Re-booting the blog

Well, I didn't die or drop off of the face of the earth, in case that's what you feared. No, my excuse for the complete lack of posts in the last month is the same old excuse we all utter from time to time: I was just too busy. Between family members in the hospital, family members to help move, a lack of internet access and general summertime merriment, I simply did not have the time or the motivation I needed to stay on top of this blog.

Now, I'm not going to apologize or make promises that it will never happen again, because I can pretty much guarantee that it will from time to time, but I am going to take a few steps to make blogging easier for me to do, so that it stays something I enjoy rather than becoming a chore.

Well, with that out of the way, I thought I would tell you a little of what I have been up to in the last month, and share a few pictures to illustrate.

There was a family barbeque that involved many desserts and several kites:




There was a week long series of festivities surrounding my littlest sister's graduation:




I spent a weekend in Halifax, NS with yet another sister, where we sampled the local breweries, went to the farmers market, spent an evening at a local pub and enjoyed the 100th Anniverary of the Canadian Navy:


And spent a lot of time in this beautiful place running, swimming, gardening, playing with my dog and relaxing:





See you soon! ;)

~KayeVicA

Veg of the Week - Swiss Chard

I'm trying to keep my veg of the week posts relevant to what's in season each week, or at least what is in season in MY garden each week. This has been a little difficult the last couple of posts since I just finished planting my garden on Monday evening (we had a week of hard rain that delayed me), and of course nothing is up just yet. Last night however, I was checking over my rows and I noticed a few little shoots coming up in the swiss chard row. This isn't quite as amazing as it might sound, they didn't miraculously germinate in 2 days, they have been in for about a week or more since they were one of the few items I was able to plant before the deluge. None-the less, it is still very exciting to see the first little shoots poking their heads up through the soil. (You'll probably find this to be a frequent theme as each different plant starts growing! I get excited easily hehe) They don't look like much yet, but I'll post some pictures as soon as things start looking more interesting.


Now, Swiss Chard, also know as silver beet, is a cold hardy vegetable native to Sicily. It is related botanically to regular beets, but instead of eating the root, the leaves of swiss chard are eaten. Swiss chard is one of the first vegetables to be planted in the garden since it grows well under cold conditions and should be sown as soon as the soil can be worked. In the fall swiss chard will outlive most other vegetables, and I have been known to harvest the leaves long after the first snow has covered the patch. Another nice feature of this vegetable is its vigor. It is a cut-and-come-again green, which means that the plant will regrow leaves to replace the ones that are harvested throughout the summer, supplying the gardener with a fresh supply of young tender leaves all summer long. It has an earthy and somewhat bitter flavour, the strength of which depends on its age; younger leaves and stems are milder and tender, while mature leaves have a stronger flavour and the stems may be quiet fibrous. Swiss chard is also an excellent source of many nutrients, including vitamins K, A, and C, as well as trace minerals such as magnesium, potassium, and iron. I chose to plant 'Rainbow Chard' grown by Hope Seeds, an organic seed producer in New Brunswick, which is a mixture of the many different colour variations available including white, yellow, pink, orange and red. Chard is a very versatile vegetable in the kitchen and can be steamed and dressed with vinegar, sauteed with other vegetables for a stir fry, chopped and put into a lasagna, or simply rinsed and tossed with other greens in a salad.

Wild Strawberries

Today I picked some wild strawberries. "What?!" you might say, "it's only the first week of June". You would be right in your surprise, since here on the east coast of Canada we usually have to wait until the first of JULY for these lovely sweet red berries. But this year, spring has been very early and very warm for us and nearly everything from fiddle heads to asparagus to apple blossoms are 2-3 weeks early. Now I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing. I could go on about climate change and weather patterns, but I'm sure that would be preaching to the choir, so to speak. Every one is at least aware, if not convinced, of the climate change argument. So I won't, I'll just say that I enjoyed the tart juicy-ness of these little berries as tiny taste of what's to come when the cultivated version is ready for picking in a few weeks. Mmmm.....

Veg of the Week - Asparagus

This week's veggie spotlight is on... ASPARAGUS!


Asparagus is a spring crop vegetable native to Europe and Northern Africa. It is a part of the lily family (like onions and garlic) and will re-grow each spring from the same plant. It grows from 100-150cms tall, although it is normally harvested while still tender at about 6-8 inches. As the season wears on the leaves at the head of the stem will open to become a delicate fern-like branch which support small pale yellow flowers. It looks something like this:



Asparagus is a very good source of dietary fiber, protein and antioxidants, as well as a multitude of vitamins and minerals including B vitamins 1-6, calcium, magnesium, and zinc. It also comes in different colours (green, white and purple) although the nutrient content would not vary much, the white variety probably has fewer anthocyanins (plant colour compounds) which function as antioxidants in the body. Still very nutritious though! The white variety is grown by simply keeping a regular green plant away from the light as it grows. With no light, the chlorophyll in the plant never gets activated, thus no green pigment. Easy, though not quite as interesting to eat!

