Volunteer Sales Coordinator Needed!

Volunteer Sales Coordinator Wanted for The Apron Project



The Apron Project is celebrating its third birthday. The community has responded well to our hand made aprons. We continue to get more sewing volunteers who are infinitely creative with the endless amount of fabric that is available.

Cute children's aprons hand-made by a Burnaby Food First Apron Project Volunteer!

Where are the aprons sold?

Modern aprons sewn by

Burnaby Food First's Apron Project Volunteer

We are selling our aprons at:

• The Farmers Market, 


• Market Mondays at the Burnaby Village Museum


• and various other community events. 

We would like to find someone to coordinate the sales of the aprons. Our busiest time of the year is the summer.



The Volunteer Sales Manager need not attend the events. The main responsibility is to schedule volunteers and to coordinate the transportation of the aprons to and from the events.



The Volunteer Sales manager does not need to have a vehicle but does need to schedule volunteers who are willing to provide the transportation.



Other suggestions for sales ideas and venues would also be appreciated.



Support for the position of Volunteer Sales Coordinator will be provided by The Apron Project Volunteers.



For more information or to be our new Volunteer Sales Coordinator, email Leona! 



Sales of our aprons goes to support our cooking and gardening workshops and events, which helps to make sure that everyone has enough food to eat - food that is healthy, enjoyable and safe for us and the planet!





Check out all the great ways you can get involved. All are welcome, and we'd love to have you on
board!

Caramel Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Yesterday I whipped up this Today Original Recipe with Willie and Natalie... Caramel Pumpkin Bread Pudding.  I made it over the weekend, too, and it's truly ridiculous.  Perfect Thanksgiving dessert turned into Black Friday Breakfast.  I mean, if you're going to participate in that madness, it's probably best you carb-load that morning, am I right?

If you missed the segment or want the recipe you can check it out here.  

Carbohydrate, Sugar, and Obesity in America

We like explanations that are simple, easy to understand, and explain everything. One example of this is the idea that eating carbohydrate, or sugar, is the primary cause of obesity. This lets us point our finger at something concrete and change our behavior accordingly. And it's true enough that it has practical value. But the world around us often turns out to be more complex than we'd like it to be.

The CDC recently released its latest data on the prevalence of obesity in the US, spanning the years 2013-2014 (1). These data come from its periodic National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES). Contrary to what many of us had hoped for after a slight decline in obesity in the last survey, the prevalence has once again increased. Today, roughly 38 percent of US adults have obesity. As a nation, we're continuing to gain fat, which is extremely concerning.

I decided to examine the relationship between obesity prevalence and our intake of carbohydrate and sugar over the years. The food intake data come from the USDA's Economic Research Service (2). For some reason, the data on carbohydrate don't extend beyond 2010. This probably relates to funding cuts at the USDA*.

Let's have a look at the data for carbohydrate:

Read more �

Corn Pudding with Caramelized Onions and Goat Cheese

When I was growing up, my little family of four�my parents, my sister, and I�created some very, very strong holiday traditions. Like, the kind where if one tiny thing changed, we revolted. We were so rooted in those traditions and rituals that giving them up has been hard. Last Thanksgiving, our first without my dad, was really, really hard. He wouldn�t be there to cut the turkey, to joke with my sister and me about the fuckingyams, to give his annual thanksgiving toast. So, to counter the sadness and weirdness of his absence, my mom invited tons of people. Like 30. Or more. It was a huge party.


What people may not know about me, is that I'm an introvert. I�m pretty outgoing, I love public speaking and entertaining people, and I�m not shy� so a lot of people probably don't realize that I get stressed and a little uncomfortable at parties and social gatherings (which leads to me doing really awkward things, like when I showed everyone how to whip and nae nae at Halloween this year). I didn�t really put it all together myself, until I read that extroverts get energy from being around people, and introverts get energy from being alone. That is totally me. I like being with people, but man, sometimes it completely drains me. As does networking and small talk. I can speak at a room just fine, and I love having conversations with a few close friends. But small talk and working a room� no way, man. I'd rather whip and nae nae in front of a crowd.

So Thanksgiving last year� I was already super emotional about my dad, and stressed about the crowd, and started drinking champagne with breakfast, as one does. And kept drinking champagne all day, as one does. And then, because I was a little tipsy, I decided not to change out of the zebra print harem-type jogger pants and baggy Seahawks t-shirt I was wearing during morning food prep. And then, one of our family friends did a makeup demo on me� as one does? So, last Thanksgiving, I was the drunken hot mess in mismatched PJs, with a full face of makeup and a bottle of bubbles, crying and laughing and spilling champagne all over a toddler (sorry about that, Brit!).

Whew, we made it through that one!

My friend LZ came to last year's Thanksgiving celebration, and we laugh all the time about what a shit show it was, from the toddler-champagne incident, to us taking selfies with our friends' sleeping baby at the bar, to LZ's boyfriend burning off his eyebrows at the bonfire. (ok... all of this is adding up to a story about how I'm not fit to be around children). I'm so grateful for the friends that helped me through that hard time, and help me look back at it with joy and laughter. 

This year�s turkey day is also going to break tradition. My mom will be spending Thanksgiving with my aunt in Idaho. So, for the first time ever (except for the one year we went to my cousin�s wedding around Thanksgiving), my mom won�t be hosting and making the meal at my childhood home. Which means� I�m hosting my in-laws and my sister and her fianc� at my house! I�M HOSTING FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER.

Obviously I�ll try to keep the pre-game bubbles to a minimum. No guarantees on the zebra pants though. 
   



