General

Lettuce Explore! A Lettuce Taste Test

In this activity, kids (and adults) can explore the flavours, textures, and appearance of lettuce and greens. Taking some time to appreciate the qualities of the simple foods we grow and eat can be a great sensory and learning experience. You might even be surprised to find out how much beauty and flavour can be packed into a humble lettuce leaf! 

You Will Need:

  • Three or four varieties of lettuce or salad greens (from your garden, farmers market or grocery store)

  • White paper, pencil, and felts/crayons/coloured pencils

Instructions:

1. Select 3 or 4 varieties of lettuce.

2. Wash and arrange a few leaves of each lettuce on a plate.

3. Ask all tasters to wash their hands.

4. Pick one variety of lettuce to start. 

5. Use your sense of sight to observe what the lettuce looks like. Look at the back, front, and side of the leaf. Draw or trace the lettuce leaf on a piece of paper, add details and colour if you like.

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6. Taste the lettuce. As you chew the lettuce think about the texture of the lettuce in your mouth. Add some words that describe the texture to your drawing. Next, think about how the lettuce tastes. Add some descriptive words to your drawing. Do all the parts of the lettuce have the same taste and texture? If you need help thinking of descriptive words we have included a few in a list below.  

7. Draw and taste the other varieties of lettuce.

8. Vote on the lettuce you like the best.

Taste & Texture Descriptive Words

Lettuce Fun Facts:

  • Historians believe lettuce was first cultivated in ancient Egypt.

  • Lettuce is often eaten raw but it is also delicious to eat steamed, in a stir fry or grilled on the barbecue. Have you ever tried barbecued lettuce?

  • In 2015, the astronauts on the International Space Station grew and ate red romaine lettuce called “Outredgeous” lettuce.

  • Lettuce is part of the Asteraceae family. This family also includes the daisy and sunflower. 

  • There are four main types of Lettuce: butterhead, crisphead, loose leaf, and romaine.

There's No Room for Racism in a Just Food System (or a Just Society)

This year has been challenging for many reasons. It has also become a year about shining a light on many of the issues and injustices in our society. 2020 has therefore also become about challenging ourselves and our current systems to do better, to be better, and to move forward--not backward--as individuals, as communities, as a whole. 

Across the United States and Canada people have come out to demonstrate in response to the continued police brutality towards Black Americans after the murder of George Floyd last week. 

Racism, and specifically Anti-Black racism, is just as prevalent in Canada as in other countries. According to Statistics Canada, one percent of the population of B.C. and 3.5 percent of Canadians identify as Black. This population, as well as Indigenous populations, are often disproportionately targeted by police. 

Black households are 3.6 times more likely to be food insecure than White households and 36.6% of Black children live in food insecure households. A ten year study released in 2019 found that overall, nearly half of First Nations families struggle to put food on the table.

Growing Chefs’ vision is a world with healthy, just, sustainable food practices. We believe we aren’t effectively enacting this vision if we don’t actively contribute to the work to bring down the injustices and inequities in our society. 

We acknowledge that healthy, just food systems cannot exist without economic, social, and political justice on a societal level. Growing Chefs! intends to do the work to become better allies and vocal anti-racists, not just for today and this week, but on an ongoing and continuous basis. 

We are grateful for all of the support from our community for our work to teach kids where food comes from and support increasing access to healthy food. At this time, we encourage people to direct their energy and support toward organizations that are working to dismantle systems of Anti-Black racism and support the Black community.

Here is a list of organizations to consider. If you have others to suggest, please let us know.

Additionally, this is a list of local Black owned restaurants and food related businesses to support in Metro Vancouver. Again, if you know of more (and as more are established), please share them with us! We will happily keep this list updated.

We will continue to share learning resources both internally and externally and encourage you to share with us. Here are some useful resources we have been reading and following this week:

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Getting Back to our Roots with Food Traditions: Part 4

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We hope you enjoy this food tradition from the home of Amanda, our Program Manager.

