Update : Mike and the girls

From start to (almost) finish…

 

I was unable (unwilling really) to start on Friday.  It was Danielle's 40th b-day and I was consumed by orchestrating a surprise party that also included planning for 8 secrete house guests.  This was more than enough planning for me.  Fill the Gap would have to wait.  But the party was amazing and she was totally surprised!

 

Our house was packed with kids all day Saturday, and there were people with us till Saturday night…so while we had some good discussion about FTG, I thought best to start fresh on Sunday.  The reality of making separate meals and snacks for us and them seemed way too daunting. This was our first conversation theme – socialization revolves around food.  It’s wild how quickly this becomes apparent.  Another night we were booked to go to a concert in Ottawa that included dinner beforehand…in the end the night was postponed for other reasons, but it would have been a major downer for our friends if we didn’t join them at the restaurant.

 

When our first day came, we, like everyone else, we did a quick scan of the food items followed by a more formal inventory.  That was the first time I’ve ever counted the number of slices in a loaf of bread.  We tried to explain the purpose of this project to the kids who are 5 yrs and 3 yrs old.  They were pretty stoked about the cookies and cupcakes and didn't get too worked up one way or the other about everything else. 

 

Our first dinner was pasta. The kids both said it was better than the usual pasta we have (where we use wheat noodles and more ingredients).  We were a bit concerned that this trend could continue – they seem partial to starchy/salty food.  Danielle and I have a chat about the importance of setting eating habits early and the difficultly in changing habits once they are formed.  Still, the girls enjoy cupcakes for desert and they are indeed just fine with this project.  More or less, the kids have actually eaten more this week than the average week.  It might be paranoia, but I also find them more needy than normal. 

 

The second conversation theme was on the luxury of choice, specifically identifying that: 1) we are fortunate our kids have the option to eat healthy; 2) we are not used to someone choosing food for us; 3) I really want to buy lunch or a protein bar or something…this isn’t easy.

 

My best meal of the week (so far) was Fish Cakes.  I actually got down to business and created something from nothing.  I was pretty proud of myself as the whole family legitimately enjoyed them and finished their plates. Thanks Kendra for the receipe!  This is the third and final main conversation topic – it is very rewarding to create a tasty dish and see others enjoy the product.  I’m no cook and spend limited time in the kitchen, but that night I felt like great about my creation!

 

It’s been ok so far, but the salty diet and inability to buy food is catching up on me.  I am looking forward to Sunday!  

Update: Leanne

Thursday March 24, 2010

We have a good week so far with our food items.

Monday night’s stir fry was great: onions, garlic, carrots, mushrooms sautéed in olive olive oil. I realized that we hadn’t had much protein that day so I whisked up 4 eggs and then added those to the stir fry. We cooked rice to go with it. Mark had voiced some reluctance earlier on Monday about the challenge and I’d convinced him to be fully on board on Monday night. As I served up the stir-fry, I looked at it and said: “I’m going to have a bit of soy sauce on this.” And Mark laughed and said: “Well, you’re a good example aren’t you?”. So we did add a bit of soy sauce. And added a bit of cheddar cheese too (pantry item). Later that night, while watching the news, Mark said: “Can’t I have a little bit of whisky?” And I said no, and he didn’t.

Tuesday morning was 2 pieces of toast with peanut butter and bananas, plus juice. Mark woke up a few hours later than me and told me later that he didn’t know what he should have for breakfast so he had coffee (pantry item) and waited to lunch to have left over stir fry. And the stir fry (with cheese, no soy sauce) was my lunch as well. For supper, Zoë suggested macaroni and cheese. We cooked 3 boxes of the macaroni, added milk and a bit of butter (pantry item) plus only 2 packages of the powdered cheese. We added some of the old cheddar that we have been using for our pantry item. I also sautéed onions, mushrooms and broccoli and added these as well (along with one whisked up egg). While I was doing this, Mark and Zoë were happily making the chocolate pudding and we had a great discussion about the use of our milk quota for the pudding. Mark and Zoë argued that it would be ok to use the milk for this purpose as they intended to eat all of the pudding and therefore would get all the nutrients. How could I argue with this?

