NANA SAYS THE SUMMER IS A GOOD TIME TO WORK ON PICKY EATERS

With the season of local fresh fruit and vegetables, there are many opportunities to include children in food choices along with making it fun. Short trips to farmer's markets where they can help to pick the vegetables. Growing a few vegetables in your own garden or in a close relative's like a grandparent gives children a lesson on how food grows. Making platters of veggies and their favourite dip as a dinner entree can make summer eating fun and less work for the parents. Fruit arrives each week during July and August. Take plums and their variety of taste, size and colour. Making them sound and look like a treat is a great way to introduce more fruit. Fresh strawberries- eating alone, with ice cream or chopped up in a plain yogurt adds another vitamin enriched item to the diet. My grandchildren like to pick our raspberries fresh from the bush. Tomatoes come in big and small varieties. As tthe bounty of the summer season progresses, include them in snacks on outings. Little containers with chopped fruit and veggies make for impromptu picnics. When hungry, children and even some adults eat what is available. If you like to make muffins, cookies or cupcakes, fruit can be included in those recipes. There are uses for veggies such as zucchini in zucchini bread. Similar to a banana bread. So work on your little picky eaters while including farms, markets and outings to food festivals as a family project. Yes, remember to teach them to thank the farmer for growing the food!

SHE HAD NO CHILDREN

A family friend and former church member- Carville United Church- died Februay 28, 2013 at 102 years old. Thelma was her name. A sweet lady who baked, quilted and grew raspberries with her husband Alex.She outlived her friends. Christmas cards and phone calls were exchanged until a couple of years ago. So I searched and found some photos from my albums, uploading them to the funeral home site.  She had no children but she was close to anyone who knew her. Imagine-102! What a wonderful life! There are some photos from happy times. God Bless you Thelma- a fine Christian woman!

MAPLE SYRUP-CANADIAN EH!

Maple Syrup is very Canadian. I have been very fortunate to live near several Maple Sugar Bushes in the York Region area.
In 2007 I visited Thompson's which is
a major producer on St. Joseph's Island near
Sault Ste Marie Ontario.
It is so interesting to know how the syrup is
made.

March is the time of year when the sap runs in the Maple trees prolific for maple syrup. The two main sources are the sugar and black maple trees. We have 2,600 producers in Ontario alone. Quebec has the most production and locales in the USA are renown as well. The farmers use a plastic tub collection 80% of the time while the traditional bucket tapping can still be seen in some locations. The Native Canadians introduced the white man to maple syrup. School children will have spring trips to Maple bushes to learn about the process and to taste the raw product. As for me, love it on pancakes, in my oatmeal and have used maple syrup as a sugar substitute in baking. Do you have favourite dishes that include maply syrup?