Every year for the past 5 years, during the first week of January, my partner and I have hosted a large Ukrainian Christmas Dinner for as many of our friends as we are physically able to fit in our little home. It has become quite the event, not just for us but for those of our guests who look forward to it and come each year. We spend two days preparing everything using the knowledge and skills my Mom and my Grandma taught me and from my exploring of a cookbook I have inherited from my Grandma with traditional Ukranian recipes, in which she has of course, added her own notes and corrections in the margins. There is only one rule for guests that are attending this feast, no one is allowed to bring anything but their appetites- it is a full meal prepared and cooked by us for them and there is no shortage of food or drink to go around. 

The menu keeps expanding as I explore more traditional Ukrainian foods and recipes but every year the meal always includes:

Kutia - a sweet wheat dish that is central to a traditional Ukrainian Christmas Eve dinner

Borsch - a bright red beet soup 

Varenyky (pierogies) - a Ukrainian dumpling filled with either potato, cottage cheese, plum, sauerkraut, poppy seeds, berries, or raisins (we typically make a cheese, caramelized onion and potato filling)

Holubtsi (cabbage rolls) - Boiled cabbage leaves filled with rice or beans, mushrooms, and onions. My family usually added ground beef or pork when I was growing up but traditionally these were vegetarian at least for Christmas Eve dinner when no meat was to be eaten.

Nalysnyky - a sweet crepe filled with cottage cheese and dill ( and one of my favourite dishes!)

Kolach - a beautiful braided sweet bread with a crispy crust

Pickled vegetables

Sauerkraut

This is a new tradition that we have started and made as our own. It’s been a way for me to explore more of my Ukrainian heritage through food and hosting the meal really comes from the tradition I grew up with of feeding others and, of course, a love and appreciation of handmade, from-scratch Ukrainian food. Growing up, pierogies and cabbage rolls were always an inclusion at every holiday dinner. Christmas. Easter. Thanksgiving. It didn’t matter if there was a turkey or a ham (or both), it didn't matter how many sides were a part of the meal, there were always pierogies and cabbage rolls somewhere on the table and it was usually one of the first dishes of the meal that was eaten.  

There is something very special about feeding others and it was always something my family was always happy to do. My Grandma always had a fresh made pot of borsch for me whenever I visited. It was about a six hour drive to where she lived and no matter what time I got in at, there was always food that she had made just for me waiting. As soon as I got in the door I could smell the sweet beet aroma from the pot on the stove and after hugs and general greetings she would usher me to the table (usually commenting I was too skinny and needed to eat more) and put a full steaming hot bowl of her borsch down in front of me. This feeding others and hosting friends was a tradition in my home growing up as well. My sister and I were always able to invite friends to join for dinners, especially during holidays when I was in university and many of my friends were far from their own families. They were always invited and welcome at our table.   

Hosting a gathering of our friends and providing them with a hearty meal is how I have chosen to carry on these traditions and making it entirely out of those Ukrainian dishes I grew up with is my own way of exploring and staying connected to my family’s heritage. It isn’t necessarily difficult food to make, but it is time and labour-intensive with many steps involved, and the making of pierogies and cabbage rolls in particular is always a collaborative effort. I still like to help my mom fill and roll the cabbage leaves whenever I am home and she is making them. 

For me, food is meant to be shared with others, including the experience of making it. This is a tradition my partner and I carry on as we set aside a weekend to spend together preparing these dishes to host our annual dinner, stock our freezer, or prepare the dishes to deliver to friends. Even after a few years of making them, we continue to refine our pierogi pinching and cabbage rolling skills, I still do not know how my Grandma got her cabbage rolls so neatly and tightly wrapped. We like to play around a little with the filling recipes, but I definitely stick pretty close to the recipes from my Grandma, as being able to make these foods helps me continue to feel connected to her since her passing.

Getting Back to Our Roots with Food Traditions: Part 3

Our staff and board have been sharing our food traditions from home with you this month. This week’s features are Kitchari, Broccoli Trees, and Meatballs. 

Farah - Growing Chefs! Fundraising and Operations Assistant: My family is from Kenya and Uganda, and my ancestors from India. Kitchari, a porridge-like dish made of split mung beans and rice, was a staple in our house growing up. Although traditionally cooked as is  (and eaten with a side of vegetable curry),  there is also the option to add vegetables, oils, spices, and garnishes to the mix. This dish is super easy to make, satiating, nutrient-dense, and very affordable. In Ayurveda, kitchari is used as a cleanse for removing toxins and aiding digestion.

