Category Archives: Food

SEHAB Reports to Department of Fisheries Regional HQ

Several SEHAB (Salmonid Enhancement & Habitat Advisory Board) members had a productive meeting today with 2 Department of Fisheries Directors, 2 Regional Managers, and the Stewardship Planning Coordinator.

We met via Teams to report out on the last SEHAB meeting, bringing forward concerns from BC’s streamkeeper and stewardship volunteer community on issues such as groundwater access for volunteer hatcheries, the salmonid fry salvage policy and adult salvage (fish stranding when drought affects watersheds), enhanced networking opportunities, DFO research into the 6PPD-Q chemical in vehicle tires that is known to be lethal to Coho salmon, and some planning looking forward to the province-wide streamkeeper/stewardship conference in 2025, etc. Whew!

One of the key issues was the likelihood of drought affecting watersheds across BC again this year. The outlook is not good for fish, for agriculture, for forestry, for fires. . .

Making Kutya for Ukrainian Christmas

With just the two of us this year I’m not making a traditional Ukrainian Christmas Eve supper of 12 meatless dishes.

But you cannot have Ukrainian Christmas without kutya — hard wheat berries toasted and simmered to the point that they’re still a tish crunchy, scalded & ground poppy seeds, chopped walnuts, and honey.

Yum!

kutya

Three Days of Fishy SEHAB Meetings Near Ladysmith, BC

Three days of fishy meetings near Ladysmith, BC, over the last weekend and early this week.

SEHAB (Salmon Enhancement and Habitat Advisory Board) members representing volunteer stewardship groups from across BC shared info and heard many excellent presentations from the federal Dept. of Fisheries and Oceans, and BC provincial ministries.

What’s a meeting about volunteers working to protect salmon without, er, a home-smoked salmon? 🙂

And when you’re dealing with several levels of bureaucracy, the initialisms and acronyms fly thick and fast, eh? We began keeping track of some of them for the benefit of folks newer to the table.

SEHAB Meetings Ladysmith BC

Tackling Food Security in BC Lower Mainland Urban Areas

It’s interesting and concerning to see more threads on food security on various social media channels. With drought hammering many regions around the world that billions rely on for vegetables and fruit, we need to bring this conversation home to BC and the lower mainland.

A key step, in my opinion, would be to halt all further “development” of green and agricultural spaces. All development, for whatever purpose, be it housing or commercial, should be limited to redeveloping areas previously used for such purposes.

And if we can reduce our footprint and re-green spaces, all the better.

We can keep building condo towers, office towers, malls, and warehouses, but what are all those who want to “live, work, and play” in our wonderful region going to eat as supply chains, er, dry up?

We need to dramatically improve our urban/suburban agriculture game.

All schoolyards should have gardens. Lawns should be replaced with a mix of native plants and edibles. Municipalities should support inititatives that match folks who want to grow gardens and fruit with homeowners who have land but who for various reasons cannot garden.

There are many things we could do if we set our minds and muscles to them!

Weight-Loss Accountability Report

Accountability report:

As of today I’ve lost 20kg, or 44 pounds, over the last 13 months.
That’s a nice, slow, steady pace of about 1.5 kilos/3.3 pounds a month.

Next target is another 10k/22lbs. That will make me, and my doctor, happy. . . And take me back to my late teens/early 20s weight.

No special diets, no fads, just a minimum of 1 hour of power walking a day and counting calories.

Will treat myself to a large glass of wine tonight, and yes, that’s counted, too 🙂.

Will update the accountability report in about six months!

The Final, Last, Ultimate Pot of Red River Cereal, Sigh

It’s the final countdown. The end of the line.

Our last serving of Red River Cereal, placed in a pot to soak overnight before cooking tomorrow morning.

last pot red river cereal

This was my late Dad’s fave hot cereal.

Yes, I know there are subsitutes, or “mix your own” suggestions, but still . . .

The end of an era.

Oh, yeah, if anyone wants the empty box, complete with English and French sides, bidding starts at C$100 😉.

Reporting on Public Commitment to Lose Weight

I vaguely recall making a public commitment to lose weight, so am reporting that I’m pleased to be down 10kg, or 22lb, from where I was at this time last year.

Slow but steady, eh?

No special diets, no fads or programs. Just simply tracking every single calorie eaten, and every calorie expended through exercise.

If I repeat that this year, I won’t have to buy any pants for years because I’ve got several pairs of jeans and several pairs of cargo pants that I, er, outgrew over the years, and that are still in great condition 🙂.

There are already a few pairs that I can wear now that were too tight a year ago. . .

Ganbarimasu!