By Lavonne Kroeker, PHEc
Perhaps like me, you’ve spent much of your winter thinking about this question, perusing houzz.com, getting quotes from contractors, dreaming, stressing, meeting with your financial institution and talking with friends and family. Making housing decisions can be stressful because there are so many factors involved and anything you do will not be cheap!
I remember back in university getting a resource called “How Much Home Can I Afford?” which helped me in my initial home-buying process. Now, there are a number of calculators available online through the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation that can be helpful when one is making decisions. Another tidbit of knowledge that came back to me during this process was the term NIMBY – “not in my backyard” and the concept that our suburbs can disconnect us from community. In thinking about that further, I realized that is one of the reasons I like my neighbourhood – it is a community. Some of us don’t have garages (ironically on my wishlist for my addition) which means we actually see each other in our daily comings and goings as opposed to whizzing into our garage and entering the house without being seen or interacting with our neighbours. I also love that I live on a street with people from all walks and stages of life. If I built in a new development, that is less likely and something that I don’t really want to give up. So you can see which direction I’m leaning . . . I hope to make a final decision by the time the snow melts!
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As a professional home economist, Lavonne Kroeker has worked in a wide variety of settings – an adult learning centre, child welfare, private industry and since 2007, as a Rural Leadership Specialist with Mantioba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives. Her job involves “creating leaders” in rural communities – whether its supporting volunteer 4-H leaders, chairing a Safety Day committee, developing programming for women in business or organizing training for farm women, there is never a dull day! Besides her day job, Lavonne enjoys volleyball, biking, creative pursuits and almost any outdoor activity!
By Stacy Cardigan Smith
Communications officer, The Winnipeg Foundation
Eating healthy food is fun, easy and delicious – especially when you’re with friends. That’s the message behind the new Recipe for Success Video Cooking Contest, which kicks off January 20, 2014.
The contest is giving kids in Grades 4-6 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the chance to share their most creative, nutritious and delicious sandwich recipes for the chance to win great prizes. Any recipe goes so long as it’s healthy – it can be a falafel pita with cucumbers, an egg salad sandwich, peanut butter and apple on toast, an Asian lettuce wrap, or anything else students can dream up. The contest is presented by The Winnipeg Foundation.
Up for grabs are three, $500 grants to support healthy food at a school or community organization, five Junior Master Chef Culinary Adventures at Red River College’s (RRC) School of Hospitality and Culinary Arts, plus the winning sandwich recipe will be featured at RRC’s Culinary Exchange restaurant.
“We’re hoping to see some really imaginative sandwiches,” says Richard Frost, CEO of The Winnipeg Foundation. “It can be a breakfast, lunch or dinner sandwich. And plain white bread need not apply – we want to see wraps, pitas, even lettuce. Anything goes, so long as it’s healthy.”
Sandwich recipes can have a maximum of five ingredients, not including the “bread” or whatever it is that contains the sandwich.
Videos entries can be up to three minutes in length, which will be strictly enforced. The contest entry period runs until March 14, 2014, with a People’s Choice public voting phase from Mar. 17 to 28. The contest is open to residents of Winnipeg.
The Winner and Runner-up teams will determined by a panel of judges, and the People’s Choice team will be determined by public votes. In addition, two teams will win Junior Master Chef Culinary Adventures based on a wild card draw.
What is a Junior Master Chef Culinary Adventure? It’s an awesome food-filled day for the winning teams at RRC’s School of Hospitality and Culinary Arts. Teams will get a cooking demo and lesson with a professional chef and the chance to create their own culinary masterpieces. Plus they’ll receive a delicious lunch for the teams and up to two adult guests per team member, as well as an exclusive viewing of the top video entries.
The goals of the contest are to get kids eating healthy food and to show them healthy choices don’t have to be complicated.
“We know sometimes a sandwich is more than a sandwich – it’s a building block for a better future,” Frost says. “Research shows the best way to get kids to eat healthy food is by getting them involved in preparing it. That’s why the Recipe for Success Contest aims to nourish the potential of Winnipeg kids by getting them talking about, preparing and eating healthy sandwiches.”
The Winnipeg Foundation supports a variety of programs that help kids access healthy food and cooking skills, including the Nourishing Potential Endowment Fund.
Visit www.wpgfdn.org/recipe-for-success for complete contest details.