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Cayley - Growing Chefs! Program and Operations Assistant: When we were young, my brother and I didn’t share my Mom’s love of vegetables (unless they were fresh from the garden!). Being the veggie advocate she is, she would pose us challenges like “nobody’s leaving this table until you each eat 11 carrot sticks!” or “everybody must eat 6 broccoli trees!”. While this is likely a common story in many households, Mom continued this into our adult years, including our friends, houseguests, and anybody else we shared meals with - long after we’d developed our own love for vegetables. It’s been a couple decades since this began, but I still get to enjoy fond memories of childhood meals when I sit down to eat with my partner or long-time friends, and they tell me “you must eat 13 grapes!”.

Afton - Growing Chefs! Program Liaison:  When I go visit my mom I often request my favourite dish from my childhood, “Porcupine Meatballs”. To make Porcupine Meatballs you mix uncooked rice with ground meat and seasoning, form meatballs and then bake in tomato sauce. The cooked rice pokes out of the meatballs so that they look a bit like little porcupines taking a bath in tomato sauce. While this dish doesn’t go back generations (and lacks vegetables), it is really yummy and reminds me of my childhood. I’m not sure why this dish sticks in my brain, I don’t recall if we ate it often and it wasn’t something we ate on special occasions, but I remember eating it and it reminds me of my mom. I don’t think I have ever cooked Porcupine meatballs for my family, but now that I think about it, it sounds like a great thing to have for dinner!

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Go Ahead and Get “Soily”: Ten Things Kids Learn in the Garden

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Yesterday was a big day at my house, our windowsill garden started to SPROUT! We planted our seeds and waited... waited... waited. Just when we thought that maybe we did it wrong, POP, POP, POP, sprouts shooting up in all our pots (tomatoes, beans, and peas). Now you are probably thinking that this doesn’t sound very exciting, but two things: We have been socially isolating, so these sprouts are the only live “guests” we have had in a couple of months. We also have a 7-year-old kid, and the best thing about kids is that they appreciate how cool seeds and sprouts are. They are genuinely pumped to see those little sprouts pop out of the soil. Not only are these little sprouts adding some excitement to our life, but they are also an important part of the hands-on learning we are doing at home this spring.

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What exactly might we learn from these sprouts? Here is a list:

Math: 

Counting, Patterns, Estimating, Measuring, Graphing, Calculating (volume, area and weight).

Easy “Peasy” Garden Math Activities:

  • Count the seeds

  • Make a pattern with seeds 

  • Measure the growth of seedlings

  • Graph the growth of a seedling over time

  • Estimate the number of seedlings that will grow or how many (fruit/vegetables) we will harvest

  • Calculate the weight of your harvest 

  • Calculate the volume of soil you will need to fill planters

  • Calculate surface area of a leaf  

Science: 

Seeds (and their parts), pollinators, water cycles, parts of the plant, senses and seasons (this list could go on forever). The garden is also the perfect place to conduct a little science experiment. 

Easy “Peasy” Science Experiment to try:

1) Plant seeds in three small pots label them as 1, 2 and 3:

  • Give seed 1 just water (put it in a dark spot)

  • Give seed 2 just sunlight (no water)

  • Give seed 3 both sun and water

2) Make a hypothesis about what might happen.

3) Let the seeds grow for about 2 weeks. 

4) Keep a log of how all three seeds are growing and test your hypothesis.

* For older learners you could try other variables (feed one seed soda instead of water, play nice music for one seed, put one seed outside and one inside). 

Responsibility:

Watering, ensuring adequate sunlight, fertilizing and transplanting are great responsibilities that kids can take-on in the garden. Building a sense of responsibility will be useful in school, friendships, within your family, and in the community.  

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Resiliency & Creativity:

One of the best opportunities for learning in the garden is when things don’t work out as planned. When things don’t grow (or they wilt, freeze, or overheat) kids have the opportunity to learn that it is ok to fail and also have the opportunity to think creatively to solve the challenge.

Appreciation:

An appreciation for the amount of planning, work, and care that is required to transform a seed to a fruit/vegetable. Even more appreciation for the farmers that grow food on a much larger scale.

