How to Cook… with Kids!

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

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

Garden Art Show

In Lesson 1 of our Spring Gardening and Cooking Program we talk about gardens and even plant our own windowsill garden. We hope you are planting a windowsill garden along with us at home. If you are, we would love to see drawings of what your garden will look like once it starts to grow. If you haven’t started growing a garden yet, draw us a picture of your “Dream Garden”.

Caregivers: Please take a photo of your child’s drawing (on the below printable or any piece of paper) and add it to the comments along with their name and age by April 10th to be part of our online Garden Art Show. We will feature the art on our website and our social media.

Drawing Inspiration Words: bees, vegetables, worms, flowers, fruit trees, animals, insects, soil, garden tools, sunshine, grass, seeds, watering can. 

Garden Gallary

Growing Chefs! at home: Garden Talk and Lesson 1

Chef Selma and her broccoli friend are here for our first Garden Talk! Are you ready to grow a windowsill vegetable garden together?

How to use this content

This is the second video in a series, following last week's introduction video. We are launching a new video every Tuesday, following our regular learning trajectory.

This week, we bring you a version of the first lesson in our classroom gardening and cooking program. We talk about gardens, seeds, and soil; there are some exploring, writing, and drawing exercises in this lesson, and we will plant a windowsill vegetable garden together. You can expect this lesson to fill about 30 minutes.

Our Spring program is aimed at kids in grades 1, 2, and 3, but folks of all ages will likely learn something new! If it’s possible for an adult to be around during these lessons, that would be great. Our growing chefs might need their help a couple of times. We will let you know in the video when there are good moments to offer some help.

You can find this new online content here on our website, and we will be making announcements about it on our social media (facebook, twitter, instagram). Thank you so much for your patience while we reinvent ourselves and our programs. Please reach out to us if you have any questions or comments.

Getting ready for this lesson

Materials needed for this lesson:

Sheet of white paper

Pencil

Coloured pencils or crayons

Tall container(s)

Shallow container

Soil

Seeds

Watering can or spray bottle

3 small bowls (or one for every type of seed you have)

V is for Victory, H is for Health

Have you ever heard of a victory garden? 

With the ongoing pandemic and global impacts of such an event, comparisons are being made to the last great crisis the world faced, World War Two. The prime minister himself has even made this comparison. Along with this comparison, the idea of victory gardens has also re-emerged, and become prominent across social media. Though our food supplies aren’t as at risk as in the days of world war rationing, one thing is clear, those who are not frontline workers, those of us who have been asked to stay at home, are looking for a way to contribute.

In Canada, victory gardens began in World War One. As a result of increased urbanization in the 19th and early 20th centuries, more people lived in cities and urban centres than at any other time in history, and many lacked the skills to grow home or kitchen gardens. During the First World War, to encourage and spread information on the importance of home gardens, women’s organizations sponsored expert gardeners to go into schools and teach children how to garden. These home gardens were then brought back again during the Second World War. Presumably, the children who received schoolroom teaching about gardening in world war one retained that knowledge once again for wartime use. 

Teenage girls in Maple Ridge clearing a local plot of land for a garden, 1941. (Maple Ridge Museum and Community Archives P04889)

Young girl helping to plant kitchen garden outside her home in Maple Ridge, 1945. (Maple Ridge Museum and Community Archive P04936)

Today, with our current crisis being vastly different from a world war, I suggest a rechristening of victory gardens to ‘Health Gardens.” We are not at war and what we are striving for isn’t victory in battle, but victory in health. Good health to our friends, family, healthcare workers, frontline workers, and everyone all over the world. Our health gardens are looking towards that hope for a COVID-19 free world. They are taking advantage of the spring season, a time of rejuvenation and rebirth. Just like with world war victory gardens, they mean more than providing necessary food, they also feed our mental health. 

It is spring and the world is blooming. In this time of self-isolation, we are all working to maintain our physical and mental health, planting a health garden works towards both of those ends. A health garden can be a cleared space in a backyard, in pots on a balcony, even in a jar on the windowsill. Plant the end off of your store-bought lettuce, plant the seeds out of your lemon, plant something, and watch it grow. Just like with victory gardens, the victory doesn’t come when the vegetables are ready to eat, it comes with the hope we feel watching the new life we planted taking shape. 

Our guest blogger, Shea Henry, is the curator of the Maple Ridge Museum and Community Archives, Maple Ridge B.C. Thank you, Shea!

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.

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

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

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

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.

Getting prepared for Growing Chefs! at home!