When Ernie and I were married in 1960, we received The Western Producer for free because Ernie shipped grain to the pool.
We already received the Saskatoon Star Phoenix, but I hadn’t seen a weekly paper since growing up on the farm where my family received the Free Press Prairie Farmer.
Anyway, here we were with the WP arriving in our home each week, and I liked it. It was an arrangement that became more comfortable with the passing of years, so when we had to pay for it, we bought it.
I think it began costing $5 for two years. Then it went gradually up and up until it was as now, 53 years later, about $90 per year including taxes.
One of the big features in the WP for me was Emmie Oddie’s I’d Like to Know page. Here were recipes submitted by prairie people that Emmie tested in her own kitchen. Here were household hints, letters from readers with requests for information and hints of their own.
In the pre-television days, this was the where-to-go page for canning, sewing, gardening, care of house plants and more.
Emmie was powerful and amazing in the life of prairie folk. She always started her page with a chatty essay about how her week went with those personal glimpses into the lives of her husband and children, Langford, Bill, Rosemary, and later, grandchildren. How eagerly I read her page. It is sadly ironic but perhaps fitting that the WP would celebrate 90 years of publication at the same time that Emmie would pass into eternity three years short of 100.
Emmie encouraged people to push on and have dreams and goals. She cited people like Nellie McClung, Violet McNaughton and others as role models. The women’s movement was important. To improve the role of women was to improve the role of human kind.
There are many other appealing features in the WP. Ernie always enjoyed the classifieds and had a special interest in stationary engines and all retired machinery that might be parked in the trees in some remote part of a farm site.
Western People was popular in our house with the bird watcher page and the pictures and biographies of talented and interesting people.
These are some of the ways that the WP has worked its way into our lives over 50 plus years.
In 2012 at the Saskatoon Exhibition, we stopped at The Western Producer booth.
The person in charge said, “have you ever thought of subscribing to The Western Producer?”
We said, “we have had a subscription for 52 years.”
“That’s a long time,” was the reply.
We agreed and said, “and I don’t suppose we’ll be cancelling anytime soon. You see, the old Western Producer just might be the glue that’s holding this very satisfactory marriage together.”
Verna Boehm – The Western Producer
Please take a moment to read an open letter to: President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Manitoba, Dr. David Barnard, Vice-President (Academic) and Provost, Dr. Joanne Keselman, esteemed members of the University of Manitoba Senate, Dean of Human Ecology, Dr. Gustaaf Sevenhuysen, Ms. Marcie Marcuza, CBC Radio host Information Radio, Ms. Marilyn Mackie, CBC Radio host Radio Noon, Honorable Members of the Manitoba Legislature: Mr. James Allum (Minister of Education and Advanced Learning), Ms. Theresa Oswald (Minister of Jobs and the Economy), Ms. Kerri Irvine-Ross (Minister of Family Services and the Status of Women), friends and supporters of Human Ecology/Home Economics;
My name is Christie Crow, and I am a graduate of the FACULTY of Human Ecology, I graduated in 2009 with an Integrated Degree from the Faculties of Human Ecology and Education. I am a teacher of Foods and Nutrition for grades 7-11. Every day, I count myself fortunate that I get to do what I love to do. I have the opportunity to talk to and teach my students about food, the benefits of healthy cooking and eating and quite simply, how to cook. My love of and passion for food, of cooking, and of nutrition doesn’t stop at the 27 faces in my classroom, nor is it limited to the students who are registered in my classes. The students who do take my classes talk about it in the hallways, they talk about the new technique or new ingredient or about grocery shopping or about how much Ms. Crow HATES energy drinks and what’s in them, they take that same information home and talk about it there AND in many cases take an active role in cooking at home.
With the rise in a variety of health concerns (a list that grows every year) that stem from poor nutritional habits, convenience foods, or a simple lack of cooking and nutritional literacy. The skills that my students leave my classroom with are skills that will AND DO last a lifetime because they are LIFE skills. In an era when so many of YOU are concerned about the longevity and health of the next generation, their ability to look after their own health and that of their families’ wellbeing, it seems counter-intuitive to dismantle a Faculty that focuses on life-long learning for individuals, families, and communities. Whose graduates are professionals in the fields of Human Nutritional Sciences, Family Social Sciences, Textile Sciences and of Interdisciplinary Health Studies.