Patience:

Remember the part at the beginning when I said that we waited ...waited ...waited? We only waited about a week, for a kid this might feel like an eternity, but it is a great way to practice being patient and a good reminder that instant is not always better. 

Ownership and Pride:

Kids will feel proud that they can tell their family, friends, and teachers about what they have cared for and grown. They might even get to share their harvest!

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Go Ahead and Get “Soily”:

Soil, worms, and bugs sometimes get the bad rap as being, “eww - gross!”. Introducing kids to all the cool things soil, worms, and bugs do will make them more likely go ahead and get their hands soily. Science tells us that playing and working with soil is good for kids' mental and physical health. Grown ups too!

Dexterity:

Planting seeds, transplanting, digging, and harvesting are a great way to develop fine motor skills. This can be especially useful for younger gardeners. 

Discovery: 

Eureka! I see a tiny tomato! The garden is the perfect place to see many amazing things in action. It is a perfect place to discover shoots, buds, flowers, bugs, worms, fruit and vegetables. 

Blog Post written by Afton Bell of Growing Chefs!

Getting Back to Our Roots with Food Traditions: Part 2

We have more food traditions to share from our staff and board. This week we are talking about kale, latkes, and homegrown vegetables.

Chef Selma - Growing Chefs! Chef Educator: In Holland, we ate kale way before it was cool. The name for kale in Dutch translates to “farmers cabbage”. We call it that because traditionally it was the crop that farmers could, and would, keep for themselves and eat all season round right off their land. Kale always tastes better after the first frost, because it forces the plant to turn some of its starches into sugar. My dad taught me these things when I was little, while crouching next to me beside the car, pointing at a field full of it on what I remember as many, many wet and windy autumn days, before driving past a Brussels sprouts field and doing the same thing there. While not native to the Netherlands, to most people there the word boerenkool (farmers cabbage) signifies the one dish most connected to our national identity. You’d almost think we’ve been making it since time began (or at least since the 17th century). As culinary tradition in my country dictates: it shall be mixed with mashed potatoes, and served with sausage. For a recipe of my favourite nostalgic comfort food, please click here.

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Jaydeen - Growing Chefs! Development and Communications Director: My wife is Jewish so in recent years I’ve been introduced to the wonderful world of Jewish food traditions. My favourite is latkes during Hanukkah. We eat them hot and top them with sour cream and homemade applesauce. At first I thought the combination was crazy (and I embarrassingly ate them like hashbrowns with hot sauce or ketchup) but now I love the dish served the same way as her family. Oftentimes we will use the leftover latkes for brunch. Latke bennys! 

Amrit - Growing Chefs! Board Member: My grandma used to live down the street from us in Prince George. The summers are short there but she had a huge garden in her backyard and would always plant a wide variety of vegetables including peas, carrots, zucchini, and cauliflower. My brother and I would go there every week to “help in the garden” but most of the time we’d end up eating whatever we pulled. She would have us help her cook different dishes and while we didn’t realize it at the time, we both developed an appreciation of fresh vegetables and a life-long love of cooking that we hope one day to pass on to our kids!

Do you have any food traditions in your home? We would love to hear about them!

Getting Back to Our Roots With Food Traditions

Every culture has food traditions. Food is part of how we celebrate, comfort, make friends, communicate and so much more. Over the next few months the Growing Chefs! Staff and Board will be sharing the food traditions that we have at home. The first tradition we would like to share is from our Executive Director, Helen Stortini. 

Helen Stortini - Growing Chefs! Executive Director: For my family, every Saturday night is pasta night. No one’s sure exactly when the tradition began, but my dad, John, recalls it starting with his three of his older sisters, Rita, Mary, and Valeria back in the 1950s in Northern Ontario. As the youngest of seven siblings, my dad’s sisters were much older and had families of their own by the time he was a school-aged boy. By then, it was just my dad and my poppa Giovanni at home—my grandmother Anna passed away when my father was very young. My poppa often worked nights so Saturday evenings found my dad crashing dinner at my one of my Auntie’s homes. Each of his sisters had their own (delicious) variation of a red sauce and meatballs. My mom, although not Italian, learned to make her own version of this sauce after my parents married and, in my entirely unbiased opinion, she makes the best, softest, most delicious meatballs I’ve ever eaten. Saturday night pasta carried on through my childhood, my teens, and continues to this day for my parents back in Sault Ste. Marie. Every Saturday morning, my mom gets up early, puts on a pot of sauce, makes those special meatballs, and then with my dad’s help, rolls out fresh pasta. 