When I started my asparagus bed, I began with root balls that I had purchased from a local seed company. After it is planted, you must wait three years before harvesting any of the shoots, to allow the plant to become strong and healthy enough to withstand harvesting. It is also possible to start asparagus from seed, but you must wait even longer before the first harvest, and I'm just not that patient!! Asparagus is a good companion plant for tomatoes, as the tomato plants repel asparagus beetles. (I can't really see many people taking advantage of this combination since asparagus is planted once in a permanent bed and mulched while tomatoes are re-planted year after year in a bed that has been tilled.)

One last interesting tidbit about asparagus (some of you may find this a little icky, I personally find it fascinating!) is the smell it causes in urine. This unique smell is caused by the breakdown, or derivatives, of asparagusic acid which is unique to young asparagus shoots. The effect on urine is remarkably fast, causing a distinct smell only 15-30 minutes after ingestion. Surprisingly, although all people's urine is affected by the smell, about 22% of people cannot smell the change in their urine. This is simply a genetic quirk, where the person lacks the autosomal gene required to pick up on the unique smell.

So there you are, a quick crash course on all you ever wanted (or didn't want!) to know about asparagus!

The battle for midwives is never over...

Stumbled across this article which someone posted on my program message board.

New York Midwives Lose Right to Deliver Babies at Home


It seems unfair that midwives who have been safely practicing should suddenly have their privileges taken away based on the closure of only one hospital. Where have the obstetricians gone who signed them off before? Better still, why do educated health professionals need another professional to give them the right to practice? It seems a little like a power trip to me. It is extremely frustrating to see a seemingly finished battle be suddenly reopened for these women and their midwives.

It is also frustrating to find out that the OBs are actively fighting against midwifery on the basis that they are 'competition' when there are not enough practitioners to serve all of the women in the first place and besides, shouldn't doctors be putting patient outcomes and healthy deliveries ahead of the bottom line? Apparently not, and it is a similar situation up here in Canada. We as a society have been brainwashed to believe that doctors have only our best interests at heart, and it can be a rude awakening to discover that that is not always the case.

Something to ponder...

Blank Canvas

The site and source of much future happiness, as well the medium of my creative energies this summer...so excited!

A Garden Solution Found!/ Veg of the Week

Alright, I know I've been pretty much MIA for the last 3 weeks and I do apologize. My only real excuse is that I've been very busy, but none of what I've been doing is interesting enough to be blogging about. That alone got me to thinking: "I was supposed to be enjoying this summer to its fullest to appreciate being home in NB, and can I really say I'm doing that if NOTHING I've done is worth a blog post?!" The answer of course is NO. So I'll be keeping that new criteria in mind over the next few weeks as I plan out my weekends and after work activities. But for now I have some good news...

The garden crisis has been solved! Remember how I was sad and empty at the prospect of a garden free summer? Well my lovely father-in-law has handily dispatched that particular problem by basically tilling up his lawn to make me one. Now it's not quite as drastic as that might have sounded since the area of lawn in question used to be his vegetable garden before he downsized to a smaller plot nearer his house. But the area had nearly completely grassed over since then so it certainly wasn't an easy task. But I am absolutely thrilled!

I'm already in full swing with garden plans. It was a bit too late when I arrived home from school to start my own tomatoes for this season, they need about 8 weeks inside and I only had about 5. But I was able to start all the summer and winter squashes and cucumbers, and they are quickly sprouting on the window sill and will soon be ready to go outdoors to be hardened off. There is something magical about watching these little seeds push up through the soil and sprout their first leaves, all safe and warm inside. Life is simply mind boggling.

Now since I could go on all day long about all the different veggies I am growing this summer, the blog posts could get quite lengthy if I don't set myself a limit. So I think each week I will post on just one of the types of veg I have chosen this summer. That way I can share without boring you all to death in one go!


So, to start us off: Patty Pan Squash!


I do realize that these do not produce until later in the summer, but nothing is growing outside yet and these little guys were the first to sprout when I started all the squashes last week. So they are the stars of my garden for now!

Patty pan squash (also called sunburst squash or scallopini) are a summer type squash (C. pepo), meaning that you eat them while they are young and soft skinned, like a zucchini. They can be green, yellow or white in colour and are best eaten when only a few inches in diameter. The flesh is slightly more dense than the more familiar zucchini and with a creamier, buttery flavour. Patty pan sqaush are also a good source of magnesium, and Vitamins B3, A and C. I personally like to eat them sliced into a spaghetti sauce or tossed with olive oil, garlic and herbs (maybe mint or oregano) and oven roasted until browned. They are also great on the barbeque!

Food Revolution Friday - Part 2

And now for Part 2 of the cheese making adventure! You can find Part 1 over at The Horseless Nut, if you haven't already read it, to get up to speed!


After waiting the 5 minutes to allow the curd to form and separate from the whey, we gingerly tested it's readiness by pulling it away from the side of the pot with our finger tips. It was amazing! It looked exactly as it did when we put the lid on, but touching it revealed a firm gelatinous solid and clear fluid that filled the space at the edge. Encouraged by this revelation we began heating the curds and when they were hot and starting to melt we drained off the whey, reserving a portion to use in the pizza dough we were planning.