While I teach Foods and Nutrition, I call on my Family Social Sciences and Textile Sciences background weekly, if not on a daily basis. I am good at what I do because of where I come from. I come from a faculty centred on, and which prides itself in, interdisciplinary teaching and learning. I come from a faculty that focuses on a wholistic approach to learning and prevention, that teaches us to see the strengths in others and to help build on those. I come from a faculty that always taught us to not only look at the big picture but to examine all the pieces of the puzzle, how they fit and work together, and how we can help make the whole stronger. I come from a faculty that preached community, but who more importantly, practiced it on a daily basis. If you dismantle the faculty, if you break apart its many facets, you not only take away the strength of our whole faculty but you will lose the strength found in each of its parts. You will devalue the history of our professional practice, you will devalue its current dynamic practice, you will devalue MY profession and my calling. You will eliminate jobs, because at the very base level of this argument who is going to hire anyone from a Faculty that was dismantled for value of its scrap, with a degree that the President of that same University didn’t value enough to even consult those that hold it.
I do what I do everyday, because of where I come from, I COULD NOT DO what I do everyday without my foundation of Human Ecology. The heart and soul of what I DO and who I AM is centred in Human Ecology, MY heart and soul is centred in Human Ecology. It defines my job, my career, it has helped define me AND my values, my approach to teaching and my approach to life. It would be a tragedy and a terrible loss to the University of Manitoba (as a founding faculty) as well as to the province of Manitoba if the Faculty of Human Ecology was lost, it would also be a great personal tragedy to the many professionals who proudly call themselves graduates of the Faculty of Human Ecology who are spread across this province, this country, and around the globe using the skills and knowledge that we learned and earned from the Faculty of Human Ecology.
I am asking you, friends and family, if you value what I (or another Home Economist) do for you , as a colleague, as a professional, as ME, SHARE and LIKE this letter, forward it on to listening ears. I am asking you Minister of Education and of Higher Learning, take a look at what is about to happen at the University of Manitoba without meaningful and public consultation with alumni or stakeholders, I am asking you, members of the media, you need to ask questions because the leadership at the University of Manitoba isn’t answering ours.
Sincerely,
Christie Crow, B.H.Ec, B. Ed
Graduate 2009
Faculty of Human Ecology and Education
University of Manitoba
Help Keep Families Strong: The Value of Human Ecology for Society and the Public Education System
The Faculty of Human Ecology is under review and will possibly be dismantled under the new academic clusters proposed by the University of Manitoba Academic Structure Initiative. My fellow Human Ecology graduates and I are extremely concerned about this very real possibility. In response, the Manitoba Association of Home Economists (MAHE) is hosting a Town Hall Forum to bring greater awareness and understanding of the professional practice of home economics. A panel of speakers have been chosen to share how home economists, whether employed in the education, private or public sector, contribute to the well-being of individuals, families and society. Concerns regarding the interaction of people, food habits and behaviours, along with consumer trends and use of resources, creates a challenge for home economists striving to enhance the quality of people’s daily lives. The panelists will present their perspective on the current issues as they pertain to their area of expertise.
MAHE would like to invite you to the forum. Here are the details: COME, LISTEN, SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS & AFFECT CHANGE
Free Wine & Cheese Reception to follow Friday October 25, 2013 7:00 – 9:00 pm Caboto Centre 1055 Wilkes Avenue Winnipeg, MB RSVP through http://mahefriday.eventbrite.ca or contact Amy Yonda at amyyonda@gmail.com or 204-918-4464
Getty Stewart, PHEc, B.Ed.
MAHE Past President
I strongly believe that home economics has an extremely important place in our educational system today. No other academic discipline incorporates in its curriculum as many pertinent life skills that will help students succeed independent of their chosen career paths. Referring back to past studies and my own personal beliefs, I hope to help the reader understand the benefits of receiving an education in home economics and how the knowledge obtained through this program will prove valuable throughout the lifespan.
In my opinion, the most important aspect of a home economics education is that students not only learn about subject matter that has relevance to their present lives, but will constantly be of use as they continue to grow. One area of home economics that is considered to be among the most essential is the emphasis on personal development, decision making and intrapersonal skills. According to a study done in Japan, students’ personal initiatives play an extremely large role in determining how they’ll react to their changing work situations (1). Those who lack the ability to make effective personal decisions are more at risk for experiencing hardships in the instabilities found in the real world. It was also found in the study that students do not feel they have the proper means to learn these valuable life skills at home (1). Taking courses in home economics at school allows students to acquire the necessary decision making, social, and communications skills deemed critical for occupational success.
