Last Winter I was sitting in my mom's living room, looking out the windows at the forest that surrounds her house watching the birds nibble at the suet seed balls we had formed and hung on our live Christmas tree. I was trying to think of ways in which to actively involve my family in their health and awareness; having a decent palate, they like salad, stir fry, and vegetable soups of the general variety, but their favorite foods still hinge on starches laden with cheese. I wanted to broaden their horizons and connect them to their surroundings. We live in the Pacific Northwest which is home to a plethora of both local and international flavors and delights. I have taken my family to Chinese New Year festivals, Japanese festivals, and local art festivals, as well as the local farmer's market on numerous occassions. They have enjoyed all of these, and I wanted them to have more. I wanted them to know for themselves how to find those things around them that give a spark, a zest for life, as well as inspiration and awe of the beauty and bounty that surrounds us. I came up with a 12 month journey through the seasons and the surroundings to help them, as well as myself, create a deeper more intimate connection to our world, here and abroad. Each month has a food theme, an activity theme, and a nature theme.
The food themes center around those foods that are appropriate for the month, with seasonal produce whenever possible, as well as how another culture may use those same dishes or ingredients. Every week we will sit down and design a menu plan for the week, and brainstorm which dishes we might be interested in trying that fit the theme of the month, with locally foraged foods, locally grown foods, and our global theme in mind. At the end of the week, when we sit down again to plan our next menu, we will discuss which of those dishes or ingredients we liked, which were not our favorites, and whether we learned anything interesting that week while trying new foods. Not only does this create a unified effort to our meal plans, we also have a novel way to try new foods, which is sometimes difficult to do.
The activity theme also centers around what is available in our area throughtout the year. For instance, walking or hiking in the winter months is available to a limited extent, and swimming and water sports are more appropriate for the summer months. As much as possible, I have tried to combine the activity theme with the nature theme, so as not to overwhelm us all with too many tasks. The nature theme is focused on helping us to experience the seasons that surround us in order to acheive our most vibrant health.
Each month I will post here what the themes are with weekly updates as to what I am doing and how the month is panning out. I will share the triumphs as well as setbacks and any challenges I and my family may face. I have soaring hopes for this to be a tremendously rewarding experience, and am so very excited to share in these discoveries. These are my passions. My family. My food. My experiences in this life. Come and share them with me. The journey will be magnificent.
The food themes center around those foods that are appropriate for the month, with seasonal produce whenever possible, as well as how another culture may use those same dishes or ingredients. Every week we will sit down and design a menu plan for the week, and brainstorm which dishes we might be interested in trying that fit the theme of the month, with locally foraged foods, locally grown foods, and our global theme in mind. At the end of the week, when we sit down again to plan our next menu, we will discuss which of those dishes or ingredients we liked, which were not our favorites, and whether we learned anything interesting that week while trying new foods. Not only does this create a unified effort to our meal plans, we also have a novel way to try new foods, which is sometimes difficult to do.
The activity theme also centers around what is available in our area throughtout the year. For instance, walking or hiking in the winter months is available to a limited extent, and swimming and water sports are more appropriate for the summer months. As much as possible, I have tried to combine the activity theme with the nature theme, so as not to overwhelm us all with too many tasks. The nature theme is focused on helping us to experience the seasons that surround us in order to acheive our most vibrant health.
Each month I will post here what the themes are with weekly updates as to what I am doing and how the month is panning out. I will share the triumphs as well as setbacks and any challenges I and my family may face. I have soaring hopes for this to be a tremendously rewarding experience, and am so very excited to share in these discoveries. These are my passions. My family. My food. My experiences in this life. Come and share them with me. The journey will be magnificent.
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