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I experienced a full-circle moment yesterday. As a Mother, I think these moments are precious and poignant. And truly reinforce all that is beautiful about Motherhood.
I grew up watching my Mom cook. And some of my most memorable moments with my Mom are of the two of us watching Julia Child. Back then, we didn't have entire TV channels devoted to cooking shows. There were 2 or 3 programs on PBS. But it really doesn't get any better than Julia. I loved those lazy afternoons with my Mom.
When I started cooking on my own (at a pretty early age), I would imagine that I was the host of a cooking show and talk through all the steps of what I was making. I would talk to the wall like it was the audience and camera. I can only imagine what I must have looked and sounded like.
My love of performing didn't fade and I went to university to pursue an acting career. Some of my most memorable moments on stage were related to food. Apparently a scene that I did that involved me not being able to open a pickle jar was a highlight. It sounds so mundane but I think it was probably tragic and comic all at the same time.
When I was in my early twenties, I became a devoted fan of Martha Stewart. I began my subscription to Martha Stewart Living and consumed every show, special, publication, and book. I went on to adopt more subscriptions and proudly carted all my back-issues around with me for every move. I have a lot of magazines.
Some of the first books that my daughters read were my Martha Stewart magazines. They are actually wonderful for toddlers because the photography is so beautiful and about such varied topics. It was here that Georgia first identified eggplant- a vegetable that I don't like or cook with, but she saw the photo and learned about it.
Fast forward a few years and I now have 4 1/2 and 2 1/2 year old girls that LOVE to cook and bake. They come by it honestly. It is my passion and my kitchen is where I am happiest. So of course they want to join in. Georgia, my oldest, is quite adept in the kitchen and becoming very independant. She can prepare a meal, from start to finish. She understands many cooking principles and is very knowedgeable about food and kitchen safety. Olivia is still at the stage where she wants to mix and dip her fingers in for a lick.
The 3 of us have such fun in the kitchen and we usually start with me pouring dozens of back issues of Everyday Food magazine on the kitchen table and asking them to choose a few recipes. Again, with such great photography and the "digest" size, these magazines are perfect for kids. Georgia is already reading recipes out of these handy magazines.
When I learned of Everyday Food cancelling their monthly publication I was incredibly disappointed. I love this magazine but am happy to have so many back-issues that they will continue to be useful for every day menu planning. I understand the reality of print media and it appears that Everyday Food is going to continue with other media outlets such as videos, their blog, and web content.
I was scrolling through the Martha Stewart website and saw the link to the Everyday Food videos. I thought it would be fun to show one to Georgia. We sat and watched Sarah Carey make chocolate mousse and Georgia asked for another video. She instantly fell in love.
We have now watched about 14 of the videos in the last 3 days. She has chosen a few of the meals for us to make. This is fun for me because she is choosing recipes that are new to us and she wants to experiment.
This morning, I walked into the kitchen and heard a little voice. Georgia was at her toy kitchen, cooking a meal and teaching her "audience" how to make it. I hear her say, "the spinach will reduce and then you add the lemon juice." And in that moment I realized that I had re-created that very special memory I have of my Mom for my daughter. She is following in my footsteps with a passion for food, and maybe even a talent for teaching and performing.
I was careful to not let her notice me so that I could listen in on her TV cooking show debut. I soaked up the moment. And I fell in love with my daughter all over again.
~Kimberley
How do I balance an organic life while owning and operating a candy business? It may seem like a contradiction when I talk and share about food rules and organic food when I also make and sell candy. Well, actually, the whole reason I started my candy company was to provide a better quality sweet treat for my family and others.
I started with a few principles that have helped me find this balance: No artificial or synthetic flavors and colors, use organic and Fair Trade ingredients whenever possible, reduce plastic in food production by sourcing more sustainable packaging options, and provide a quality product that is delicious and memorable.
Artificial and synthetic colors and flavors are rampant in food production, not just candy. They are in so many produced foods and in Canada we have very loose labelling guidelines for declaring these items. Think of it this way, any time an item has vanilla extract in it, it is a highly processed flavor. Far from the natural vanilla bean. It is processed with alcohol which itself is highly processed. Now, most items would contain a very small amount of this. But think of all the food you eat that has added color, flavor and undeclared ingredients. It adds up.
Choosing whole and natural flavors for my marshmallows has been the most time and money consuming aspect of what I offer. Using extracts and flavors for marshmallows and candy is easy and cheap. And there are now an array of flavors so you could make anything from banana to cotton candy. Trust me, those are not made with natural flavors. I made this choice because as I started selling and labelling my products I wanted to be able to say that all flavors were sourced from whole, natural ingredients. Like vanilla bean seeds that I scrape out of the pod. Organic and Far Trade, these vanilla beans are expensive. But if you have had one of my Vanilla Bean marshmallows you know the difference that it makes. I also purchase these from a small, Canadian importer, with the hopes that I am helping another small food business rather than a huge company that has no values when it comes to natural food.
Organic and Fair Trade ingredients tend to be more expensive because this usually involves chocolate and coffee. If I am going to rely on ingredients grown elsewhere and imported, I wanted to ensure it was sustainably sourced, supporting smaller Canadian importers, and supporting ethical growers in other countries. Vanilla beans, chocolate and coffee are my most expensive ingredients. The difference is worth it in terms of flavor.
When searching for a good espresso for my very popular espresso marshmallows, I was delighted to find a local roaster that crafts organic, fair trade coffee and roasts an excellent dark roast. Chicken Creek Coffee if our coffee of choice at home and makes for a better marshmallow. Once again, supporting a local (in Smithers) business, reducing our carbon footprint by not purchasing from a large food company, and offering a whole, natural flavor that is simply better tasting.
Plastic is a curse of the food industry. On the one hand, it is cheap and makes it possible for food producers to reduce weight in packaging, cost, and make more "convenient" food. On the other hand, just think about how much plastic food packaging is going into our land fills, our oceans, our planet. I promised myself that if I could only use conventional plastic for packaging, then I wouldn't sell candy. I spent a great deal of time and money researching and testing alternatives. Luckily, there is more and more demand for sustainable choices and I was able to find a compostable "plastic" bag that is approved for food. This cost is 300 times the cost of conventional plastic bags. I also use recycled/recyclable kraft paper bags and boxes. There are so many beautiful plastic options for food packaging, that are cheaper and more available. But I will not package in plastic. And now, I am currently designing a custom box that is going to be very expensive, but beautiful, useful, and perfect for retailers. It will be worth it.
Crafting delicious and memorable confections truly comes from my heart. I dream up seasonal treats and test confections with simple and whole ingredients. My line of confections is often inspired by my Dad who passed on his sweet tooth and love of really good candy. My marshmallows are inspired by the ingredients I find. This summer, local strawberries and rubharb were abundant at my farmer's market. I bought some, created a preserved syrup, and will feature this flavor next summer. The possibilities are endless for me.
My hope is that you enjoy eating and sharing my handmade confections as much as I enjoy making them. I am always working on improving every aspect of my business and love your feedback and suggestions. I love hearing stories from my customers about how they enjoyed their treats and the small part Kimberley's Kitchen has played in their special occassions. Please keep sharing- it inspires me to continue.
Once again, thanks for your support!
~Kimberley
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