In addition to the development of valuable intrapersonal skills, the home economics curriculum also introduces the students to a wide variety of potential career paths. Students become aware of all the career opportunities relating to each domain, as well as being taught the skills associated with them. Those who find themselves intrigued by course material may begin to consider an occupation in a related area. The home economics discipline has led individuals to the fields of education, nutrition, social service, and hospitality management, to name a few (8). It is hard to find a single subject taught in schools today that incorporates as many topics of interest as home economics, helping students to become more well-rounded individuals.
Consumer-related material covered in home economics courses is another area that provides students with information pertinent to their lives as adults. These programs help supply the students with an understanding on how economic, social, and cultural factors personally affect them and their behaviors in consumerism (5). While other academic courses may cover theoretical aspects personal finance, home economics gives a more practical, everyday application of the subject matter. However, there have been some criticisms to how useful learning about consumerism as adolescents actually is. Research on Finnish students showed that motivation to study consumerism in school was not particularly high, because they felt true consumerism started at adulthood (2). Despite the attitudes of this sample, I do believe children in home economics programs can benefit from learning purchasing practices at a young age. Because of its real-world applications, students may find these techniques conducive to their everyday lives.
University of Michigan
The Farm to School program is back! Here is what this years coordinator has to say:
Hi my name is Adriana Barros, professional home economists and active member of Manitoba Association of Home Economists (MAHE). I am presently involved in the unique fundraiser offering fresh local vegetables to schools and daycares across Manitoba.
Farm to School Manitoba Healthy Choice Fundraiser is back for another year of distributing local Manitoba vegetables to communities’ province wide. The collaboration of Manitoba Association of Home Economists, Peak of the Market, Buy Manitoba and the Province of Manitoba gives schools and daycares the opportunity to fundraise by selling bundles of locally grown potatoes, carrots, onions, parsnips and cabbage in $10 or $20 bundles; with schools and daycares keeping 50% of total sales. New to our fundraiser this year is we will be delivering donated bundles to the Manitoba Association of Food Banks on behalf of donating schools and daycares across Manitoba.
We want to invite MAHE members to encourage schools (K-12) and licensed daycares across Manitoba to participate. This is a great opportunity to provide:
- Fresh local vegetables at or below supermarket prices
- Offer healthy food choices
- Support local producers
- Support your schools and daycares nutrition guidelines
- Connect the program to classroom resources available at www.farmtoschoolmanitoba.ca
- Try new recipes with Manitoba vegetables available at www.peakmarket.com/recipes
Help us reach our goal of distributing 1.2 million pounds of vegetables, that’s 1 pound for every Manitoban in our province!
If MAHE members and/or their contacts are interested in this new fundraising idea for their local school or daycare more information can be found at www.farmtoschoolmanitoba.ca or call 1-866-261-0707.
Farm to School – Manitoba Healthy Choice Fundraiser can be scheduled anytime from September 16th to December 11th 2013.
Happy Fundraising!
Adriana Barros PHEc.
Executive Coordinator
Farm to School Manitoba Healthy Choice Fundraiser
by Teresa Makarewicz, P.H.Ec.
It’s a fact! Canadians waste food – especially fresh produce. With careful planning, and proper storage, families can save money and time and always have nutritious produce on hand for quick and healthful meals.
Tips to Reduce Waste, Save Money and Enjoy More Produce
- Think ahead. Plan meals, make a grocery list and stick to it;
- Buy only what you need, and use in reasonable time. A 20 lb bag of potatoes is no bargain if it spoils;
- Visit farm markets early in the day; freshly-picked greens and herbs wilt rapidly in the sun;
- Keep produce cool. Take along a cooler to safely transport produce home in a hot car;
- Before storing, remove elastic bands or twist ties to avoid bruising of produce;
- Store produce unwashed. With the exception of leafy greens, fresh fruits and veggies have a natural protective coating and should not be washed before storing which speeds up spoilage.