The next step was dipping the cheese curd into a hot water bath to increase the temperature and folding and stretching the cheese into a smooth ball. This was much harder than it looks, and made even more difficult by the heat of the cheese. At this point we also added the cheese salt, for some extra flavour.


A point of advice, the recipe called for rubber gloves to handle the cheese at this point to protect your hands from the heat. We didn't have any, and went ahead with it, and boy, was that a mistake. Our sister V made the sacrifice and didn't come out with any serious burns, but her hands stayed red for quite a while afterwards!

And the end result looked like cheese!!

The final step was placing the ball of mozzarella into a water bath to help cool it and hold it's shape. The whole process only took around 30 minutes, which doesn't seem like nearly enough when you set out on a task like making your own homemade cheese! Now the only step left was to make the pizza upon which we would enjoy our homemade treat...


We made our own pizza dough, substituting the discarded whey in place of the water in the recipe, which helped our crust to brown very nicely as well as adding some flavour.

For toppings we included: red onion and red peppers...


and zucchini... (we also enjoyed a few locally brewed beers throughout the day!)


Ready to pop into the oven!


And the final product, which was very tasty, if I do say so myself!


Over all this was a very positive experience. The recipe was easy to follow and played out exactly the way it was supposed to. The cheese itself was very mildly flavoured, with only a hint of farmy-ness that gave away it's raw milk beginnings. I would personally add a bit more salt than the recipe recommends as I found the cheese a little too bland for my taste. But other that that, it was very pleasant!

I will likely be adding this cheese recipe to my regular repertoire from now on. But of course now we've all got the cheese making bug! Next stop hard cheeses! Parmesan and cheddar....here we come!

Home Sweet Home

Well, exams are finally over and I'm back in New Brunswick for the summer!

I am unbelievably happy to be here, it seemed like this day would never come as I waded through rough winter weather and mountains of homework. But here I am, finally, and the summer adventures can finally begin! You see, I missed home so much while I was away in Ontario that I have made an unofficial 'spring-time' resolution to make the most of my summer here. That will hopefully include lots of hiking, visits to farmer's markets, local wineries, horseback riding, visits with family and of course gardening! Just writing about it all has me excited! And luckily, all of these activities will generate some good blogging material, which should make up for the lack of posts during the last month!

In fact the good times have already begun in the short time I have been home. I've done lots of visiting with my little sister J, who is home for one week from university, before she begins her summer job in the city. We have already been cooking, and horse back riding, and local food-ing up a storm in the last few days. But the most exciting part of the week happens tomorrow, when we make our first attempt at making our own cheese, mozzarella! We are teaming up with our older sister V and her husband (who is also a trained chef) JG to make this an all day event, that will hopefully culminate in a delicious supper featuring our first batch of fresh mozza!

Tune in Friday to see how it all turns out...!

Fair warning...

I feel it's only fair to warn you that I won't be posting at all until at least next Thursday, as I've got 4 final exams and a paper due between now and then. In fact, right now I'm trying to learn an entire year's (2 semesters) worth of a correspondence course that I just may have let slide until now. And the exam is on Wednesday. Wish me luck!

In the mean time, as always, I would like to entertain you with a funny video.




I've got to say I just LOVE flash mobs, they are absolutely hilarious!

Piano stairs...I want these in my house!

I thought this was an interesting video, so of course I'm sharing!

I honestly want a flight of stairs rigged like this in my house some day, ones that can be turned off of course. Think of the hours of fun you would have trying to plunk (hop?) out tunes, not to mention how much kids would love it.

All around fantastic idea!

Food Fight

So I've been on a bit of a local food kick lately.

I'm pretty sure it's because I'm an avid vegetable gardener, you know, the crazy kind that grows all her own seedlings from organic heirloom seeds, and starts mapping out her garden plan in Excel in January...but I don't get to have a garden this year. This is because we have rented out our house in NB so I won't have access to the 3 large beds that I have been preparing there for the last three years, nor do any of my relatives have room for me to garden at their houses. It kind of hurts me in my soul, when I think about all the time I used to spend out in the garden, watching my 'babies' grow, and feeling the satisfaction of harvesting in August those tomatoes that I grew from a seed in the middle of March, while it was still blizarding outside. I nearly died when all the seed catalogues started showing up mid February and I had to merely flip through them without making stars and notes in the margins of all the cool plants that I just HAD to grow this year...And I'm missing out on all of it. It really makes me sad.

Which is why I'm on this kick (I think). Since I can't grow my own this year, it makes me want to put on my food activist cap and run right out to the farmers market to buy all the lovely veggies that I would normally have grown myself. I want to support the other people who do what I love, and make the most of this opportunity to get involved in the food culture in my hometown. The trouble with that, is that it's still March, I'm still in university (in Sudbury, not Moncton), and the farmers market is not yet open here for the year. Boo!

