March 27 - Free Workshop: Soup, Frittata, Salad & Muffins

Come join Red Seal Chef Ilan Wright to learn, cook & eat a healthy meal. 

Location: Gilmore Community School, Burnaby. 

Registration required: information below.

March 15 - Explore the Income-Food Connection

Join us March 15 @ Burnaby Neighbourhood House (Metrotown) (6:30 - 8:30pm)

Speakers, Q&A and Discussion

According to
the BC Poverty Reduction Coalition a leading cause of health problems is
lack of food. "B.C. is facing a chronic hunger problem and significant
food insecurity. After paying for rent, heat and electricity, people
with low income have little money left over for food so they are less
likely to eat fruit, vegetables, milk products, and other food that
provide the nutrients they need for good health."

SPEAKERS: 

Trish Garner,
Community Organizer of the BC Poverty Reduction Coalition, will provide
inspiration and practical tools to support you in becoming a champion
for change in tackling the root causes of poverty. The BC Poverty
Reduction Coalition is a broad-based network of over 400 organizations
throughout BC. Trish will talk about a variety of ways to support the
provincial call for a poverty reduction plan for BC through community
engagement, public education and effective advocacy. Trish provides a
space for everyone to get involved. Trish is the co-author of A Poverty Reduction Plan for BC and a regular media contributor and commentator.

Amy Weeks
is the Food and Education Coordinator for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank (GVFB). Amy has been working with and supporting community
organizations and their food programs for over 10 years. Amy will talk
about The Role of Food Programming and how it contributes to community
connection and resilience.

Come and join a community conversation on how we can all advocate for greater equality and a more food secure future.

Register at Eventbrite: https://incomefoodconnection.eventbrite.com

March 15 Discussion - Income & Food Connection

Join Burnaby Food First to discuss the links between income & food, find out what exists in our community to decrease food insecurity, and explore solutions to hunger in Burnaby.

To participate, please register on Eventbrite (information below):

Be a Food Hero: Come Learn How to Stop Food Waste (March 7)

March 4: Rally Against Poverty / March 15: Discussion - Income & Food

March 4 - Join Burnaby Food First at the Rally to Reduce Poverty in BC

This Saturday, come meet us @ noon at Library Square (350 W. Georgia) and raise your voice: call out for a strategy to end poverty in the province.

What does poverty mean to Burnaby Food First?

• Students and employees cannot afford to eat 3 times a day


• Invisible hunger: malnutrition results from a lack of affordable nutritious food


• Families cannot afford to eat a variety of foods


• People on fixed incomes may not be able to fit nutritious meals into their budget


• More and more people do not have access to land, & cannot grow food to supplement their diet


• Local farmers struggle to put food on our table

 

Raise your voice for empty stomachs! Come find Burnaby Food First at the rally:

Feb 25 - Come Imagine Community Gardens in Burnaby

It might be difficult to imagine spring gardens with all the snow we've had. But beneath the snow, is there land that could be used for community gardening?



On February 25, join us for an afternoon at Burnaby Village Museum to find spaces in Burnaby that might be used to plan community gardens. Local experts from "Can You Dig It" and Vancouver community gardens will lead this conversation on planning spaces where community members can come together to cultivate food and flowers.



This is a free event, open to all. Register here.

Put Food First in 2017: Come to a Food Workshop

Burnaby Food First Invites you...

January 19th & 25th to

Join us & learn about Canning & Fermenting

Best Wishes for Healthy Holidays!

Come Cook with Us! - Dec 7

Come cook with us one last time in 2016

Join Chef Sherry Strong & learn to make festive vegetarian leftovers this month. 

Workshop is FREE, but registration is required. Children are welcome!

Delicious, Nutritious Holiday Giving

Join Burnaby Food First Tomorrow, Sun. Dec. 4

Free Workshop, Children Welcome

Upcoming December Workshops from Burnaby Food First

FREE Event for Hungry Minds: Just Eat It!

Want to tickle your taste buds & chat with a film star?

Save the date: Tuesday, November 29, 6:00pm - 8:30pm

Join us at: Burnaby Central Secondary (Map)

Space is limited: REGISTER HERE

 

Join Burnaby Food First & ACE-IT Culinary Arts Program at Burnaby Central on November 29th. Meet fellow food enthusiasts, learn about food waste and how to reduce it.

Schedule: 

6:00pm - Enjoy delicious appetizers prepared by

                ACE-IT Culinary Arts students

6:30pm - Watch award-winning documentary

                "Just Eat It: A Food Waste Story"

7:45pm - Discussion with producer & co-star

               Jen Rustemeyer



Teachers & Student Mentors:

Want to have a food waste discussion in the classroom, but don't know where to start? Click here for some Just Eat It resources, including books, articles, blogs & policy documents from Canada and the United States.



Can't Wait for November 29th?

Check out Jen's presentation at Burnaby Food First's Food Matters Forum last June:

             This event is made possible thanks to 

               the generous support of our donors

Four New Burnaby Food First Workshops in November

These workshops are FREE and child-friendly, but registration is required. See the poster below for e-mail & telephone contact information.