Wednesday morning was back bacon, scrambled eggs and toast with butter morning. We don’t normally buy this type of bacon but Zoë said that she liked it. For lunch we all took leftover macaroni and cheese. I took an orange too and Zoë took leftover chocolate pudding and a juice box. She is lovin’ the juice boxes. Wednesday night we were low on veggies. We chopped up the potatoes and made roasted potatoes with garlic. We also opened our first can of soup – the roasted chicken noodle soup. Both of these went over well. We all cheated again and added ketchup to the potatoes. Wednesday night was chocolate cake night. Zoë read the recipe and saw we need 3 eggs. I said well we only have 3 eggs left, should we use them for the cake or just eat them for breakfast? She agreed that we shouldn’t use them for the cake. She then took our lists of foods left and foods used and, after looking at them, said: “Mama, we’ve used 7 eggs in total so we have 5 eggs left, not 3.” I checked this and saw she was right. So we agreed to use 2 eggs instead of 3 for the cake. We turned the cake into cupcakes which we thought would be better for lunches.

Thursday morning we look after one of Zoë’s friends before school. She really likes crepes. And so it was because of her that we kept flour on the pantry item list. We made crepes with eggs, milk, butter and flour. VERY YUMMY. And since we couldn’t let her have maple syrup all by herself, we joined Zoë’s friend in putting maple syrup on the crepes (cheat number 4 !!). We also opened the pineapple tidbits and ate those. Thursday was an unusual morning and Mark and I forgot to pack lunches for ourselves. I hadn’t brought all our Good Food Box home (as I ride my bike) and so had 2 bananas in the office which I have eaten. Clint brought me a chocolate chip cookie which I ate (and will deduct from our treasure trove of chocolate cookies that we were given – we are definitely going to have chocolate chip cookies left over!). Zoë made herself a peanut butter sandwich and added a banana, cupcake and juice box to her lunch. For supper tonight we may try my idea of Shepard’s pie – using the canned chili and the rest of the potatoes. We have a few carrots and onions and some garlic left so we may add those. We will be eating cupcakes and cookies for DAYS!

We are going to continue with the challenge until tomorrow. The rest of the canned soups and some of the other items we are going to bring to the BBKC food cupboard. The two top things that have struck me about this week are: 1) When we have been faced with limited food choices and a challenge to be creative, we really did get creative….maybe not wildly so but somewhat. As a spin off of this creativity and limited food choices, we got better at planning ahead and all of us loved having leftovers as lunches AND 2) Zoë was excited and engaged with this project for the whole week (and before the food came too). She was into the planning, preparing and eating the food….and NOT just because of the cookies, pudding and cake. We had fun. And we are thankful that we have choices.

Update: Jordan

Day Seven:

With the Fill the Gap challenge wrapping up I must say I am looking forward to regaining the freedom to choose for myself what I eat.  We were all fortunate in this challenge to have been allotted the healthy options found in the good food box.  With those and my 5^th “pantry” item – Bell Peppers I was able to make a huge vegetable stir fry that sustained my through 4 meals in the middle of the week.  Lacking the creativity of many of my challenge mates more often than not during the rest of the week I ate the food as it was presented.  Cans of soup, chili or a box of Kraft Dinner  were the bulk of my diet.  This wasn’t how I envisioned things would go.  Boyed up by the challenge I imagined myself creating mini-delicacies with the food at hand.  This was certainly proven possible by many of my colleagues but I was largely unsuccessful in this regard.  I don’t mind admitting that I found it a little hard.  I have never really enjoyed cooking and restricting my choices didn’t make that job any more enjoyable.  It also seemed to me that time was always tight.  Planning and creating great meals takes time and energy that I didn’t have in abundance.  It is easy to imagine how much more difficult eating well would be for many in our community, those with disabilities or without a good job with a predictable schedule.  Things easily taken for granted like a reliable vehicle that can save an hour or more a day that would otherwise be spent commuting by bus or on foot.  This challenge helped me appreciate what I have more and gave me a glimpse of some of the challenges that people face when trying to eat healthy and well.

Perhaps the best thing that came from this challenge for me was a realization that I could last 7 days without going to a restaurant or stopping at a coffee shop for a drink.  It sounds funny – like it would be the easiest thing in the world, but it wasn’t.  This challenge showed me how often I eat out and how much I missed the option.  I hope that the knowledge of how much money I saved on food this week outlasts my craving for a trip to drive-thru and inspires me to spend more time in the kitchen or even the garden.

Day 5 & 6 - House of Zen Updates

The final day of the challenge is here!