The Stortini siblings, circa 1971

The Stortini siblings, circa 1971

In the last month, as my family has tried to connect more often with video calls during these isolating times (and are so grateful to have the privilege to do so), nearly seventy years after the Stortini Sister’s Family Pasta Night started, we’ve forged a new tradition and taken our family Pasta Night online. Every week, my mom and dad in the Soo, my sister, brother-in-law, and niece in Austin, and my son and husband here in Vancouver, gather around our tables and log online to dine. The menu in each home varies as we incorporate local and seasonal fare from our respective regions. Past menus include lasagna, tagliatelle with mushrooms, spaghetti with clams, and of course, red sauce and meatballs. But it’s always pasta. In these uncertain times, we may feel farther apart than ever, but we also feel closer than we’ve been in ages.

John with sisters Rita, Mary, Nita, and Val, circa 1999

John with sisters Rita, Mary, Nita, and Val, circa 1999

Fun Fact: Stortini is actually a pasta shape and translates to “little crooked ones”. They are wee elbow shaped noodles that look like a tiny macaroni.  

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We would love to learn about the food traditions you have in your home (especially traditions that involve vegetables!). We hope you will comment below and tell us all about it.



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When it comes to helping families, there can never be too many cooks in the kitchen!

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COVID-19 has required the entire world to re-examine how communities operate. Here’s how we fit in.

Those of us in the local food scene already informally work together and share common goals, so teamwork is not new for Growing Chefs! and Fresh Roots. We’ve been in cahoots for a couple of years now. In fall 2019, we launched LunchLAB, an innovative and educational school meal pilot program. 

In LunchLAB, students learned to grow their own food, supplement that food from local farms, and with the support of their teacher and chef-in-residence, learn to cook for themselves and hundreds of their peers twice a week. Through LunchLAB, we wanted to provide:

  • meals that strengthen local food systems and support local farms; 

  • meals that provide non-stigmatizing access to those that need it most; 

  • meals that are nourishing, safe, healthy, and delicious; 

  • meals that kids and youth want to eat. 

With the closure of schools due to COVID-19, Fresh Roots and Growing Chefs!, in collaboration with the Italian Cultural Centre, 
Ono Vancouver, and the Vancouver School Board (VSB), redesigned LunchLAB to become LunchLAB: Chefs for Families. This new program provides healthy, delicious, chef-prepared meals to families in need.

Please see the end of this blog to learn more about the collaborators’ involvement, because there’s no way we could do this all on our own!

Times can be tough for Vancouver families right now, and even tougher for those families who may have already been struggling. We are offering families, identified by Youth and Family Workers at the VSB, healthy, chef-prepared meals that provide nourishment and dignity at this uncertain time. Both Growing Chefs! and Fresh Roots believe food can be a catalyst for positive change and a source of joy and inspiration, even during a crisis.

Before, LunchLAB was serving up to 440 lunches per week. Now, we’re at 5,500 meals! That’s more than a 1000% increase! These meals are made available for pick up or delivery two days a week to 260 local families. Created by professional chefs and composed of restaurant-quality dishes, the menus are carefully and thoughtfully crafted to bring comfort and enjoyment. 

And they’re not just healthy, they’re absolutely delicious, and kid-approved!

Plus, we’re happy to be able to provide meaningful, paid work for chefs and kitchen professionals who would otherwise not be working. Growing Chefs! and Fresh Roots is currently providing more than 180 hrs/week of employment for our chef teams from Ono Vancouver and the Italian Cultural Centre. A huge THANK YOU to both the Italian Cultural Centre and Pacific Restaurant Supply who have donated the use of their kitchen facilities and equipment for the chef teams to prepare and portion the meals. AMAZING!