Are you ready to join Chef Selma and her broccoli pal for Growing Chefs! at home?

Chef Selma and her broccoli friend are here to tell you more about how we will be connecting with you during this time, and are getting you set up to grow a windowsill vegetable garden together!

New and exciting ways to connect

We will be bringing our classroom program to you! We are taking some snippets from what we normally do in the classroom and are transforming them into things you can do at home. 

Our Spring program is aimed at kids in grades 1, 2, and 3, but we will be creating things for older kids as well.

You will be hearing not just from the Growing Chefs! staff, but from some of our volunteers as well: our chef friends, smart nutritionists, sage gardeners, and all-round awesome food lovers.

If you are an adult, and you would like to spend some of your inside time creating content with us: please reach out, we’d be happy to have you.

You can find this new online content here on our website, and we will be making announcements about it on our social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram).

Thank you so much for your patience while we reinvent ourselves and our programs.

Getting ready for our garden

Enclosed is our first Garden Talk video. It is meant as an introduction of what we will be bringing you in the near future. We have noted some possible issues with sound volume, and we are working to fix it.

This video, and all following Garden Talk videos are created to be watched by children and adults together. Our friends may need some assistance with the activities, so please stay close by.

In this video we tell you what you need to start growing a windowsill vegetable garden, so you will have some time to find these things before the next video.

To grow a windowsill vegetable garden you will need:

• Seeds

• Soil

• Containers

• Water

• Window ledge or table in front of a window

That’s it! That’s all you need, really. Make sure to check the video for more information.

We’ll chat about it all in our next Garden Talk video, to be released next Tuesday.

Five Reasons to Plant Your First Garden This Spring!

Spring has sprung! With the arrival of this new season comes warm breezes, new blossoms, blue skies and… the necessity to maintain physical distance from other humans?! These new measures aren’t ideal for a picnic in the park, but there are plenty of other fun ways to embrace the extra free time you might have. Perhaps planting a garden might be up your alley! With the help of our wonderful student volunteers from the TREK program, we’ve put together five reasons to get your hands in the soil:

1) GET OUTDOORS AND LEARN NEW SKILLS

Gardening is a fantastic excuse to get outside... so get out there and load up on fresh air and mood-boosting Vitamin D! If you don’t have outdoor space, that’s no problem; windowsill gardens are easy to set up and maintain with a few basic supplies, and they can be just as successful - just ask the kids who have participated in our programs! There is so much to learn about this satisfying hands-on activity, and the best way to learn is to do. Having a young helper makes this activity all the more engaging. 

2) IMPROVE YOUR MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH

Have you been staring at a screen all day? If you’re looking for a reason to get up, clear your mind, and move your body, a trip to the garden might be in order. Did you know that contact with soil is thought to naturally raise serotonin levels - gardening can literally make people happier! So get up and bury your hands in the soil for a natural pick-me-up. 

3) GROW YOUR OWN FOOD

Is there anything more satisfying than eating a pea plucked fresh from the vine? Or fresh lettuce that you’ve watched grow? Not only do you know exactly what you’re eating and where it came from, but you’re ensuring you have healthy, chemical-free food at hand. Not to mention, the sense of pride that comes with being a little bit more self-sufficient!

4) HELP THE ENVIRONMENT

When you’re nurturing a garden, you’re creating urban greenspace that helps to clean the air we breathe and supports local pollinators! While beautifying your home and neighbourhood, you’ll also be making some bees and butterflies very happy. 

5) BUILD COMMUNITY

Whether you’re growing plants inside or outdoors, gardening is a great way to bond with neighbours and fellow hobby-ists. Gardens provide a lovely physical space to connect, and also a common talking point! There are many people who are happy to share tips and knowledge. 

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Are you ready to start your own garden? Our friends at West Coast Seeds and GardenWorks can help get you set up with some seeds and gardening equipment (delivered to your door). Happy growing!

TREK and the Community Action Project

Hey, we’re Fiona, Kate, Roko, and Jada. We’re from the TREK program at Prince of Wales Secondary School. TREK is an outdoor leadership program for grade 10 students. In TREK we are encouraged to take action in our community, which is what we’re doing with Growing Chefs! We are so excited to continue learning about local foods and cooking within the community.

Each Wednesday morning for the next six weeks, Growing Chefs! will host a small group of students from the TREK program. They will support our charity through a variety of volunteer tasks and activities, and in turn, we will provide fun, behind-the-scenes learning experiences about charities in general, and Growing Chefs!

We’ve asked these teens to share a little more about themselves:

What is your favourite vegetable? 