A Few lessons learned:

• breakfast really is the most important meal of the day ... fuel up the engine for the entire day
• open mind + creativity + any food = fun
• good eating is possible ... with any food
• creative food can mean less expensive grocery bill
• it's really helpful to have a few pantry items or fridge items always on hand to jazz up a meal

Food items most thankful for this week:

• eggs (from Food Hamper)
• blueberries (pantry item)
• pancake/muffin mix (from Food Hamper)
• potatoes (from Good Food Box)
• fresh greens (pantry item)
• fresh fruit (all 8 pieces from Good Food Box)

Food items most looking forward to next week:

• cereal (with fibre!)
• lots and lots of fruit
• yogurt

On the menu ...

Supper Day 5  a la chef Ken

• Twisted buckwheat pasta with tomato sauce
• Cook pasta according to pasta directions
• Sauce: 1/2 can diced tomatoes (with herbs) + 1/2 can tomato sauce
• Chocolate pudding
• 2 cups milk + pudding mix = something that may resemble pudding/jello/solid mass

Breakfast Day 6 &7

• Blueberries + apple + milk + scoop peanut butter

Lunch Day 6 (Wednesday)

• Brendine: 1/2 container V8 Corn Soup with Chipolte + milk + spinach
• Ken: can of beans in tomato sauce + rice crackers

Supper Day 6 (a la chef Ken)

• Ham, broccoli & spinach frittata
• Scramble 5 eggs in a medium sized bowl
• 1/2 cup each: chopped ham, broccoli, spinach
• Heat skillet over medium heat. Add scrambled eggs. Cook 2-3 minutes until just set. Add vegetables and ham. Continue cooking 4-5 minutes until eggs are mostly set. Place in oven under broiler for 2-3 minutes until top is lightly browned.
• Potato chips (homemade!)
• Thinly slice potatoes (into potato-chip thins)
• Place on baking sheet, drizzle with oil. Bake at 400F for 15-20 minutes, until crispy.
• Dessert (a la Brendine) - cookies!!
• In a small bowl: mix 1/3 cup sugar + 1/2 to 3/4 cup peanut butter + 1 egg
• Add: 1 cup pancake/muffin mix. Mix well. If mixture is crumbly, add some milk (just 1-2 tbsp at a time)
• Bake at 350F for 10-12 minutes.

Mmmm cookies ... they end up turning into something like a big pancake (translation = cookie dough all smooshes together) when cooked. But they still taste yummy!

March 22nd - Food in the news

Rising Food Costs
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/food-and-wine/trends/trends-features/any-way-you-slice-it-food-prices-are-going-up/article1950411/ 

Did you know that the average Canadian household spends 17% of income on food? With rising food costs, this amount will push to 20%. That's $20 for every $100 you make.

Be creative with your food dollars - explore ways to enjoy cooking, involve your family and be aware of how you eat.

Fill the Gap is about being creative with simple foods. It's about being more aware about how we use foods at home. Mindful about eating.

So, what can you do to invite this mindfulness about food?

• Talk about it! Chat about food, menus, meals, cooking and planning with friends, co-workers and family.
• Start cooking! Cook with your family at home or join a community kitchen (coming this April to Kingston Community Health Centres). Start from scratch and be impressed by what you can create.
• Start growing! Plant a few vegetables on your terrace, deck or perhaps garden space this spring and summer (lettuce, beans and fresh herbs grow well in a pot). Or, join a community garden space - you will be able to enjoy your own hand-grown foods for less than $20 a year!
• Get involved! Rising food costs mean more pressures for people who may not be able to access or afford a variety of food choices. Look inside your community to see how you may be able to help.

House of Zen - Updates

Day 4 has come and gone ... goodmorning day 5.

Over a salty chili dinner last night, we shared our experience from the day. On his way to work, after getting to a gas station, putting air in the tires, hitting the road to the office, Ken realized 'Forgot my lunch!!' He turned around, headed home and packed a few items from the box. Brendine so impressed that he actually went back for lunch instead taking the other road to dining out. Ken noted that at work, he's inspired some co-workers to be more mindful (and thankful) for what they eat.

Both of us are having a hard time with breakfast. Mini muffins, blueberries, peanut butter scoops and 1/2 banana aren't really taking us through the morning. The House of Zen has become pretty good a gluten free eaing over the past year, but being bound to 2 boxes of food is a little tricky. Ken's solution: can of beans in tomato sauce for breakfast tomorrow.

Only 4 days, but we're really inspired to challenge our food habits. Ken suggested taking the whole month of April for vegetarian eating. Brendine suggested May through October as a 100km diet challenge (eating only foods/food ingredients that have been grown and produced with 100km of our home). Bring it on (perhaps with an occasional allowance for a nice ripe avocado)! We're up for the challenge.