It’s also super important to us that we support the entire food system including local sourcing and diversion of food waste. Thanks for working with us and thank you for your donations Cropthorne Farm, Discovery Organics, Gordon Food Service, Nature’s Path, and Yen Bros Food Service.

And it’s not just food that the community is contributing. Fresh Prep generously donated cold packs for safe delivery of the meals, Fresh St Market donated paper bags for packing meals, Lyft has donated free rides for families to pick up meals, and Odd Society Spirits donated hand sanitizer for our volunteer delivery drivers. THANK YOU!

Now, We Need Your Help!

Program activities would not be possible without volunteers. If you can volunteer your time, or would like more information about what volunteering looks like, please email Amanda Adams, amanda@growingchefs.ca. 

We also know that not everyone is in a place to make a donation right now, and we understand. But, if you or your employer are, we hope you’ll Order Up* a chef-prepared meal for a family in need with a donation today! Each time you place an order, you provide fresh, healthy, restaurant-quality meals, salad making kits, fresh produce, and pantry staples to local families in need, RIGHT NOW.

$5 Order up an individual serving (every donation matters!)

$20 Order up one meal for a family of 4

$50 Order up three days of meals for a family of 4

$100 Order up meals for one family of 4 for a week

$200 Order up meals for two families of 4 for a week

$500 Order up meals for five families of 4 for a week

* This project is a partnership and contact and donation information will be shared with both charities, Growing Chefs! and Fresh Roots.

The cost of LunchLAB: Chefs for Families is $77,000 per month and donations are required to continue operation. 

Financially Supported By:

Participating Collaborators: 

  • Italian Cultural Centre provides LunchLAB with:

    • In-kind use of their entire facility and equipment to prepare, portion, and distribute the meals 

    • Leadership, expertise and culinary talent from their Executive Chef Jackson Noah, their chefs, staff, and catering division  

    • Community connections and supplier connections for in-kind support and donated food/fresh produce. 

  • 
Ono Vancouver provides LunchLAB with:

    • Support developing the new LunchLAB program concept, model, scale, and operations

    • Leadership, expertise, and culinary talent from Executive Chef TJ Conwi, one of the LunchLAB chef-in-residences, and his team of chefs

    • Community connections and supplier connections for in-kind support and donated food/fresh produce. 

  • Vancouver School Board provides LunchLab with: 

    • The list of participating families. Each week, the Manager of Enhanced Services and Youth and Family Workers from across the VSB sign up families they feel will best benefit from participating in the meal program. 

Program Contacts:

  • Helen Stortini | Executive Director, Growing Chefs!

helen@growingchefs.ca | 778-858-0909

  • Alexa Pitoulis | Interim Executive Director, Fresh Roots

alexa@freshroots.ca | 778-764-0DIG (0344), ext. 101

Communications/Fundraising Contacts:

  • Jaydeen Williams | Development & Communications Director, Growing Chefs!

jaydeen@growingchefs.ca | 604-710-1677

  • Caroline Manuel | Communications and Engagement Manager, Fresh Roots

caroline@freshroots.ca | 778-764-0DIG (0344), ext. 108

#LunchLAB #ChefsForFamilies #OrderUp #GrowingChefs #FreshRoots

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How to Cook… with Kids!

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When I think of cooking with kids, I automatically envision making a cake with my kiddo when she was a toddler (flour everywhere, sticky hands, big smiles, big mess). Anyone who has cooked with kids knows it can be an adventure. If cooking with kids is on your “want-to-do list” in the coming weeks, here are a few tips to maximize the fun and learning!

Growing Chefs! staff member Afton Bell, and her daughter, Penny

Growing Chefs! staff member Afton Bell, and her daughter, Penny

Make a plan:

Before you invite kids to cook with you, take a few minutes to make a plan. Decide what tasks are safe (and fun) for kids or how tasks can be modified to suit a child better. For example, a kid can break up green beans by hand instead of using a knife. You know the kids best – pick tasks that suit their age, maturity, and abilities. You can change it up as you go, but a plan it's a good place to start.

Pick your tools:

Select kitchen tools that are the correct size and weight (hint… don’t let kids use your largest kitchen knife). A stool (to stand on) or a small table (to stand at) can be really helpful to ensure that younger children are able to work comfortably and safely. 