So what's a gal to do?

Well, I've personally been reading local food cookbooks, frequenting the Slow Food Canada website, and researching local food movements in places like California, where they are a bit ahead of Canada's east coast in local food activism. (Shocking, I know!) Basically I'm psyching myself up for summer! Not a bad plan when you're knee deep in papers and exams, and trying to ignore the itch to get your fingers into the soil, right?

(Something tells me this 'no garden' thing is not going to last, but your guess is as good as mine as to how it's going to play out...I'll keep you posted...)

So to leave off, I thought I'd share a link for an interesting looking documentary that has been screened at the various film festivals this year, and been winning quite a few awards along the way. Titled 'Food Fight', it features many of the prominent food activists in the US, including Micheal Pollan, Alice Waters, Dan Barber and Wolfgang Puck, so their reputations definitely lend credibility to the film. I haven't presonally seen it, but after watching the preview on the website, I immediately ordered a copy, which should be waiting for me in a month when I get home. I'll give an update on the content once I've watched it, but it looks promising.

"Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution"

I`ve just begun watching Jamie Oliver`s Food Revolution, a TV series that follows Jamie Oliver as he attempts to change the way Huntington, Virginia eats. Jamie is a very motivational and inspirational advocate of whole, local, healthy food, and I`m hooked on this series after only one episode. Although this show takes place in the United States, we all know that Canada follows not far behind in terms of the statistics of obesity, heart disease and diabetes. This makes this show and the work that Jamie is doing very relevant to Canada as well, and we could all learn a little something from Jamie about how to initiate change in our own communities.

Worth a gander, certainly.

The Story of Bottled Water

Today is World Water Day, so I thought I post this video about the environmental hazards of disposable water bottles. It is by the makers of 'The Story of Stuff', another great video to check out if you haven't seen it already.

Pass it on...

Kitty is a very BAD Mystic

Today is my birthday, and I'm writing yet another paper. So once again I don't have time to make a proper blog post. I am however going to post a very funny video, and I hope you enjoy it.

My Beautiful Cervix

I'm supposed to be writing a paper right now. However, my fellow midwifery student friend J suggested a website to me yesterday and I just HAD to share it! It is called My Beautiful Cervix, and it was created by a former Laurentian midwifery student. It is basically a series of photos that she took every day for one month of her own cervix, to chronicle the changes that happen from day to day. ( Before you ask: a speculum, a camera, and a supportive partner.)

Oh yeah, and it's absolutely fantastic! (Note: midwives are known to differ with the general public on what is actually awesome and what grosses other people out, Ex. Placentas - also awesome.) It has also grown from the original project, others have sent in photos of pregnant cervices, menopausal cervices etc, and it is verrrry interesting!

Happy Cervices!

I know, I know...

It's been way too long since I've made a post. Trust me, I'm aware of the situation and feel adequately shameful. I have been absolutely swamped with school work since reading week. For example, I've got 3 papers to write this weekend. If I add all the assignments, papers, midterms and lab reports I've got due in the next 3 weeks of class, I'd say I'd get a total somewhere around 20. I don't know if that's a good excuse, but it's the only one I've got.

And so, I don't really have a good post to make today, but I will post an article that I found interesting...I hope you do too!

From the BBC: New York chef makes breastmilk cheese



I'm not really sure what to think of this, but you can't argue that it's not interesting!

pigeon problem...

Today was a beautiful spring day, the kind where you think maybe today is the day that you might remove your wool hat and enjoy some bright yellow sunshine. I was waiting at the bus stop for my bus when I spotted a pigeon flying repeatedly back and forth across the road. It took me a few passes to realize that it was collecting twigs on one side of the road and carrying them over to where it was building a nest on the roof of a building adjacent to the bus stop. "Awww" I thought, "how very spring-y", and I watched it fly a bit more before I remembered that I had some popcorn in my purse.

Now, I'm not normally the one to feed a pigeon, I'm more of a duck and geese type, but this guy was working so hard and I admired the job that was still ahead of him (her?) so I quickly checked both ways (safety first!) and scooted across the road to where it had been gathering material and tossed a few kernels onto the ground. I jogged back to my spot and waited eagerly to see if it would find my treat, hoping that I would see it before the bus came and I had to leave.

So I watched, and watched, for about 10 minutes. But it never seemed to go back to that place. Maybe it smelled me, maybe it just didn't have food on its mind, but I didn't see it notice the popcorn at all. I was disappointed, and then I had a revelation that I certainly hadn't expected to get from a pigeon.

You can only help someone so much, and they have to do the rest themselves.

Haha, it's silly I know, but yet it is very true a lot of the time. So I learned something from a pigeon today, and as ridiculous as that sounds, it's probably a lesson that will stick with me simply due to my unexpected instructor.