On the menu from day 4 ...

Lunch

• Brendine: jazzed up tomato soup: 1/3 container V8 Tomato Soup + 1/2 cup milk + spinach (pantry item) and 2 stalks broccoli + 1 slice leftover pizza
• Ken: 1 package instant rice noodle soup + 2 rice cakes + leftover ham slices

Supper:

• Chili:
• Step 1: saute 1 chopped onion + 2 cloves garlic in medium sized sauce pan
• Step 2: add 1/3 can diced tomatoes + 1/3 can tomato sauce + 1 can corn (rinsed) + 1 can mixed beans (rinsed) + 1/2 package taco seasoning + 1 cup water (to dilute the sodium!)
• Potato Wedges
• Step 1: slice 1-2 medium sized potatoes into thin wedges
• Step 2: line a baking sheet with tin foil. Place potatoes on baking sheet and drizzle with oil. Bake at 400F for 15 to 20 minutes.
Surprises, insights and more from day 4 ...  
Preparing our chili dinner brought on a little exploration into the Nutrition Facts table on the canned vegetables used to whip it together. I know ... what a fun thing to explore on a Monday night. Only a 15 minute exploration though - totally fast meal!  But, it's pretty outrageous what you find in a can of 'tomato sauce' or 'diced tomatoes.' The low-down ... what's really in that chili?



tomato sauce


• tomato sauce = 470mg sodium per 1/2 cup
• diced tomatoes = 370mg sodium per 1/2 cup
• sodium recommendations for average joe = 1500mg - 2300mg per day
• roughly = 400-500mg sodium per meal
• translation = yikes! our chili has won the award for more sodium than we needed for the day

This morning, with my daily scoop of peanut butter, I began to notice the strange buttery-like consistency of the 'peanut butter.' Hmm... was this really peanut butter? Still in exploration mode,  I browsed at the ingredient list:

• roasted peanuts, soybean oil, corn dextrin, sugar, hydrogenated vegetable oil, salt

Hmmm .... so much for 'peanut butter' ... more like 'peanut product.'

There are a lot of stigmas that exist around canned and boxed food items. But, these items play a big role in feeding and nurturing many people and families. We're humbled by our ability to be able to choose fresh foods on a daily basis, and choose lower or no-sodium canned products when we need to. To choose just 'peanuts' peanut butter.

Hopefully others can be mindful that not everyone chooses the foods that they eat. They simply make the best of what they have. Something that can be humbling, happy and heartbreaking at the same time.





 

Update: Easy-eats, Kendra and Curtis

Things are going well.  Overall, the weekend was great - full of meal preparations and trying to convince Curtis not to cheat on the food challenge by the many food temptations (free samples, commercials, pizza coupons) ... he’s been doing great!  My coffee-free Saturday and Sunday mornings were an adjustment for sure! We definitely learned some lessons around remembering to bring foods that will last a Saturday afternoon away from the house - there has been long time periods between meals, trying to ration the supplies for the week.  

We've have been having fun coming up with meal ideas and cooking with the ingredients - looking onward, we feel positive about our food supplies for the remainder of the week, with still some fun ideas up our sleeves.



Meals we have enjoyed:

Potato Crust Pizza with Arugula:

Crust:
2 large (mashed and cooled) pototoes, skin on.
1 egg
Roughly 1 cup of flour - depends on size of potatoes (pantry item)

Mix together, adding flour 1 tbsp at a time, kneading until soft dough forms (expect it to be a bit sticky)

Toppings:
Tomato sauce
Mushrooms, onion, brocolli
Grated cheese (pantry item)
Arugula leaves

Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees


Cupcakes with Blueberry Sauce:

Using the cake mix and following the recipe; we made cupcakes.


Blueberry sauce:
1 cup of frozen bluebrries 
2 tbsp flour
1/4 cup of water x 2

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the blueberries, 1/4 cup of water, stir gently, and bring to a boil. In a cup, mix together the flour and 1/4 cup cold water. Gently stir the flour mixture into the blueberries so as not to mash the berries. Simmer gently until thick, 3 to 4 minutes. 

 
Mushroom Soup Veggie Pasta:






Mix together sauteed brocolli, carrots, onions, garlic and mushrooms with a can of mushroom soup, and 1/2 can of water
Stir gently on medium heat for 10 minutes, until nice and hot. 
Serve over cooked pasta ...Enjoy!