International Trails Day! June 1st!

OK seriously! How is it already almost June?! I think my calender is on warp speed.  Perhaps its the fact that I go back to work this month after a wonderful/tiring/roller coaster ride of a maternity leave, but summer sure seems to be sneaking up on us!

One thing our family likes to do in the nice weather is go for a walk after supper.  We are very lucky to have an amazing system of trails in Wasaga Beach, and throughout South Georgian Bay.  In Wasaga Beach in particular, we owe a lot of our trail system to the vision and work of Harold Culham.  If you had the pleasure of meeting Harold, you knew that you were in the presence of someone who dedicated a lifetime to building a community.  Talk your ear off, absolutely, but it was never boring or self-centered, it was always about how to improve our community and live better each day.  I have included a picture here of Harold, this was taken by "On the Bay" Magazine, as part of their Grassroots Heroes series.  The link to the story is here. (I'm sorry its a copy, but its the best I could get!)

Sadly Harold passed away in the fall of 2012, but he left a legacy of trails and paths throughout Wasaga Beach, and a final dream for a 20km bike trail.  This Saturday, June 1st at 10am, a granite monument will be unveiled and dedicated to Harold as a testament to the vision and 'can-do' attitude that he displayed. The Town of Wasaga Beach, and Ontario Parks will also be officially opening Harold's Bike trail for all to enjoy! June 1st is International Trails Day, which is a fitting day to celebrate the achievements of such a community leader.  So if you happen to be in the area, stop in, say hi, take a stroll, and be grateful for such a wonderful legacy.

There is another International Trails Day event taking place in our area.  Creemore is hosting a great day of fun events including a fun run, bike rodeo, live entertainment and updated trails information.  Check out www.clearview.ca for more information.

So get out and enjoy all that our area has to offer!

Have a great weekend! Corrine

 

Can you see me?

There is an old wives tale that carrots can help you see better.  Sometimes I think these tales are the work of frustrated parents at the dinner table hoping their loving children will just eat their vegetables already!  However carrots have a whole host of nutritional benefits including a power anti-oxidant called Beta Carotene, which gives it the distinctive orange colouring.  Anti-oxidants help fight damage and disease in our bodies that is sustained through our daily interactions with the environment (sunlight, radiation, toxins etc.).

But as it turns out, your mother was right....shhh don't tell her! Carrots contain high levels of Vitamin A which is necessary to maintain good vision.  So whether you eat them raw, steamed or in a soup, carrots help keep your vision in perfect focus!

This is a recipe I like to make as a side dish at my house.  Its quick and easy, has lots of flavour and uses staple items that most folks have readily available.

Enjoy,
Corrine

Glazed Carrots

Adapted from Canadian Living: http://www.canadianliving.com/food/glazed_carrots.php

• 2lbs carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
• 2 tbsp butter 
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 pinch salt

In a large skillet, place carrots, butter, maple syrup and 1/3 cup of water.  Cover and bring to a boil over high heat until slightly tender, about 4 minutes.

Reduce heat, uncover and simmer for an additional 3-5 minutes until carrots are tender, and sauce has reduced slightly.

Tips & Tricks
You can also use other flavourings for the glaze. Substitute equal amounts of the following for the maple syrup:
Honey
Orange Marmalade

Nutritional Info
Per serving: about	-
cal	88
pro	2 g
total fat	5 g
sat. fat	2 g
carb	10 g
fibre	3 g
chol	6 mg
sodium	60 mg
potassium	239 mg
% RDI:	-
calcium	3
iron	4
vit A	130
vit C	5
folate	6

Weekend Events, May 25/26 2013

Hi Everyone, what a busy weekend in Southern Georgian Bay! Here are just a few of the things going on.  Hopefully the warm, sunny weather returns soon!