And without further ado, a pigeon centered video, which I found hilarious: Pigeon Impossible

We Are The World: 25 For Haiti

Came across this video on YouTube today. The crisis in Haiti is everywhere in the media these days, and for good reason. They do need relief from the earthquake that recently struck, but people seem to be forgetting that Haiti has been in terrible condition for many years, and we all turned a blind eye. Rowena over at If You Can't Be Rich Be Happy summed it up perfectly in her post Rant - a tale of systemic abuse , and I believe she is unfortunately right on the money. However, it is still important to be aware of the situation and I did enjoy this video, it is very much like Band-Aid's Do They Know it's Christmas? and equally emotional. Worth watching.

A Temporary Sigh of Relief

Sorry for the lack of posts over the last 10 days, it is week 6 of semester 2 and papers and midterms are upon me! Luckily, it's all over for the time being, so I'll get back to my (semi) regular schedule...

Today is the first day of my Spring Reading Week. It's kind of like March Break but instead of being a relaxing week to take a vacation or play in the snow (a la grade school) it is an opportunity to take a quick breather and then scramble to catch up on all of the readings and assignments you've been falling behind on for the last 6 weeks. It is also an opportunity to begin writing the papers due in the next 6 weeks, especially if all of your profs have chosen to make the final papers due the last week of classes. It sure isn't going to all get written then so that means it has to get started now...unfortunately.

Happily there will still be a little time for leisure activities. For one thing I'll be spending a part of each day at the pool on campus.



I started swimming at the beginning of January with my friend H and have come to crave my daily swim. I'm a pretty good swimmer, not especially fast, but I was a lifeguard and swimming instructor in high school so I know my way around a pool. And of course as my endurance increases I'm enjoying my time there more and more, H and I joke that we are addicted to the endorphines! That's fine by me, I've always had a hard time sticking to any exercise schedule, but this is so fun that it's not like exercise at all!

I also plan on finishing the novel I'm currently working on, Persuasion by Jane Austen.



I've read 2 of her other books, Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility, and I recently purchased the 4 others that I had not yet read. Persuasion is first on my list and I'm about halfway through - and so far Miss Austen is coming through once again. I'm looking forward to finishing it and starting another...maybe Mansfield Park, we'll see!

Time to end pelvic exams done without consent...

I received this article through my midwifery program discussion group, and I found it quite disturbing...

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health/time-to-end-pelvic-exams-done-without-consent/article1447337/

What bothered me most wasn't that they were practicing on unconscious patients, but that there was no informed consent given by women beforehand. If the preliminary research that the doctor has done is any indication, many women would gladly have allowed it, if asked. But it seems like a violation to do it without asking permission.

The second problem that I have with this is that doing a pelvic exam on an unconscious person would have almost nothing to teach a student about the proper technique when dealing with an alert person. If the person is asleep, they cannot protest when the student hurts them or give feedback in any way about the techniques being practiced. It is an incomplete experience.

I know that Laurentian University Midwifery Program has what is called a pelvic teaching program where women are trained to teach midwifery and medical students while allowing them to do the procedure in order to give appropriate feedback. The program has been a huge success and I fully plan on becoming a qualified pelvic teacher in the next year.

People don't wear hats...

...or proper winter footwear.

Then they complain about how cold it is outside. Well yeah, it's CANADA. It's somewhat of a given that at the end of January it will be well below zero outside, you kind of sign on for that when you decide to live here. And yet, if properly dressed I'm sure that most people would find that it's perfectly nice out. I'm talking wool hats (not ball caps), mittens, a scarf, winter boots (not sneakers), long johns and warm socks. (maybe that outfit just isn't 'cool' enough? haha bad joke, I'm sorry...)

I just don't understand how a person can dress as if it's summer and then be surprised that they are cold...it's rather frustrating. It's not as if it's a huge surprise that winter is here, it is fairly predictable, it usually shows up about once a year and sticks around for at least a couple of months. Given this regularity and length, I'm surprised that most people don't bother to purchase a weather appropriate wardrobe. Maybe they think that if they ignore it, it won't come at all?

Bah! Just had to get that off of my chest...

Friday's Recipe of the Week

Grilled Ratatouille Salad
~Vegetarian Times Magazine

3/4 c. balsamic vinegar
1 medium eggplant, sliced lengthwise into 1/2 inch pieces
3 large bell peppers, cut into quarters
3 medium zucchini, sliced in half
1 medium onion, sliced into 1/2 inch rings
1/4 c. parsley, chopped
1/4 c. basil, chopped
1/4 c. pine nuts

Pour balsamic vinegar into a small saucepan, bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook 12 mins or until it becomes syrup-like and reduces to 1/4 c. Remove from heat and set aside.
Place sliced eggplant, zucchini, and onion into a large bowl;season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and let stand for 30 mins at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator. Drain any liquid that accumulates.
Heat grill to medium high, toss veggies with olive oil and grill 2-3 mins per side or until tender and cooked through. Remove from grill and cool slightly and chop into 1 inch pieces. Combine vegetable chunks with herbs and pine nuts. Toss with balsamic syrup and serve.


