Every April 22, 500 million people from more than 180 countries around the world participate in Earth Day.
In Canada, this year’s Earth Day events will involve an estimated six million people. There are so many events organized that all of April has grown into Earth Month. Get involved by checking out what is happening in your area. Here are some ideas for planning an event.
Garage sale or thrift store: Recycle some of your unwanted stuff and help a local charitable business in the meantime.
Community cleanup: Remove garbage from nature sites like public parks or hiking trails to improve their appearance and protect your community’s wildlife.
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Each generation is shaped by the predominant forces at play during their formative years. Acknowledging these influences can improve communication among the generations.
Nature hike: Just getting some fresh air and exercise will increase your appreciation of the environment and inspire you to do more to protect it.
Plant a garden: Experience reaping what you sow. There is nothing like popping a fresh pod and eating the peas inside or picking a strawberry from your own garden.
And my personal favourite – Plant a tree: Living on the Prairies, this one activity can turn out to be a treasure in the future. The benefits of planting far outweigh the effort that it takes to grow a tree. Have you ever stepped outside a windbreak on a typical breezy prairie day or sat in the shade in the summertime heat? What can I say, other than thanks to those who planted before us.
Here is some tree trivia:
- One large tree can provide a day’s oxygen for up to four people.
- A tree’s most important jobs are energy conservation and carbon dioxide absorption.
- Studies show that hospital patients with a window view of trees recovered faster and with fewer complications than comparable patients without access to such views.
- Trees intercept rainfall and reduce runoff, thereby functioning like holding basins.
- Trees can reduce the demand for fossil energy by shading buildings to reduce air conditioning demand, break winter winds to lower space heating needs, prevent soil erosion to lower the amount of fertilizer and fossil fuel needed to produce food, shape snowdrifts to reduce winter snow clearing costs and automobile accidents and shelter livestock in winter and summer.
- Trees and shrubs are effective insulation against noise.
- Each healthy tree can reduce airborne dust by as much as 7,000 particles per litre of air.
- It takes 500 full-sized trees to absorb the carbon dioxide produced by a typical car driven 20,000 kilometres a year.
- One large tree can lift up to 100 gallons of water out of the ground and discharge it into the air in one day.
Source: Tree Canada, www.treecanada.ca.
For more information, visit www.
earthday.ca.
Tex-mex chicken rice bowl
This dish is so easy. Add some veggies and you are set to feed four.
1 tablespoon vegetable oil 15 mL
1/3 cup Spanish onion, diced 75 mL
2 teaspoons minced garlic 10 mL
1 teaspoon chili powder 5 mL
1/4 cup red pepper, diced 60 mL
1 cup rice 250 mL
2 cups water 500 mL
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1/2 pound chicken breast halves 250 g
without skin, grilled and diced
1 tomato, diced
1 cup Monterey jack cheese, 250 mL
shredded
Sauté onions, garlic and chili powder in vegetable oil over medium heat. Add red peppers and rice, stirring until rice is well coated.
Add water and bouillon cubes, bring to a boil, stir, reduce heat, cover and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.
Stir in diced chicken, tomatoes and cheese. Cover for an additional four minutes before serving. Source: Uncle Ben’s Rice.
Fruit smoothie cheesecake
This recipe was adapted from What’s Cooking magazine from Kraft. It was fun to make, using up frozen raspberries from last summer. The taste was refreshing and delicious.
11/2 cups graham wafer crumbs 375 mL
1/4 cup butter, melted 60 mL
4 packages (250 g each) light brick
cream cheese spread, softened 1/2 cup sugar 125 mL
2 cups frozen berries of your 500 mL
choice, thawed, well drained
3 cups thawed whipped 750 mL
topping, divided
Combine the graham crumbs and butter; press firmly onto bottom of prepared pan
nine x 13 inches (22 x 33 cm). Refrigerate
while preparing filling.
Whip cream cheese spread and sugar in large bowl on medium speed until well
blended. Smash drained berries with fork; stir into cream cheese mixture. Gently stir in two cups (500 mL) of the whipped topping.
Spoon over crust and cover.
Chill at least six hours or overnight. Top with the remaining one cup (250 mL) of whipped topping and serve.
Variations:
Omit frozen berries and increase sugar
to 3/4 cup (175 mL). Prepare crust as directed. Beat cream cheese spread, sugar and two cups (500 mL) mixed fresh berries with electric mixer until well blended. Gently stir in two cups (500 mL) of the whipped topping and continue as directed.
I used whipped cream instead of whipped topping. What can I say, my kids and I like fighting over the beaters. I realize that this makes the dessert higher in fat. My response is that dessert is a treat that many people love and do not want to give up, so enjoy in moderation.
To receive What’s Cooking, order at www.kraftcanada.com.
Sprouted grain bread
Dear Team: At this time I am looking for information on sprouted grain bread. Is there a source to purchase the grain? Are there recipes for making the bread? –
M.G., Sask.
Dear M.G.: Thank you for writing. It has been interesting researching your question.
I went to my local grocery store and found sprouted grain bread from Silverhills bakery. I enjoyed the bread, although it is quite heavy. I did not find the Dempster’s brand that you have tried. Perhaps I will have a chance to try it when I visit one of the larger supermarkets.
Why do people eat sprouted grain bread? According to the store where I bought Silverhills bread, it was brought in for those who are sensitive to milled grains.
In sprouting, the grains are not used in the conventional manner. Grains and sprouted grains are different foods. Sprouting the grain turns it from an acid to an alkaline base,
which is a more digestible food for those
with sensitivities.
Unfortunately, the sprouting process makes the bread more expensive. To make sprouted grain bread, you have to purchase a sprouter and grain. Apparently, there are tested recipes with the sprouters.
The grocer suggested contacting a local health food or bulk food store. Two stores that carry sprouters in Saskatchewan are: Dad’s Nutrition Centre, 306-373-7999 and Herbs ‘n’ Health, 306-664-1070.
Jodie Mirosovsky is a home economist from Rosetown, Sask., and one of four columnists comprising Team Resources. Send correspondence in care of this newspaper, Box 2500, Saskatoon, Sask., S7K 2C4 or contact them at team@producer.com.