Save-A-Life CPR day

County of Simcoe Paramedic Services and the Heart and Stroke Foundation are partnering to offer residents of Simcoe County a free CPR Leval-A training course. There is no cost to attend the event, but participants are asked to bring a food bank donation of a non-perishable food item. May 25, 2013 with two course time 9:30-11:30am and 1-3pm Location: Wasaga Stars Arena, Community Room, 425 River Rd West, Wasaga Beach Contact County of Simcoe Customer Service 705-735-6901 or 1-800-263-3199 Register on line: cpr.simcoe.ca

Adopt-A-Road Wasaga Beach

Spring Pick Up - May 25, 2013 Residents and community groups contribute their time two mornings per year to cleaning up their chosen road. Our Public Works personnel join us to collect hundreds of bags of garbage during this annual event. Designated yellow garbage bags can be picked up at the Wasaga Beach Castle Building Centre, Town Hall, The RecPlex or the Public Works office. Bags are to be left at the roadside by noon on Saturday, May 25, 2013 (Not before please). If you have any questions contact Public Works Department at 705-429-2540

Hike For Hospice-Collingwood, Blue Mountains & Wasaga Beach locations

Hike for Hospice Pallative Care - walks in Collingwood,Collingwood Curling Club 10:00am registration with 11:00am start; Blue Mountains, Scenic Caves registration 8:30am with 9:30 start and Wasaga Beach, Wasaga Recplex registration 10:00am with 11:00am start Lunch and Registration online: www.hospicegeorgiantriangle.com 100% of all funds raised in our community stay in our community! 

100th Anniversary Storytime-Collingwood Library

We’re celebrating 100 years of Story Time and would love for you to join us! There will be stories, songs, giveaways, exciting guest readers, and much more. A great event for families! Saturday, May 25, 2013 1030 a.m.http://www.collingwoodpubliclibrary.ca/

War of 1812 Exhibit-Creemore Museum

A new traveling exhibit that tells the story of the War of 1812 in Simcoe County is in Creemore.

Presented in cooperation with The Simcoe County Museum and The Department of Canadian Heritage, the exhibit is at the Creemore Log Cabin on Library Street until June 9. http://www.simcoe.com/news-story/3236713-war-of-1812-exhibit-in-creemore/

Don't forget the farmers markets in Collingwood and Creemore on Saturday mornings, and numerous charity yard sales! Have a great weekend!

Summer Time Yum!

You know what I love? Summer! Who doesn't when you have Georgian Bay in your backyard?  With a view like this its hard to resist.

Summertime just calls for easy and delicious food, outdoor eating and good friends and family.  And nothing says summer like Potato Salad! There are many variations on this recipe, with some families using chopped dill pickles, or sweet pickles instead of relish, or the addition of hard boiled eggs.  The great thing about this recipe is that you can customize it to your taste and it will still turn out delicious.  This recipe is also lower in fat and calories through the use of lower fat mayonnaise but feel free to use the full fat variety too.

Enjoy the summer, its always fleeting...
Corrine

Mama’s Potato Salad

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/mamas_potato_salad.html
From EatingWell:  July/August 2011
Tossed with mayo, celery, hard-boiled eggs, onion and relish, this is one of the most simple and traditional potato salad recipes around. Sprinkling the still-warm potatoes with vinegar infuses them with more flavor than if you had added the vinegar to the dressing.
12 servings, about 3/4 cup each | Active Time: 1 hour | Total Time: 1 1/4 hours

Ingredients

• 5 russet potatoes (about 3 pounds)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1/2 cup white-wine vinegar (can substitute regular vinegar too)
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups low-fat mayonnaise
• 4 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 1 Vidalia or other sweet onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup sweet or dill pickle relish (can use pickles too)
• Freshly ground pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Peel potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Place in a large pot and add water to cover; season with 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until very tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain well. While still warm, transfer the potatoes to a baking sheet and drizzle with vinegar. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
2. Meanwhile, place eggs in a medium saucepan and add water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and cook at the barest simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, pour out the hot water and cover the eggs with ice-cold water. Let stand until cool enough to handle before peeling.
3. Once the eggs have cooled, remove the shells by tapping each egg gently on the counter or sink all over to crackle it. Roll an egg between your hands to loosen the shell. Peel, starting at the large end, while holding the egg under cold running water; this facilitates peeling. Grate the eggs through the large holes on a box grater or finely chop them.
4. Combine mayonnaise, celery, onion, pickle relish, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the cooled potatoes and grated eggs; stir to combine. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Nutrition