This recipe was quite easy to make, although a little time consuming but that was due to the small size of my grill. This salad can be served warm or cold, although I must say I preferred it warm. I also toasted my pine nuts, as I enjoy the smokey flavour. Lastly, I would add that next time I would include a little less eggplant as this tends to go a little soggy after it's grilled and can bring down the over all texture of the salad. Enjoy!!

Raw Milk Case Settled in Ontario

Some good news, for those of you who are on the raw milk bandwagon: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/01/21/raw-milk-trial.html


It seems as though a farmer in Ontario accused of selling raw milk has been acquitted of the charge after proving that he sells only shares in his cows rather than the milk itself. This is an imaginative method of circumventing the law since it is not illegal to consume raw milk from a cow that you own, only to sell it to others. It is fortunate that in this case the courts agree.


Raw milk has gotten a very bad reputation based on outdated information. It is true that when pasteurization came into use in the 1860's, it reduced the number of deaths caused by food born pathogens that were in the milk. BUT, there are many factors to consider about farming practices employed in the 1800s versus those employed today. For one, the levels of hygiene were abysmal in those days and the cleanliness of the cows themselves and of the tools and vessels used to extract and store the milk was much poorer than it is today. There were no food boards or agriculture regulations in place to control the methods used by farmers, exposing many people to bacteria in the milk. Another factor is the absence of widespread use of refrigeration in the 1800s allowing faster growth of bacteria in milk at warmer temperatures. Thirdly, the level of nutrition of the cow has an effect on the level of bacteria in the milk. Cows that are pasture fed produce milk that has beneficial bacteria growing in it that actually impairs the growth of pathogenic bacteria keeping milk safer, longer. In the 1800s cows were often fed the mash byproduct of distilleries within the cities, which is where the majority of deaths occurred. On this inadequate diet the milk being produced was of inferior quality and did not have the built in protection that healthy milk does.

Meanwhile there are many benefits in drinking raw milk, beyond the argument of whether or not you'll die by drinking it. The nutritional benefits of raw milk, provided you get it from pasture fed cows (I wouldn't bother with anything else) is far superior to that of the pasteurized and homogenized milk you can buy in the grocery store. The levels of healthy Omega-3 fats are naturally much higher as well as the quantities of vitamins and minerals present. There are also many enzymes (lactases) present that aid in the digestion of the milk sugar lactose. The presence of these enzymes may help those people who have difficulty digesting milk because they lack these enzymes. Milk that has been pasteurized however, has been heated which destroys any enzymes that are present. Thirdly, people who are allergic to dairy may also be able to consume raw milk without digestive difficulty. This is because most allergies are due to a reaction to the proteins in a food. Proteins are unique 3D molecules that appear to be 'twisted' into a knot. Each knot is recognized by the body as something helpful or something that is invading. Because pasteurization and homogenization both require high levels of heat, the proteins literally become cooked and lose their shape. This causes the body to flag them as invaders and thus mount an immune (or allergic) response. Thus, people with milk allergies may find they have no reaction or at least a reduced reaction to raw milk products. There are also other health benefits that I will refrain from mentioning here as the post could get quite lengthy.


I do however encourage you to do your own research and by all means come to your own conclusion regarding this topic. I daresay, that with this recent news, there should be many articles written on the subject in the next few days...

For more information, please see: Raw Milk Facts.com or The Weston A. Price Foundation Real Milk Campaign

Recipe of the Week

This week's Recipe is my personal favourite: Pizza! Now I realize that many people would much rather order in, and that many others already have their own recipe for pizza dough, but let me tell you first that take-out pizza doesn't hold a candle to homemade pizza, and secondly, that this dough recipe is absolutely fabulous! So I encourage everyone to give it a try, pizza newbie or no...

Moosewood Pizza Dough
courtesy of The New Moosewood Cookbook

1 c. wrist-temperature water
1 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
1 T. honey or sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 to 3 c. flour
olive oil

Place water in a medium sized bowl and sprinkle in the yeast and honey. Stir until everything dissolves. Stir in salt and flour, when it gets too thick to stir, mix with your hands. Knead in bowl 5 minutes. Brush excess flour out of the bowl and wipe lightly with olive oil. Oil the dough and place in a warm area covered with a damp towel to rise until doubled in bulk. Preheat oven to 450F and after assembling bake about 20 minutes or until dough begins to brown.

Now I haven't made any recommendations as to what to top your pizzas with, because I know that everyone has their own preferences. However I've just got to put out there that chevre (soft goat's cheese) is my absolute favourite pizza topping and I would never dream of going without it... nudge nudge.

Lastly, a couple of insights from a lady who's baked many a pizza: this recipe also works wonderfully for calzones, don't use too many toppings (keep it simple!) or too much topping (sprinkle sparingly!), and I find that a pizza stone works wonders to reduce the cooking time. Enjoy!!

Eat Local Sudbury

Today I made a visit to a local foods initiative here in Sudbury called Eat Local Sudbury.