Corn Pudding with Caramelized Onions and Goat Cheese
Corn pudding is my friend LZ's "it's not Thanksgiving without it" dish. She makes a basic Memphis Corn Pudding. You could also add jalapenos or green chilis, which then makes it Santa Fe Corn Pudding. My variation has caramelized onions and goat cheese... I'm gonna go ahead and call it Seattle Corn Pudding. 

2 tablespoons butter
1/2 large yellow onion, diced
Salt and pepper
One can sweet corn, drained
One can creamed corn
One egg
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) melted butter
1 box jiffy corn bread mix
1 cup sour cream + 2 tablespoons
4 oz Ch�vre goat cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, and grease a 2.5 quart casserole dish.*

First, caramelize the onions. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions, and cook, slowly (low to medium-low) until golden brown. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Remove from heat, and let onions cool for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, stir together corn, egg, melted butter, corn bread mix, and 1 cup of sour cream until well combined. Mix in cooled onions. 

In a small bowl, stir together ch�vre and 2 tablespoons sour cream, until smooth and creamy.

Add half of corn mixture to baking dish. Dollop on half of ch�vre mixture. Top with remaining corn mixture, and then dollop on rest of ch�vre. Leave in dollops or swirl in a bit if desired.

Bake uncovered for 1.5 hours, until golden brown on top. It shouldn�t really jiggle when you shake the dish. Let rest for a few minutes to firm up. Enjoy hot or at room temperature. 

*You can also use a big flat 9 x 13 baking dish. It will come out thinner and more cakey/ less puddingy. Instead of layering goat cheese, just dollop all of it across the top. Reduce baking time to about 50 minutes. 

Easy Comfort Food on CBC's Weekend Morning Show

Easy Comfort Food

This morning I am presenting the following recipes for CBC's Weekend Morning Show, with host Terry MacLeod.  

Both dishes are so easy to prepare, that I made them this morning in short order.  

Local honey from Beeproject Apiaries can be purchased directly through them.  They will deliver, within a reasonable distance. 

1.Honey Saut�ed Zucchini (with Lavender)

1-2 sliced zucchinis (sliced on the bias)

� + tsp creamed honey (I used wonderful Bee Project CreamedHoney www.beeproject.ca)

pinch lavender flowers (optional)

Heat a saut� pan and add the honey and then the lavender.  Add the zucchini slices and cook until done.  Serve. 

2. Baked Cheesy Pasta

(for a large baking dish)

2 pkgs short pasta (farfalle, penne, shells, etc.)

1 large tin diced tomatoes

1 head roasted garlic

1-2 onions, sliced

1-2 dried red chilies, crushed

1 tbs dried oregano

pepper, to taste

chipotle peppers, or other chilies � tsp (optional)

2 cups heavy cream

good pinch nutmeg

white wine or vodka

olive oil

Cheeses:  your favourites, such as blue, chevr�, brie, gruyere, Emmenthaler, etc., crumbled or grated in a large bowl.

Grate and crumble cheese.  Cook pasta less than time recommended.  That is, if the dried pasta package recommends 10 minutes, take off 2+ minutes in cooking time.

Cook sliced onions in a large saucepan with some olive oil. Add tomatoes and spices.  Add garlic and red wine or vodka.  Bring up to a simmer.  Now make the white sauce IN the red sauce.  That is, add cream, nutmeg and white wine or vodka. 

I don�t add salt to the sauce as the cheese is salty enough. 

Drain pasta and add to cheese.  Add sauce and stir thoroughly.  Fill a large baking dish with the mixture and bake at 350�F until bubbly. 

Let rest for a few minutes and serve. 

Hint:  When reheating, bring to hot temperature, covered, in an oven.  A microwave will result in an unpleasant and mushy pasta.

*other optional ingredients include, red wine, vodka, roasted red peppers, saut�ed mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, cooked bacon, cooked chicken, Crispy onions, etc.

Friday Links

A few random links for you to enjoy on this Friday.  Check out the first one... starting a new Instagram account and I want YOU to be a part of it!

Share your REAL LIFE moments on Real Moms Wear Grey.

I will not sleep until you sign up for the TODAY Food Club.

We've had some serious dance parties to Daniel Kim's Pop Danthology 2015.

Monster Cookie Dough Dip... because.

And while we're on absurd dips... S'Mores Dip.  OMG.

Holiday candles like this one are my weakness.

Thanksgiving in a slow cooker?

And finally, more grey... these pajamas!

Reminder! Annual Fundraiser

Burnaby Food First is pleased to invite you to our first annual fundraising workshop!


Natural Sweetness: You are sweet enough already!

Monday, November 16

6:00 pm - 9:00pm

Brentwood Community Resource Centre (2055 Rosser Avenue / Burnaby - map)



In this hands-on workshop, chef and Holistic Nutritionist Andrea Potter will introduce us to the basic concepts behind creating delicious and healthy raw desserts. Now you can have your cake and eat it too!



We will be incorporating superfoods such as maca, hemp hearts, coconut oil, and more into our decadent creations.



Raw desserts are naturally free of refined sugar, dairy, eggs and flour. Yummy tastings included!



Tickets: $65 (includes a hands-on cooking session and tastings).



Tickets can be purchased through Eventbrite at http://naturalsweetness.eventbrite.ca or by calling (604) 294-7421.



Location: Two blocks from Brentwood Skytrain Station. Limited street parking is available. Please consider biking or taking transit.



This workshop is a fundraiser for Burnaby Food First. All proceeds will go to support Food First programs and community workshops. For more information, please visit http://burnabyfoodfirst.blogspot.ca/. See you there!