- Separation of fruits and vegetables is vital. As fruits ripen, they produce a colourless, odorless, tasteless gas called ethylene that triggers ripening and causes vegetables to spoil;
- Pack produce loosely in perforated plastic bags. To perforate, snip several holes in the bag with scissors;
- Check refrigerated produce regularly. Remove spoiling items. It’s true! ‘One bad apple can spoil the whole bunch.’
Some Fruits and Vegetables Need Special Attention
- Apples ripen 10 times faster at room temperature. Store in a perforated bag in the crisper.
- Keep unripe fruits, such as peaches, nectarines, plums, pears, and melon on the counter at room temperature but out of direct sunlight, until they yield to gentle pressure and then refrigerate.
- Avoid bitter carrots by storing them away from apples.
- Leave corn husks on and refrigerate cobs in a perforated plastic bag. Husk when ready to use.
- Store onions and potatoes in a cool, dark, dry place but not side by side. Potatoes decrease the shelf life of onions, causing them to rot prematurely. Light causes potatoes to turn green and bitter.
- Sweet potatoes should not be refrigerated as the core will harden. For longer storage, keep cool around 55° to 60°F (13 to 16°C) or at room temperature for 1 week;
- Broccoli and cauliflower can be stored whole in a perforated plastic bag or cut into florets and stored (unwashed) in a plastic bag – ready for quick use.
- Store tomatoes at room temperature away from direct sunlight. Refrigeration changes their texture and flavor.
- Cover herbs with a damp cloth or paper towel and refrigerate in a plastic bag or container. Or trim ends, place in a jar with water; cover loosely and refrigerate. Remember to change the water every couple of days.
- Can, pickle or freeze produce at its peak of freshness;
- If you do need to throw out produce – compost it back to the soil or use a green bin.
- Make a nutritious pot of soup to use-up veggies and to avoid waste.
Vegetable Garden Soup
This flavourful, nutrient-packed soup served with a thick slice of whole grain bread is sure to satisfy.
8 cups (2 L) ‘low-sodium’ chicken or vegetable broth
2 large baking or yellow-fleshed potatoes, peeled and diced (about 3 cups/750 mL)
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
2 cups (500 mL) thinly sliced green cabbage
2 cups (500 mL) small cauliflower florets
3 carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 bay leaf
1 can (19 oz/540 mL) white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup (75 mL) each, chopped fresh dill and fresh parsley
1/4 tsp (1 mL) freshly ground pepper
Salt to taste
In a large pot, combine broth, potatoes and leeks. Cover and bring to boil over high heat. Add cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, celery and bay leaf. Cover and return to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer gently for 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender-crisp. Add beans, dill, parsley, pepper and salt to taste. Simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes or until beans are heated through. Remove bay leaf and serve.
To store, let cool for 30 minutes; refrigerate, uncovered, in a shallow container until cold. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat slowly. Makes 8 -10 servings.
Helpful Hints: Substitute kidney beans with 2 cups (500 mL) frozen lima beans.
Fresh herbs are a must in this recipe and can be increased to suit your taste.
No leeks? No worries. Use 1 cup (250 mL) chopped shallots or cooking onion.
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Teresa Makarewicz, P.H.Ec. is an Ancaster-based Professional Home Economist and owner of Foodgroups Consulting. An expert in recipe development, testing, food styling and media presentations, Teresa has focused much of her food and nutrition career teaching consumers how to use local produce. She is a member of the Ontario Home Economics Association.
Professional Home Economist and Registered Dietitian, Lindsey Mazur was interviewed for Canadian Living’s article on Improve your eating habits through mindful eating. What is mindful eating? She says it “is about being present in the moment with your food and engaging all of your senses.”
Emmie Oddie (Ducie) C.M., S.O.M. died 6 July 2013 in Regina at the age of 97 years.
Predeceased by her parents Emma Jane Ducie (Roberts) and Harry Ducie, her husband Langford Oddie, a sister Rose Jardine and a brother, Harold Ducie, Emmie is survived by her daughter Rosemary Oddie (Berks Browne) and her son Will Oddie (Elaine McNeil) all of Regina and grandchildren Lachlan Oddie (Stana Luxford) and Liam Oddie (Jennifer Arndt), Colin McNeil (Melynda Loder), Katharine McNeil (Chris Haas) and Erin McNicol (Curran McNicol), Louis Browne (Susan Browne) and eleven great grandchildren as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