Their store is located downtown about 3 minutes from the bus depot and filled with many local food products from this area of Ontario. It is very nice to be able to buy local vegetables, grain, milk, and meat without having to wait until the Saturday morning market, or in my case until next spring, as the market here closed down in December! They've got a lovely map of Ontario on the wall of the store with pins for all of the farmers that supply them, as well as descriptions of each farm and what products they supply. It is great that they have created a central location where these farmers can display their products, without having to constantly man the booth or do their own marketing. I know it seems very similar to the grocery store concept, and I'd imagine that the only thing that keeps it under control is the farmers who sit on the board of the co-operative.

I personally bought some honey, rolled oats (for the bread I'm making tomorrow) and some delicious dried apple slices to munch on during the movie I was about to go see with friends. Yum yum, even better than popcorn!!...

For more information on finding local foods near you, please visit: Find Local Foods/100 Mile Challange or Farmers Markets of Canada

The Little Things + Recipe of the Week

Well, since my last two posts have been pretty heavy I've decided to go light today.

I find it can be somewhat difficult in our culture, that is Western culture, to find the time to take a moment to stop and appreciate the little fortunes we experience each day. But, every once in a while, life creates those moments for you, whether you're in the mood or not! I had a moment like that yesterday. I had just returned from the grocery store, an event that takes 3 hours for me since I don't have a car and culminates with carrying several very heavy bags of groceries up a very long and steep hill. So needless to say, when I arrived home, I was tired, hungry and my shoulders were killing me. I knew that I needed to eat something right away or suffer the consequences of low blood sugar. But uggh, did I ever NOT feel like cooking! So I settled for a fried egg on toast with sprouts, which was as healthy as I could manage with the mood I was in. But lo and behold, I cracked open the egg and what do I see but this:



A double yolker!! Not a huge deal , I know, but rare enough that it made me smile, and definitely brightened my day. The little things eh?...

And now (delayed by only one day!), Recipe of the Week:

Lemon Blueberry Scones

2 1/4 c. flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 T. sugar (or honey)
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. buttermilk
1/2. whipping cream
zest and juice of 1 lemon
as many blueberries as you like!

Mix dry ingredients. Add butter and wet ingredients. Combine until just mixed. Pat into a 1 1/2 inch circle and slice into triangles. Bake @ 425F for 12-15 mins. (until tops are starting to brown)

This recipe for scones is fairly versatile. You can add whole wheat flour if you like (I wouldn't go more than 1 cup) and the buttermilk can be substituted for milk or go all whipping cream if you want them to be very rich. If you do want to use buttermilk but don't want to buy a full litre (cause who would really use it all, right?) then you can make your own by adding 1 T. of lemon juice to 1 c. of regular milk and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. Tada! hehe...another nice thing about this recipe is that if lemon blueberry is not your fav, then add something different. Try just dried currants, or maybe pear and ginger, or maple syrup and walnuts, or blackberries, or or or...there are so many possibilities, just experiment!

Enjoy!

The Nestle Boycott

I've been thinking about my New Year's resolutions. I had a few ideas, healthier eating, exercise, the same old thing... but I hadn't really made up my mind until last night. I've decided to undertake the Nestle Boycott.

The Nestle boycott was launched in 1977 against the Nestle Corporation in protest of their marketing of breast milk substitutes in less economically developed countries. Protesters argue that this contributes to unnecessary death and illness of infants, largely among the poor.

There are many problems that arise when third world mothers try to formula feed: First, formula must be mixed with water, much of which is contaminated in poor countries leading to disease among infants. Due to high illiteracy rates, many mothers cannot read the labelling and thus cannot follow the instructions needed to sanitize the food. Many others can understand but cannot afford the fuel to boil water for feedings several times each day. UNICEF estimates that a non breastfed child living in these conditions is 6-25 times more likely to die than a breastfed child.

Secondly, due to the expensive nature of formulas, many women will dilute the feeds with water to stretch each container further causes infant malnutrition.

Thirdly, breastmilk contains antibodies that protects a newborn infant until their own immune system can be developed. It also contains the perfect amount of nutrients essential to a baby's development and changes as the baby ages. Breast milk even changes composition from the beginning of a feed to the end starting with more watery thirst quenching milk at the first and ending with nutrient dense milk at the end of the feed. Infant formulas cannot even begin to compare to that level of tailoring. The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding for ALL babies until at least 6 months of age.

Finally, exclusive breastfeeding can offer some form of contraception for new mothers to whom no other options are available. This can provide necessary spacing of children so that the infants can stay at the breast longer and alleviates the stress of closely spaced pregnancies on the mother's body.

Advocacy groups charge that Nestle supports unethical methods of promotion including supplying hospitals and maternity wards with free samples, thereby disrupting lactation in women while they are there, forcing them to continue using supplements after discharge, when it is not free. They have also been accused of supplying 'humanitarian' aid in the form of supplements in order to create new markets, but do not change the labeling to reflect the language of the new country. Finally, it has been reported that they offer gifts or sponsorship to health care workers willing to promote their products. Nestle denies these claims.