Talk about safety:

Talk with kids about safety; including what is hot and sharp and any items that may be off-limits. Chat with kids about how being calm and respectful in the kitchen is essential. If anything feels unsafe; modify or stop the activity. Remember to talk about (and practice) frequent hand-washing. 

Stay in the moment:

Now is not the time to multi-task. Pay attention to what the kids are doing – this will keep things safe and on track. Plus, staying present will be more meaningful for both you and the kids.

It doesn’t have to be Instagram-worthy:

Involve kids in the making of day-to-day (not so Instagram-worthy items). Making toast, opening a can of beans, and scrambling an egg are great basic lessons. These simple meals require almost no prep or pre-planning and still teach valuable skills. 

Expect some spills and embrace the adventure:

Little hands are very capable, but their dexterity and enthusiasm are not always the same as an adult. Expect some muffin batter to land outside the muffin cups and some ingredients to end up in their tummy. Try to enjoy the imperfect perfection of something created by a kid and allow kids (and yourself) to taste, experiment, and create; it is all part of the adventure! 

Have Fun and Enjoy!

Penny, Age 7

Penny, Age 7

10 Things to do While Self-Isolating

With many of us practicing physical distancing, working from home, and self-isolating, we wanted to focus on the positives and what we can do to protect our mental and physical well-being. During times of uncertainty, many emotions can come up, and it is especially important to take care of ourselves. Although all this extra time might seem a little daunting at first, below are some tips and resources to make staying in as enjoyable as possible. All of these can be done from the comfort of your home and we encourage you to try and incorporate at least one of these suggestions in your daily regime.

1. Cook up a Storm!

If there’s one thing we love here at Growing Chefs!, it’s FOOD! It may seem like an episode of Master Chef trying to figure out what you can do with only so many ingredients available, and we encourage you to get creative in the kitchen. There are so many great resources out there for recipes, and a quick internet search will help guide you on your way. For those with dietary limitations, new in the kitchen or have picky eaters to tend to, there are tons of community groups you can join on social media where people post all sorts of recipes. Not into cooking? Many local restaurants and meal prep businesses are still offering services to get food to you. The Vancouver Farmers Market is soon to go online as well! Vancouver Coastal Health also posted this great resource on connecting around food. Keep an eye on our social media as we will be posting resources and recipes to keep you satiated.

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2. Grow A Plant, Or Two...Or Three...Or Four...

There’s nothing more satisfying than watching something you’ve started to grow flourish. As our Chef Educator Selma explains, all you need is a window, seeds, soil, a container and water. Garden centers like GardenWorks are currently considered an essential service and a great place to get started when looking for supplies. West Coast Seeds is a great place to get seeds from. For those who might need some convincing, there are many reasons to start your own garden, including learning new skills, improving mental and physical health, taking ownership over growing your own food, helping the environment and building a sense of community. New to gardening? We got you covered! Stay tuned for lessons on how to start your own garden at home, regardless of how little space you may think you have.

3. Meditation

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Not just a buzzword, meditation has many benefits to it! Research shows that meditation can aid with everything from stress and anxiety reduction to improving memory and concentration. Even just 5 minutes daily can be helpful. Find one that works for you; there are so many styles including guided, instrumental and affirmation based. If you find sitting in meditation challenging, feel free to lie down. Yoga nidra is a style of guided meditation where you lie in savasana, set an intention, practice breath work, visualization and go through a body scan. It’s said 20 minutes of yoga nidra is the equivalent to 2 hours of deep sleep! If none of this appeals to you, try a meditative activity - whether it’s cooking, journal writing; anything that allows you to focus on the present moment. Free resources include: Insight Timer, Yoga Nidra Network, Headspace, Balance, Prana Breath, Calm.com, Healthy Minds and MindShift CBT. Many Vancouver organizations and studios are offering free meditations through Instagram, Facebook and Zoom and Youtube has great resources as well. 