Fiona: Cucumbers

Kate: Carrots 

Roko: Bok Choy 

Jada: Cucumbers 

What was your first food memory? 

Fiona: Eating different meals that our homestay students would cook when they were staying with us.

Kate: Eating is multigrain toast from COBS that i would eat everyday from breakfast. 

Roko: Having large sandwiches that had ham, salami, turkey, bacon with mustard and lettuce in elementary school.

Jada: When I was younger and I remember the first time I was connected with food was when at age 6 I used to go berry picking with my mum and sister. 

What outdoor activity makes you feel connected to the planet? 

Fiona: The outdoor activity that connects me to the planet, is anything near the water- I've grown up swimming and also just enjoyed being outside. 

Kate: Every morning I can see the sun rising behind the mountains on my walk to school.  

Roko: Camping because it disconnects me from the online world.

Jada: Backcountry camping/backcountry camping because I feel at peace with myself and I enjoy being away from the world of social media so I feel more connected with our planet. I also love the accomplishment of being able to say I did the hike.

What family recipe makes you feel warm and fuzzy? 

Fiona: The family recipe that makes me feel warm and fuzzy is our Scottish Caramel Shortbread which my granny, my dad and I all make- it makes me feel connected to my roots.

Kate: Vaniljekranse is a Danish family recipe. I used to make them every Christmas with my mormor. The cookies are like rings and you make them with a meat grinder. They’re so yummy!!

Roko: My grandma's fried chicken and it's way better than KFC.

Jada: Every new years eve I help my mum make a traditional Dutch food called Oliebollen.

Growing Chefs! is Growing in Vancouver and Victoria. Join our team!

Do you want to support healthy, sustainable and just food practices and systems? Improve the health and nutrition of kids and youth? Make local, sustainable food accessible? Connect communities through food? If yes, then Growing Chefs! might be the place for you! 

What we offer:

• A supportive, collaborative, fun work environment

• Opportunity to develop, expand your skills

• A chance to make a difference in the food system

We are currently looking for two people to join our team: 

• In Victoria - Chef Educator (closing date: January 10, 2020)

• In Vancouver - Fundraising and Operational Assistant (closing date: January 15, 2020)

We will be conducting interviews as applications come in, so please don’t wait to submit. The positions may be filled before the closing dates.

At the root of our food system - Soil!

Today is World Soil Day! How often do you think about soil? We walk on it, dig in it, grow in it… but what do we really know about soil?

Healthy soil is not only important for plant growth and the future of our food systems. It also plays a key role in providing ecosystem services as well as is important in combating climate change, helping to trap carbon and keep it out of the atmosphere. Our soils are alive and vital to life on Earth but they are under threat.

We’re learning more about all things soil for World Soil Day and invite you to join us in learning more about why our soils are so important and how we can help protect them. Can you dig it?

The United Nations’ World Soil Day 2019 and its campaign "Stop soil erosion, Save our future" is a day to help to raise awareness on the importance of addressing the increasing challenges in soil management and raise the profile of healthy soil by encouraging governments, organizations, communities and individuals around the world to engage in proactively improving soil health.

As students in our program learn in their first Growing Chefs! lesson, soil is so much more than dirt. You can think of soil more like a body of water. A lake has fish, plants, micro-organisms, nutrients, water and so much more, a soil body is also a complex and interesting system containing soil, rocks, roots, animals, bacteria and other parts. And just like other ecosystems and organisms, soil systems provide a network of functions that are far greater than the sum of their parts.

Image from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations website - http://www.fao.org/world-soil-day/en/

Soil Quick Facts:

• There are more microorganisms in a teaspoon of healthy soil than there are people on the Earth!

• Soil is home to a quarter of all known species on Earth.

• Well managed soil can take tons of carbon out of the atmosphere and help reduce greenhouse gases combating climate change. Ten percent of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions stored in the soil.

• It can take up to 1,000 years to produce just 2-3cm of soil.

• Soil is alive, and therefore soil can die. Erosion and pollution of our soil systems are some of the biggest threats to healthy, thriving soil.

• Every 5 seconds the equivalent of one soccer pitch of soil is eroded.

Looking to learn more about soils?

1. For educators there are many connections that can be drawn to our soil systems in the classroom and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has put together a great soil activity booklet for kids to learn more about soil science.

2. Find out more about organizations working toward the preservation of our precious soils with this great list from Food Tank.

3. Find tons of great activities and lesson plans for kids at soils4teachers.org/home

4. No better way to learn more about soil than rolling up your sleeves and getting your hands dirty!