So, in light of these facts I have decided to boycott all Nestle products for the forseeable future. This list includes: KitKats, Coffee Crisps, Aero, Carnation products (hot chocolate!), Nature Valley bars, General Mills Cereals, Perrier water, Butterfinger, After Eight, Haagen-Dasz, Nescafe, Nestea, Coke Products (there is a partnership), Tollhouse, Maybelline, l'Oreal, Garnier...and much much more.

For more information check out The Politics of Breastfeeding by Gabrielle Palmer, the Baby Milk Action Network or the International Baby Food Action Network.

Photo courtesy of strollerderby.com

Food Rules

Nutrition has been a interest of mine for about 4 years now and I've spent the last year enrolled in a holistic nutrition program from which I graduated in June with flying colours. But, I must admit I've been in a bit of a slump for the past 4 months. I know that it was mostly due to the time pressures of my program, but there really is no excuse for eating crap, especially because that's what you end up feeling like, eventually. Over the holidays J and I were discussing how it can also be easy to lose sight of your interests if you have no one to share them with or do not get regular inspiration. Which is what I think happened to me in this case. Since I've rediscovered my passion for nutritious foods after receiving an excellent cookbook as a gift, I have resolved not to lose it again! So today I went to Chapters to spend some Christmas money and bought 2 things: Food Rules by Michael Pollan and Moosewood Classics by the Moosewood Collective.

Michael Pollan is an excellent author with many books to his name, but there are three specifically about food that I would recommend to anyone who eats. The Omnivore's Dilemma, In Defense of Food, and now, Food Rules. Food Rules basically boils down what he has been saying in his last two books: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." and is literally a list of rules to help a person do those things. Since I actually just finished it (it was fairly short) I can safely say that it is well worth reading, although I would recommend reading In Defense of Food first so you'll understand why it's a good idea to follow all these rules!

The Moosewood Collective is a group of people who operate the vegetarian Moosewood Restaurant in New York state and also write cookbooks. I have one of their other cookbooks and everything I've made from it so far has been delicious, so I felt that I couldn't go wrong with another! See below for my first Recipe of the Week!

To top it all off, I also watched the documentary Food Inc. today. It reveals a lot about the industrial food system in the United States (Canada's is very similar), and while I was aware of most of the information already having read several books on the subject, it was much more upsetting to see actual images of CAFOs and the faces of the farmers who are being slowly crushed under the weight of the multinational corporations controlling their (and our) lives. Depressing stuff.

So, because I'm in a frenzy trying to find ways to stay inspired I've decided to do a Recipe of the Week each week. I'll try to keep it to Fridays but no guarantees. These recipes will be vegetarian and feature whole, nourishing, non-complicated and delicious foods! (I will personally taste test each one before posting, no exceptions!) So without further ado:

Eastern European Red Lentil Soup

~Vegetarian Times magazine

Serves 8/Gluten Free/30 minutes or fewer

1 large red onion, finely chopped (2 cups)

3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs)

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 1/2 cups red lentils

2 Tbs. ground cumin

1 15-oz. can chopped tomatoes with liquid

1 Tbs. honey

3 bay leaves

1 Tbs. red wine vinegar

1/2 cup plain yoghurt (optional)

1. Saute onion and garlic in oil in large saucepan over medium heat 5 minutes or until soft. Stir in lentils and cumin; cook 1 minute. Add tomatoes and liquid, honey, bay leaves, 7 cups water, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil.

2. Cover pan; reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer 20 minutes, or until lentils fall apart, and soup is thick. Add water to thin if needed. Remove bay leaves; stir in vinegar. Serve with dollops of yoghurt.

The lentils in this soup are balanced in carbohydrates and protein, while providing plenty of fiber to keep you full longer. The sulfur in the garlic and onions has a cleansing effect while the garlic and honey both have antibacterial and immune boosting properties.

Enjoy!!

My first post! ...a little late in coming...

I realize that is not the most engaging title, but it may take me awhile to get the feel for this blogging thing...there's a knack to it I'm sure.

So I feel like I should explain a bit how I came to be writing this blog in the first place. I started it back in September 2009 when I began my degree in Midwifery thinking "This would be a great thing to chronicle whether or not anyone reads it!". So why have are there no posts from September until January? Easy, I got cold feet, and verrrrry busy!! Being a midwifery student is no picnic and happy as I am to be here, I'm the first to admit that when sleep is a luxury and I have to schedule in time to shower, blogging is not a priority. So this fresh attempt will hopefully stick, but I'll warn you now that you'll probably lose me for a couple of weeks around April. Meanwhile the cold feet issue was dealt with deftly over the Christmas holidays by my Little Sister #1, who we'll call J, when she revealed to me that SHE has had a blog for the past 9 or so months. Sneaky little thing! But she gave me confidence and encouragement so here I am, typing away.

As for the focus of the blog, we both shall have to wait and see. The trouble is that I have a lot of subjects about which I feel passionately, so I doubt I'll be able to limit it to just one, even one as broad as midwifery. I'll likely be posting about anything from cooking and food, to nutrition, pregnancy, gardening, books, music, wine, environmental issues and sustainable living. And that's just off the top of my head! This might get interesting...