4. Movement

We have all been lectured on the importance of movement, but it is definitely something we encourage during this time. Check out Program Coordinator Amanda doing our famous vegetable stretch to get you and the family moving! Many Vancouver yoga studios including Karma Teachers, One Yoga for the People, YYoga, Unity Yoga and Modo Yoga are offering free classes through Instagram, Facebook and their individual websites. Individual teachers are also hosting classes, and you can find your favourite teacher through social media. There are also many gyms offering classes, and a handful of free at-home workout apps like Downdog that allow you to workout from the comfort of your own home. 

5. Take a Deep Breath

When we “belly breathe” we are actually breathing through our diaphragm, which is connected to our nervous system via the vagus nerve. More specifically, it allows us to bring our nervous system into the “parasympathetic” mode, where we are relaxed, resting and digesting. For a lot of us, we spend most of our day rushing around, potentially contributing to chronic cortisol release. Although this response is healthy in small doses, when we are in it all the time, it can really take a toll on our body. There are many breathing exercises including: Awareness of Breath, Astronaut Breath, Double Length Exhale Breath, Three Part Breath and Alternate Nostril Breathing. Practice these throughout the day to help calm the nervous system. Check out “this resource” on tutorials for different breathing techniques. 

6. Plan a Quaran-Tea Time with your Loved Ones

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Physical distancing doesn’t mean social distancing. Just because we are staying at home, doesn’t mean we have to cut communication from friends and family. Take this time to reach out to those far and wide, and plan some happy hour tea times where you can connect. There are many platforms out there including Zoom, Facetime, Facebook Messenger, Skype and Google Hangouts, that make connecting with people so much easier! Check out “this” great Time Zone Converter that allows you to easily view and compare the time zones of different cities. I recently chatted with a friend in the Philippines and South Africa at the same time! 

7. Declutter & Donate

What a great time to take a step back and reflect on “What do I really need”? If you haven’t used or worn something in 6-months, time to donate. Have three sets of dinnerware? Time to donate. There are many thrift stores, including the BC SPCA and different shelters that are accepting donations, whilst following health and safety guidelines. If you have extra food to spare, services like the Greater Vancouver Food Bank are looking for donations. Not the hoarding type? Many local and small businesses are offering virtual services and gift cards in attempts to stay afloat. If donating money isn’t available, check out GoVolunteer and Purposely for information on organizations that are looking for volunteers (virtually and in-person). We also recommend checking in with your local neighbourhood house, food bank and community centres to see what they need. Keep an eye on our social media and emails for different ways to assist.

8. Connect with your Inner Child - Learn Something New!

Who said colouring is for kids only? If you already binged watched all your favourite shows, why not paint, colour or do a puzzle. Always wanted to learn a language? Visit a museum or a national park? What about that book that you keep postponing to read? The guitar shoved behind the couch? Take a moment to write down anything you have always wanted to do but never got a chance to. There are so many ways to learn virtually including Podcasts and TedTalks. Edx offers free online courses from different universities, and Harvard is even offering a free 2-week course on “The Science of Well-Being”. You can also take a virtual tour of cities, museums,  and archaeological sites on websites like “here” and “here”. You can learn a language through apps like Duoligo. The DC Environmental Film Festival and the Banff Film Festival are also offering free documentaries. Two permaculture films, “Living Soil” and “Inhabit” are offering their movies for free.

9. Bask in Self-Love

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Spring is traditionally the time for cleansing, and why not pamper yourself during? Have a candle-light magnesium bath, make a DIY face mask, drink your favourite cuppa tea or mocktail at home. Create an “I’m awesome” list, and write in it what you love about yourself. What comforts you? What makes you feel good? Eat a nourishing meal, take a break - do what brings you joy! Treat yourself as if you would treat a friend or a loved one. Self-love is so important for stress reduction and we challenge you to tune in and be kind to yourself. There are some great “self-care bingo cards” out there if you’re looking for more ideas.

10. Show Gratitude

It is especially important during this time to show gratitude for what we do have.Throughout the day, perhaps before each meal, take a moment to recognize all the positive things you have in your life. The people, experiences, items, knowledge - there is no limit. What fills you with joy and love when you think about them? Write it down. Also take this moment to show gratitude to all the doctors, nurses, healthcare practitioners, cashiers, delivery workers and all those on the frontlines who are working tirelessly to help with this situation. Every night at 7:00 pm join hundreds of other Vancouverites in cheering on all of these people.