By: Andrea Gaudet of the Half-Assed Hobbyist

Originally posted on September 19, 2016 on the Half-Assed Hobbyist. 

This whole gardening year I have had high hopes that I would have enough tomatoes to make this savoury tomato jam. With the devastating falling over of my giant tomato plants, I thought for sure I would be waiting till next year to achieve this dream. But. My plants had other ideas.
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I managed to collect enough for two batches of a savoury tomato jam that was an office favourite at the test kitchen I worked for back in AB. Essentially its the most fancy ketchup analog you'll ever eat. I love it on toast, warmed up on sandwiches, or even by the spoonful. Haha. ;)

Are you spreading dangerous bacteria around the kitchen and don’t know it? A study conducted in May 2018 by the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) evaluated consumer food handling behaviours in a test kitchen. The study was conducted in six test kitchen facilities and cameras recorded participants’ actions and meal preparation from beginning to end. Before preparing the meal, a randomized treatment group watched a three minute USDA food safety video emphasizing the important of following proper food safety techniques and using a food thermometer. ​

By: Natasha Roy, Student Member

​For seventeen to eighteen years of our life, we are living with our families where the cooking, cleaning and laundry is done by most parents. Sometimes we have one or two chores that our parents give us to complete. Fast forward to university where students are suddenly responsible for EVERYTHING. This means they are responsible for cooking, cleaning and doing laundry all while balancing school work, extracurricular activities and social lives. I’m not going to sugar-coat it. Adjusting to living away from home and balancing these responsibilities can be a hard transition and is one of the reasons why many students consume processed foods or eat fast food. These foods are convenient and budget-friendly. However, what majority of students do not realize is that there are meals or snacks that can be made quickly and are good for you. Today, I’m going to share a fruit, yogurt and granola parfait recipe that is super easy to make and that can be consumed on the go.

The Ontario Home Economics Association (OHEA) is proud to show support for the Fresh From the Farm Healthy Fundraising for Ontario Schools. This fundraising initiative provides schools the opportunity to raise funds by selling Ontario fruit and vegetables to the community, while promoting healthy eating and supporting Ontario farmers. Launched in 2013, Fresh From the Farm is entering in its sixth year and 1165 schools have raised over $1.1 million for school initiatives selling 2.7 million pounds of Ontario produce. 

By: Katherine Snook, B.Sc, CPT, B.A., of Custom Nutrition Guelph

Food guilt is something a lot of people struggle with daily and it’s no wonder since the messages around us are constantly telling us to eat less red meat, that eggs are high in cholesterol, that all carbs are bad, that you must eat non-GMO and 100% organic, that saturated fat is bad and too much fruit is bad - it’s no wonder the population is confused and feeling guilty! Not only that, but many of us are trying to lose a few extra pounds, so even if healthy food is being consumed, there is still a lot of guilt experienced around the amount of calories one has probably eaten. 

What if I were to tell you there is a way to eat without any remorse and all the mental space that was once occupied with guilt could be freed up for more productive thoughts? Well there is and it’s all about focusing on nutrient dense whole foods, which by the way, can be delicious and totally satisfying. There is an awful stigma that says healthy food is bland and undesirable, but that just isn’t true if you are eating a balanced diet. ​

Some findings from the 2018 report:

-Food inflation over the last 12 months has been reasonable for Canadian households, a trend which is expected to continue.

​-In 2018, food prices in Canada are expected to rise 1% –3%. 

-Annual food expenditure for a family of 41is expected to rise by $348 to a total of $11,948 in 2018.

-Vegetables and food purchased at restaurants are expected to see the highest increase in 2018.

-The food service industry is expected to be responsible for 59% of the anticipated food expenditure

-Higher minimum wages will not have an impact on food prices, since most companies are finding innovative ways to cut operating and labour costs and the focus on protecting margins will be enhanced as a result.

-Major food topics for 2018 are expected to be the ongoing aversion to animal proteins, the new Canada’s Food Guide, and the rise of the Grocerant.

To read the full report, click here!

By: Jason Eaton, P.H.Ec. 

So it's Shrove Tuesday or Fat Tuesday or better yet Pancake Tuesday and in keeping with the day I made a couple batches of pancakes.  You could go out and pick a box of Aunt Jemima up at the store but pancakes are so simple to make from scratch.  Here is my favourite pancake recipe I learned in kindergarten class and has been my go to recipe ever since. ​

Farm to Cafeteria Canada is pleased to announce that we are partnering with the Whole Kids Foundation, the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Public Health Association of BC, Sustain Ontario, Equiterre, Food First NL, and Quebec En Forme to deliver Farm to School Canada Grants to Schools in 4 provinces – BC, ON, QC, and NL. ​​The grants valued at up to $10,000 are designed to establish or enhance efforts to bring more of the local harvest into schools where it is featured in a salad bar meal service. We want to see more students and school communities engaged in growing, purchasing, harvesting, cooking, serving, learning about, and eating healthy local foods at school.