Did I earn a passing grade?

It is the last day of June, and I am halfway through the year. Time for a midterm report.

The negatives:

-Limited choices/selections. Initially, I felt this was the grocers fault. However, now, I realize the consumer is the problem. (Supply and demand)As long as we continue to buy our fish, fruit and vegetables from other countries…why would grocers feel the need to change? We are the problem.

-I didn’t think about all the foods I would be giving up for the year….like peanut butter and rice. I also have given up items like lemon juice, soya sauce, and most condiments. I just thought I would try to prepare meals without them….I have…and I haven’t looked back. Though I will introduce them again….I know I don’t really need them…I can use spices and herbs (mostly local and home grown).

A few annoyances:

- Grocers need to work on their quality assurance. Labeling vegetables from Mexico and the United States as Canadian, is not just a problem, it is just wrong.

-I still need to double check the labels. And use my brain. With the new Harper ruling on labeling, hopefully we won’t see items like chocolate and orange juice, labeled products of Canada.

A few of the positives:

-I bake more…and make more things from scratch. I am using less prepared and packaged items.

-My staples which I make every week (apple/rhubarb sauce and a tomato cheese salad), I still find delicious.

-Northside Sobeys is still my pick for having the best selection.

-I have found quite a few new items to try, or substitute…and they have all worked out very well. Sunflower and pumpkin seed butter, kamut pasta and Windy Hill Foods flax cereal are a few new ones that are now regulars.

Final results? Well…I am trying to live a sustainable lifestyle…. in all areas of my life…not just food choices. It’s a good test for me.

Going Nuts

Peanut Butter is one item I gave up for the year. (But did not realize this until late January). In its place I chose nut/seeds butter from a company called “Nuts to You Nut Butter Inc.”. This company doesn’t seem to have a website, so, I will add the information from their label;

“Proudly Canadian since 1989. An ever-growing number of Canadians have been tasting the difference in our third-party certified quality products.”

“A product of Canada, manufactured by Nuts to You Nut Butter Inc.”

Address- P.O. Box 21059
Paris, Ontario N3L 4A5

I started with their Sunflower Seed butter. I am now using their Pumpkin Seed Butter. I love this one.

Very Berry

I had fresh strawberries this morning. Hand picked from my garden. Wow.....how good did they taste. This is the fourth summer for my berries, and there are lots of blossoms.

The Winter of my Content

This might seem like I am back tracking ….but I am wondering what happened to our spring? It is almost summer. Local stores are starting to carry a bit more Canadian produce. Soon there will be lots of choices….and lots of time to prepare for next winter.

Last year I was only thinking about the foods I would be giving up and finding alternatives. I didn’t think about freezing and canning items. This year…it’s a plan.

Though I could have been a bit more prepared, this was not a difficult winter. (I am still annoyed about our haddock and salmon…I do miss my fish).

As for the rest of my winter trials…..choosing totally Canadian just took a bit more time…and a lot more label checking. But it reinforced that we all can do this…we can choose Canadian…even when it seems like we don’t have anything in season.

One of my favorite things that I have been eating all winter…(I make this weekly)…is my tomato, cucumber and cheese salad. Dice a few tomatoes, a cucumber (both hothouse from Ontario), a finely diced shallot, and ½ - 1 cup of diced feta or cheddar cheese. Make a dressing with oil, vinegar and basil (your choice of herb)…mix with the tomato/cucumber ingredients and chill. If you make this salad big enough…it lasts for days. I often have it on toast for lunch.

It is a great salad…and now that I have found Canadian peppers, I have added this diced as well.

*And in this latest food scare…..my Canadian tomatoes are just fine, they have not been taken off the shelves

Everything old is new again

I was invited out to dinner the other evening...had a great time, and a great meal. I was served this wonderful salad.....lots of leafy greens ( haven't seen or had those in months) and strawberries.

As I said in the beginning of this journey, I was only purchasing Canadian food. When I am offered something, I accept.

I am not trying to force this lifestyle on anyone else.(Maybe I should have asked Kevin before I made that statement).

The salad was delicious. The flavours burst in my mouth. It was like trying something new...very interesting. I can only assume that eating foods in season makes you appreciate the more exotic just a little bit more. I, for one, will continue to eat mostly foods produced in season for two reasons. One, because I believe in this lifestyle choice...Two....for my taste buds to experience new ( old ) flavours.

TSE

I cannot find a Canadian carrot in all of Fredericton. It has almost been 2 months. They are certainly worth their weight in gold. An obvious error in spelling on the stock markets.