Winter is here~

Winter is here. I love the cool temperatures of Fall and Winter. Sweaters. Scarves. Wrapped in a blanket in front of the fire.
I have never loved summer. I love camping and gardening. But other than that, I rejoice when Fall arrives.
Here in the Bulkley Valley, Fall arrives in a day. And is gone as quickly as it came. Winter is settling in. A few light dustings of snow these past few days and we are in mitts/toques/scarves/boots season. Of course, my daughters love it and squeel the second a few snowflakes float down. My husband has prepped us with wood for the winter. I put away the patio furniture and winterized the garden (the best I could).
But I welcome Winter. There is something about hearty meals, the warmth of the oven baking something-or-other, the smell of snow in the air that reminds me of what matters.
I have become more and more frugal. Managing a family can do this to you. I spend less money on myself. I buy practical, useful, durable things. I ensure the girls have everything they need and a few extras. And for my home, I keep it simple.
I have tried over the past few years to be more content with what I have. I am a list-maker. I am always making lists of things we need or can make or can find. But I review my lists and think "do we really NEED that?" Every so often, we do buy something we simply want. And then it is worth it. It feels like a treat.
I am also frugal in the kitchen. I do not like wasted food. And it seems so easy and convenient to throw food in the garbage/landfill.
Winter makes it easier to "use up" what's left in the fridge. Root vegetables have a longer storage life and can easily be added to soups, stews, and roasted dishes. On the weekends, I do a Food Inventory to see what we have and what we need. I plan the next week of meals around it. If we are planning something last minute, it is planned around what is in the fridge. We have lots of cabbage and brocolli- stir fry it is! It is easy to adjust to this method and saves on food waste. Here are some of my other frugal food tips to avoid waste in the kitchen:

• when prepping vegetables like carrots and onions, place the peels and ends in a freezer bag or container. Save in the freezer for making stock at a later date
• save ends of bread in freezer for making your own breadcrumbs
• when making a roast or chicken, plan the stock and soup you make the next day and you will have meals of what I call "free food" (chicken bones, vegetable ends, and water equals the best chicken stock you can find)
• save vegetable stalks and cores from brocolli, cauliflower, cabbage, etc to put in pureed soups
• use up the last bits of plain yoghurt and sour cream for a veggie dip (3 parts plain yoghurt, 1 part sour cream or mayo and s&p to taste, add chopped herbs too)
• make your own salad dressing/vinaigrette
• make your own granola (my recipe will be posted soon)
• bake - so many people say they can't bake or don't have time. I will post my 30 minute muffins for you to show you ANYONE can bake wholesome muffins in very little time. Or you can get your kids to do it like I do! AND, it means you have a good snack for their lunch that isn't highly processed from a factory (have you read the ingredients of a Nature Valley granola bar?)
• plan your meals ahead- hands down, the best money, time, and food saving tip. First, decide on the day you will do the bulk of your shopping. Then plan your menu for the next 7 days. Make a list of what you need to make those meals plus your regular staples. Buy just what you need for your menu and regular staples. Stick to your menu and use your leftovers for lunches.

The snow is drifting down and it is time to get baking. I have a lot on the menu today- bread, muffins, granola bars, and some cardamom apple cake.

~Kimberley

girls and food

Being a mother of two girls, I am very aware of how I speak about myself. My body, my appearance, my work, and my challenges. I believe that if I said "I'm fat" or "I'm ugly" or any of the more subtle versions of those phrases, I am starting a long journey for my daughters and their self confidence.

As a girl, I had a fair amount of confidence. It was coupled with shyness (yes, I was shy) and so from time to time, I felt like I didn't fit in. But it wasn't because of my appearance, it was mostly because I didn't know how to interact in some circumstances. I simply felt out of place.

I didn't question my appearance. Except for the day in grade one, standing in line for class photos, and the boy in front of me told me that my outfit was ugly. An outfit that was a hand-me-down (as all my clothes were), a little blue suit that I absolutely loved. But he was a dumb boy so I think I got over it.

In highschool, I was lucky enough to be thin and have good skin. I didn't have much for breasts, which I was constantly teased about. I went along with it. And this was how I developed my coping mechanism for any kind of criticism. I was always one step ahead of the joke and often self-depricating. But for the most part, I was busy and had a full social life. I didn't really think less of myself.

As I grew up I realized that my mom talked about being on a diet all the time. It was a sign of the times, in many ways, with Jane Fonda and the likes promoting aerobics and dieting. I just remember wanting to never say or feel that. I never wanted to regret the meal I was eating and commit to some form of punishment later.

I grew up loving food. And most importantly, I grew up loving good food. Don't get me wrong. As a teenager I loved junk food. But it was a treat. And I still went home and ate a proper dinner. We didn't drink pop. We didn't keep junk food in our house. Take out and fast food was a rare novelty.

I have so much more appreciation for my mother cooking good meals and stocking our kitchen with good food choices. She taught me to love food. But all the while, I was watching her discuss diets and needing to lose weight. I rarely saw her be confident in her appearance. I remember one time when she was. My sister's wedding. She looked beautiful and wore a stunning dress. I loved seeing her feel beautiful.

With all that is around us, and inside us, it is so easy to slip into the vocabulary of self-criticism and negativity around food. But I am all too aware of what kind of impact that would have on my daughters (and me, of course). I don't want them to think that it is okay to criticize. On the other hand, I do want them to know that it is okay to not be perfect and not feel it either.

This journey starts now. They are 2 and 4. They are becoming aware of concepts like beauty and fashion and being judged by others. I hope that I can be a role model as a real women. With strengths, fears, challenges, achievements. Showing them that they are everything just as they are. And that it is not only good enough, it's exceptional.