King Corn

On a Saturday night I sat down with John and some friends to watch An Inconvenient Truth and King Corn. I'd seen Al Gore's movie already, but I hadn't seen King Corn. This little documentary is an interesting journey on where an acre of corn ended up and two college guys who wanted to know the same thing. Well worth renting if you have an interest in what is in our food, what farmers are growing and why so many North Americans are battling the bulge.

All about food

Some great documentaries about climate change and food are out there...Slow Food Canada will be presenting An Island at the Edge about Vancouver Island food security in November and this film will be included as well at their first Film Festival.

Meatball Cocktail Delights

From another celebration in our office we sampled these tasty treats supplied by Angela.


Meat Ball Recipe

½ cup Kraft Brown Sugar BBQ Sauce
1/3 cup Grape Jelly

25 frozen meatballs. I use the Costco frozen ones

Cook the meatballs 30 minutes until crispy

Start the sauce mixture above in a skillet. Put frozen meatballs in skillet once you have mixed both the BBQ sauce and grape jelly together.

1 can of diced pineapples with juice removed.

Cut up 1-2 large red peppers into cubes.

Once meatballs have been cooked in sauce. Pierce a toothpick into a meatball and then into pineapple piece as well as a piece of red pepper.

And there you have it the tasty little treat!

100 Mile Diet

The ever popular 100 Mile Diet has a web site where you can find out exactly what is within 100 miles of your location. Actually I was amazed at the radius of the 100 (161 km) miles surrounding Victoria BC.

http://100milediet.org/get-started/map

When to buy Organic

Buying organic produce can be expensive. One way to cut down is to buy only those vegetables and fruits that contain the highest levels of contamination. Still, be wary of organic produce from other countries where the standards are not as high.

Here are the worst of the bunch, in order of risk, based on a new analysis of government data by the nonprofit Organic Center. (Produce with the lowest pesticide risk includes citrus fruits, bananas, pineapples and onions.)

Riskiest fruits
Imported grapes
Cranberries
Nectarines
Peaches
Strawberries
Pears
Apples
Cherries

Riskiest vegetables
Green beans
Sweet bell peppers
Celery
Cucumbers
Potatoes
Tomatoes
Peas
Lettuce

This list refers to U.S. produce. Some imported items have higher pesticide levels. The "risk index score" for an imported peach is almost 5 times that of a domestic peach; for sweet bell peppers, it's nearly 5 1/2 times as high. Also, be wary of overseas "organics," where regulatory oversight might not be as reliable.
(taken from the Lifestyles Market Newsletter)

Ohlala Cupcakes

The long awaited Ohlala Cupcakes at 1391A Hillside finally has opened. A fan of Cupcakes in Vancouver and indulging in Safeway's version on special occasions, I've been awaiting the opening for sometime. I noted this week that Bill Stuart of Monday Magazine had beat me to trying a cake and writing about it in this week's edition of Monday.

The cupcake above is the first one I tried. A delicious mix of mocha with a chocolate covered coffee bean on top. Yummy! The second selection I've had from Ohlala is the Twist&Shout, I remembered this cupcake's name only because it was a truly lemon cake with a surprise filling of raspberry. I'd have to say this is the best lemon cupcake I've had and certainly reminded me of the little lemon cakes with raspberry jam my mother used to make without any icing.

The shop itself is beautiful, with displays of selections other than cupcakes. Ohlala makes mini cakes as well, which are very beautiful. In the large display case I gazed in wonder at the cupcakes decorated as small bouquets of flowers and single flowers, babies in carriages and a stunning display of black & white cupcakes surrounding a black and white wedding cake.

I certainly will be visiting Ohlala when I need a special cake.

Another Farm Under Threat....

The UBC Farm is the last working farm in Vancouver. The farm provides fertile ground for a wide mix of learning, research, and and community projects for learners of all ages. The farm is currently embarking on a new project entitled, "Changing the Food System to Change the Climate."

If you haven't had the chance to vote for the farm in the Tyee's Green your Campbell Cash competition, now is the time!

There are just 3 days left to vote (voting closes on July 25th). Especially with the tone of the op-ed piece that UBC published in the Vancouver Sun this Tuesday, it is absolutely vital that we send them a clear signal that this place really matters to people.

Please click on the link below to give the farm your five stars!http://contest.thetyee.ca/greenyourcampbellcash/node/299