 

Save the following dates: 

 

November 2nd: Healthy After-School Snacks for Kids

November 16th: Soups On! Healthy, Low Cost, Great Tasting

November 23rd: How to Use Leftover Bread in Tasty Meals

November 30th: Healthy Holiday Gifts from the Kitchen

Things to do in October...

Welcome to Autumn, Food First-ers!

Here are a few events to add to your calendar for October.

Courtesy of: https://gwfoodconnection.wordpress.com/events/

What: Sally Ann's Healthy Eating Kitchen

When: Monday, October 3, 11:30am - 2:00pm

Where: 3213 Fraser Street, Vancouver

Why: To learn cooking skills, nutritional and food safety information, & budgeting tips

Registration Required: Call Chelsea Marsh (604-872-7676)

Cost: FREE

Courtesy of: http://ca-en.naturespath.com/about/movements/eat-well-do-good

What: 8th Annual Eat Well Do Good Foodraiser

When: Tuesday, October 4th, 7:00am - 3:00pm

Where: Robson Square & London Drugs (Granville & W. Georgia)

Why: To combat hunger by raising money for Food Banks in BC & enjoying delicious food together

Cost: Purchase by-donation grab 'n go breakfast & lunch bags

What: Harvest Fest 2016: Tastes of South Vancouver

When: Thursday, October 6, 3:30pm - 6:00pm

Where: Fresh Roots Farm, SW corner of David Thompson Secondary

Why: To enjoy stone soup & veggie skewers, participate in 3-legged races, carve pumpkins, compete in the community dessert contest, take home freshly-pressed apple cider

What: KPU Commercial Beekeeping Info Session

When: Saturday, October 15th, 2:00pm - 4:00pm

Where: The Honeybee Centre, Surrey BC

Why: To find out about BC's first certificate program in Commercial Beekeeping

Registration Required: Click here to sign up on the electronic form

Cost: FREE

What: Restaurants for Change

When: Wednesday, October 19

Where: Burdock & Co, Cabrito, Farmer's Apprentice, Jamjar

Why: To support Community Food Centres Canada

Cost: Make a reservation to enjoy a meal at a participating restaurant (above)

Burnaby Food First wishes you a merry Christmas

We wish all our readers a very happy and healthy Christmas. Here's wishing everyone also a lovely festival season and wonderful times with family and friends.

The festivities are all around us this month and foodies are probably already beginning to plan their Christmas dinner menus. So in this post we will try and visit some of the diverse food traditions celebrated in Canada during Christmas time brought over by the potpourri of immigrant cultures taking root here over the centuries. 

The main dish of the holiday dinner is usually roast turkey with stuffed dressing, cranberry sauce, gravy and this is part of the European traditions that early settlers have adapted and followed here for generations. Some families with ties to our neighbours south of the border may choose roast beef or ham or other poultry instead of turkey. More recent immigrants introduced the use of Asian recipes to cook the winter vegetables instead of the usual mashed potatoes, boiled carrots, green beans, squash or turnips for the sides. Also the protein could include a vegetarian option such as tofu or salmon for a lighter Christmas meal. Some families with middle eastern roots end up cooking a peasant meal or a lamb stew. 

Customary desserts include rich, heavy puddings filled with dried fruits or plums or carrot puddings or a sherry trifle. There are sometimes replaced here by fruity or creamy treats at the end of a hearty wintry meal. Perhaps you have had a chance to attend Burnaby Food First's free workshop earlier this month and plan a 'homemade apple dessert' this year for a change!

Source: CBC

In parts like Quebec there is also a tradition to celebrate 'r�veillon' on Christmas Eve with a sumptuous dinner consisting of lobster, oysters or foie gras and a meat pie called 'toutierre'. Dessert is 'Buche de Noel', a special thinly rolled sponge cake baked and designed to resemble the traditional 'Yule log' burned as part of a historic bonfire ritual. These are influences of historic French/European celebrations. In some parts of Nova Scotia, lobster is cooked on Christmas Eve. 

Other Christmas traditions here include cookie baking parties. Flavours from all over have made their way into the typical Canadian palette be it spice ginger cookies like the German 'lebkuchen' or Scottish shortbreads or Italian florentines or French meringues. BC's very own 'Nanaimo bars' are also a favourite for many. Mince pies are little pies filled with dried fruit mince and covered with a crumbly pastry. These are a must have for Christmas. Butter tarts topped with raisins, walnuts or pecans are popular in Eastern Canada. Children love the candy canes in red and white. 

Has reading about all this delicious mouth watering food inspired you to also cook something special or treat yourself to a special drink? Why not try your hand at baking some mince pies or pumpkin pies accompanied maybe with some fresh apple cider or eggnog? Here's wishing you once again a delicious and healthy Christmas!

Some links for further reading:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/is-turkey-still-king-how-canadian-holiday-food-traditions-are-changing-1.2466006

http://www.foodtimeline.org/christmasfood.html

http://cnmag.ca/food/1503-christmas-foods-a-canadian-tradition

http://www.whychristmas.com/cultures/canada.shtml