhood where Christmas stockings always included an orange and some nuts. Today many of us still acknowledge this tradition; I've since learned that the orange also symbolizes the season of giving because the segments of the orange allow for easy sharing. A friend told me that in her house they have replaced the orange fruit in the stocking with a chocolate orange. I had to chuckle a wee bit to see how traditions are already taking a turn in my lifetime. With people having citrus year-round, and an abundance of exotic fruits, a simple orange may no longer be seen as special. It may seem sad that many of our traditions will undergo some change or fade away. What I feel is more important is that there is an unlimited supply of specialness in the world from which we can tap into and pass along. Let's explore some ways to do this.
Home-made foods are special and healthier. In today's busier than ever lifestyle there just isn’t enough time. We beg for simpler solutions so we have time to de-stress and enjoy ourselves. We can make food simple. For easy healthy breakfasts consider avocado toast, overnight oatmeal, mason jar omelets or a good old fashioned nut butter and jelly sandwich that children can make themselves. I am also a fan of leftovers for breakfast and lunch, though not everyone will welcome risotto as the first meal of the day! Want breakfast to be more celebratory? Use cookie cutters to make toast into fun shapes, serve food in special dishes to look fancy, or add tasty toppings like herbs, nuts, dried fruits and seeds to use as sprinkles. Getting kids to help set the table, prepare food and clean up is easier when you tell them you need their help. Make this a routine and your life and your grandchildren's life will be richer. Enjoy decorating the table with fallen leaves, legos, seashells or artwork. Let children be part of the family by working alongside you. Find ways to acknowledge their contributions. Thanking them from the heart goes a long way! Children are learning real-life skills, creativity, teamwork and family values.
Who can be more fun and understanding than grandparents to introduce playfulness in the kitchen? While playing with food was once discouraged, today it does not have to be. Children are all different and if being more sensory with food gets them comfortable with trying new things...that's a step forward! Children who are familiar with vegetables are more likely to try them. By that I mean see, smell, feel, taste and learn about them. This interaction sparks the friendship that leads children to healthy life-long eating habits. Creating veggie/fruit people, flowers, or skewering them to make kabobs is fun for the whole family. Remember ribs of celery filled with peanut butter and raisins on top? Aka ants on a log? Tried and true does not go out of style. Having done these projects with preschool children I can assure you that they will have lots of creative ideas! No need to stress on this activity just set out a nice variety of vegetables and fruits but not too many as to be overwhelming. Older kids and Grandparents might enjoy learning some fun and intricate garnishes. Have older children research this topic on the Internet. There are a lot of great ideas and videos out there.
.
My head may say I should be much stricter in my food choices but my heart says that food and drink are so much more than sustenance and nutrients. We are social creatures and I for one do not wish to be left out of fun group activities or social bonding. Miss a picnic or slice of cake? Hmm, probably not me. I also hate to leave anyone else out who needs or wants to make dietary changes. Food can draw us together in a most exciting inclusive way. Today food can also be emotional and polarizing in the workplace or at our family's table. We are all different and being mindful and supportive of people's choices is a necessity. Food does not have to divide us or be stressful. Can we have it all? I like to think so, even when some days there will be a give and take.
Here are some more simple tweaks and adjustments that can help with food challenges. Potlucks are one great easy solution for everyone to bring what they like to eat and for people to share. In our home, we host a 12th Night party each year where we might get 40-80 friends attending. My husband and I make three vats of chili which takes us days to prepare. Every year we try not to cry over all the chopping of the onions. We've tried various machines, lighting candles, fans, slices of bread under the nose and goggles. The onions always seem to win. We like to be silly and name our chili. "Love Mom's Beef Chili”, "Road Kill Chicken Chili" and "Hot Like Hell Vegetarian Chili” are some we've made. Our friends all help and bring side dishes to share making this night quite a special and varied feast.
Easy substitutions can also turn a "no-no" dish to a "yes-yes" dish for people needing dietary swaps. Here's a great learning opportunity to make meals healthier for your loved ones. I find that I can reduce sugar in every recipe for a simple win. Smaller portions of recreational foods (foods with no real nutritional value) are best eaten after a nutritious meal. It's always good to slow down the sugar absorption! My approach for doing better is simply to embrace a daily portion of veggies and fruits. Keeping them available and prepped, I am more likely to fill up with the good stuff.
Shopping List for Monkey's Yummy Beet Smoothie.
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I'd like to share a recipe and some fun facts about beets. Monkey's Yummy Beet Smoothie is a recipe from my cookbook 4 Ways to Yummy. Monkey's Yummy Beet Smoothie includes a drawn recipe version for pre-readers. With so many ways to prepare beets from sweet to savory, from pickles to chips or juiced who can say no to them? Smoothies have become the new easy and tasty way to get more servings of veggies and fruits into the diet. Bear in mind that these concentrated juice drinks can be high in calories so portions should be small. Serving in a goblet or with a straw may make it taste even better and easier to savour. The beets give a lovely purple colour to this drink that will likely impress the kids.
Did you know beets can dye fabric, eggs and even hair? Beet skins are bitter so if using raw, peel beforehand. If roasting beets, peel them afterward as skins will slip away more easily. Red beets will stain your hands and everything else so wear gloves and cover surfaces. Golden beet varieties do not stain and tend to taste sweeter and less earthy. What is beeturia? Can you guess? Let’s make a toast to a healthy practice. I wish you a happy, tasty cooking adventure and...I wish I could be there with you! |
Heide Horeth and Dalai