Per serving : 199 Calories; 7 g Fat; 1 g Sat; 2 g Mono; 68 mg Cholesterol; 32 g Carbohydrates; 4 g Protein; 2 g Fiber; 574 mg Sodium; 446 mg Potassium
2 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 1 1/2 starch, 1 vegetable

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Welcome to the GGFB Blog!

Hi and welcome to our blog!

Here we hope to provide you with information related to our amazing program, as well as timely recipes and information about local events/happenings.

Many of you received this months Good Food Box and may have had a cauliflower in there.  At our house we call them 'white trees'....can you guess what we call the broccoli?!

Most people know that cauliflower is excellent eaten raw, or steamed/boiled. But of course there are many other ways to use cauliflower too. 

Here is a recipe that I also enjoy.  For those of you looking for an alternative to Potato Gratin, this recipe is a real hit! My children both gobble this one up and it makes a great dish to take to a potluck or party.  In addition, you can assemble it ahead of time and then just finish it by baking it in the oven.

Over the coming months we hope to be able to spread the word about the Good Food Box, and provide you with some delicious recipes.  Please send us your favourite recipes to goodfoodbox@gmail.com, or leave us a comment or reply here, we'd love to hear from you! And of course, share this blog with your friends, and check out our GGFB Facebook Page!!

Enjoy!
Corrine

Recipe link:  http://www.dairygoodness.ca/recipes/cauliflower-au-gratin

Cauliflower au Gratin

• Prep. Time 15 - 20 mins
• Cooking Time 30 - 35 mins
• Yields 4 to 6 servings

The great taste of cauliflower blends well with freshly grated Parmesan and Cheddar cheese. Bell red peppers add just the right colourful touch.

Ingredients

A cauliflower, cut in florets (about 6 cups/1.5 L)

1/2 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped

2 tbsp (30 mL) butter

3 tbsp (45 mL) all-purpose flour

1 garlic clove, minced

1 1/4 cups (310 mL) Milk

1/2 cup (125 mL) shredded Canadian Cheddar cheese

1/4 cup (60 mL) freshly grated Canadian Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup (60 mL) chopped fresh dill or

fresh parsley

Salt and pepper, to taste

Topping:

1/2 cup (125 mL) fresh bread crumbs or

2 tbsp (30 mL) fine dried bread crumbs

2 tbsp (30 mL) freshly grated Canadian Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 °F (190 °C). Lightly butter a 6-cup (1.5 L) baking dish.
In pot of boiling water, cook cauliflower for 5 min or until tender-crisp. Drain well and transfer to baking dish; sprinkle with red pepper.
In nonstick or heavy saucepan, melt butter. Add flour and garlic; cook, stirring, over low heat for 1 min. Pour in milk; bring to simmer, stirring constantly. Simmer, stirring, for 2 to 3 min or until thickened. Add Cheddar and Parmesan cheeses, dill, salt and pepper; cook, stirring, just until cheese melts. Pour over cauliflower.
Topping:
Mix bread crumbs with Parmesan; sprinkle over top. Bake, uncovered, for 25 to 30 min or until bubbling.

Nutritional Info

Per serving

Energy:	174 Calories
Protein:	9 g
Carbohydrate:	12 g
Fat:	10 g
Fibre:	1.8 g
Sodium:	339 mg

Top 5 Nutrients

Nutrient	% DV*
Calcium:	20 % / 223 mg
Vitamin C:	100 %
Folate:	25 %
Phosphorus:	17 %
Vitamin B12:	17 %

*Note: The daily value (DV) is established by Health Canada and corresponds to the daily quantity recommended for each nutrient. The percentage of the daily value (% DV) indicates the proportion of the nutrient provided by a serving of the recipe, in comparison with the quantity recommended.