As the weather gets colder, and the days get shorter, it gets easier to go home and curl up in blanket with a bowl of your favourite comfort food. With that thought in mind, this past weekend I cracked open my recipe books and a few websites to make a few tried and true foodie favourites to have on hand for a quick supper or munchies for TV night.

First on the list was a vegetarian lasagna, full of veggies and feta cheese. I also love kettle corn, so I made a pail of it – yes I said a pail of it. Other items on my culinary to do list are breaded chicken fingers, butter chicken and many – many cookies like chocolate chip, oatmeal, ginger snaps and Oreos. It’s great to have snacks on hand to avoid the fast food trap, and for impromptu entertaining. Feel free to check out a few of my recipe favourites and make your own cornucopia of comfort food this winter.

As students it is often hard to stay healthy while going to class, cooking and cleaning, and finding time to exercise. As important as studying is, it is even more important to remember that your health affects your marks and your potential as a RRC student.

This blog series will run over the next five weeks and will consist of tips on how to eat right, access the right health services for you, and preserve your mental health and wellbeing.

For example, it is important to start your school day right by eating a healthy breakfast. Canada’s Food Guide recommends a variety of healthy servings of protein or meat, grain products, fruit, and milk products to start your day off right. As students it is sometimes hard to plan a healthy diet on a student budget, but it is possible! Visit here for the Health Canada website for great healthy and easy meal ideas!

Individuals often find it hard to incorporate the recommended 60 minutes of activity into a day full of studying and classes. Did you know that an easy and productive way to get your 60 minutes of daily exercise is to try is studying while walking on a treadmill? If you don’t have a treadmill, you could get your 60 minutes of exercise by breaking it up into short 10 minute intervals. Do this by going for a walk or climbing a few flights of stairs. For more great tips and tricks for busy students on the go, and for those who hope to keep up a healthy lifestyle check back next week!

Health Services Clinical Nursing Students Alexis and Candice

For those looking to enjoy Thanksgiving and all the trimings, The Canadian Diabetes Association has a great Top 10 tips for enjoying the time and leaving the table with that satisfied but not overstuffed feeling. There are those who do not have the chance to enjoy such a dinner.  You may want to consider the Winnipeg Harvest Share your Thanksgiving program by filling a bag to help those less able to enjoy the time.   From Health Services

College life starts in the next week or two for most Colleges. It is tempting to grab quick fix foods to help get you through the day and give you some energy for those study and learning needs. Advice and experience from those who have gone before is valuable. Choose a diet (not go on a diet) that will give you long lasting energy. Chuck out the late night chips and energy drinks and restock with great snacks.  See some great ideas such as a downloadable shopping list and 20 super snacks at  Keep Your Diet Real. There is also great advice from a experienced College Student.

From Health Services

It’s that time of year! If you have a garden, or are a frequenter of your local farmers market, you are sure to be wondering, “What the heck am I going to do with all this stuff!” Here are some of my favourite recipes, and resources, to tackle your vegetable growing and hoarding habit.

• Cucumbers, Peppers, Basil, and Beets – oh my! These are some my favourite all time recipes that I hope you can enjoy: Roasted Habanero Salsa, Beet Pickles, Perfect Pesto, Refrigerator Pickles.
• Got Fruit? If you have an abundance of apples, raspberries, cherries, and any other fruit (and you can’t keep up with picking) try this volunteer picking service. The fruit that is picked is shared with the volunteer, owner, and a charitable organization in the city.
• Grow a Row! Did you know that the good people in our RRC Pavement and Grounds Team are growing a garden full of potatoes and carrots and are donating the bounty to Winnipeg Harvest? You can too by dropping of your fruit and veggies at Winnipeg Harvest, Mondays – Sundays.
• Need more? Here are a bushel of great resources for you to peruse….. Food Manitoba, Prairie Fruit Growers Association, Dig In Manitoba, Peak of the Market.

Have fun and eat your fruit and veggies!

They say, getting a pet is supposed to make you healthier.  My husband has had high blood pressure for several years.  We got a cat earlier this winter and amazingly, his blood pressure is now at the normal range.  Could this be because of the cat?

My Cholesterol is at a high level and getting the cat hasn’t improved it for me, so I want to do something to get that number to the ‘good range’.  A goal I have given myself is to eat healthier.

If you see this symbol on food packages, that means the item has met nutrition criteria.

I unfortunately never see this symbol on a bag of potato chips.

Looking in the Heart & Stroke site I found these ways to help eating healthier

• To avoid the impulse buying make a shopping list and stick to that shopping list.
• Spend more time shopping in the outer aisles where the healthy foods like fruits, veggies, bread, meat and milk are found.
• Divide your cart into four quarters, based on the four food groups.  Fill half of your cart with veggies, fruits and whole grains, one quarter with lower fat dairy products and the other quarter with lean meat, fish, beans, nuts and soya products.

How close do you read the Nutrition Facts label that you see on all the boxes and cans?  This is where I see ZERO cholesterol on those bags of chips and think, right on, I can eat them.  Well, not really.

Choose products lower in salt, saturated and trans fat and products that have 2 grams of fibre or more.

Check out the Nutrition Labeling and Health Check  link for more info.

Planning to fish this summer?  Travel Manitoba has a photo contest with 3 great prizes. You can enjoy your hobby, get great sun, enjoy a day or a camping trip! The first time I went fishing, it felt like I caught a whale. It turned  out to be a tiny little sun fish but that didn’t change my opinion of the battle!

Here is a great recipe from Canola Growers of Manitoba Be Well  e-newsletter for Pan Fried Pickerel fillets. HMMMMMMM

1/4 cup all-purpose flour (60 mL)
1/4 tsp salt (1 mL)
1/4 tsp pepper (1 mL)
2 lbs pickerel fillets (1 kg)
3 Tbsp canola oil (45 mL)
4 lemon wedges(4)

1. Combine flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. 2. Lightly coat one side of each fillet in flour mixture. Turn each fillet over and coat second side of each fillet. 3. Heat canola oil in large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. When oil is heated, fry the fillets for approximately 2-3 minutes on each side. 4. Garnish with lemon wedges and serve immediately.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:

To kick off College Days, the Wellness Committee is hosting a series of events to eat, meet and greet, and move your feet. If you’re an RRC staff member, you can register for all the Wellness events here.

Come out for a free Wellness Breakfast

On the morning of May 30^th staff are invited for a free Wellness Breakfast at the Roblin Centre and the Notre Dame Campus (Voyageur Cafeteria) beginning at 8:00 am and going till 9:30.  The buffet breakfast includes a yogurt parfait bar, oatmeal, turkey bacon, back bacon, eggs, toast and beverages. Wellness Committee members and other helpers will be on hand to take pledges and answer any questions you may have. Please register for the breakfast using the link above.

Help support staff dependents to study at RRC

If you’re participating in the Wellness Walk-a-thon or the Rebel Run, you can drop off your pledge form for the Bursary for Dependents of RRC Employees at the breakfast or the over the lunch hour. If you do not wish to gather pledges we encourage a donation of $10 towards the award. The bursary was started back in 2009 from an endowment fund, which the Walk-a-thon has helped grow to over $20K. For more information about this award  and/or to get an application form, head to the RRC website and look under General Awards.

To date, the award has been given to eight recipients including Taylor Schapf (Business Administration, 2012) daughter of instructor Glenn Schapf.  Taylor shared these words with us:

It is outstanding how Red River College strives to open doors for their students to guarantee their education is being put to use in the real working world. When deciding where to pursue my post-secondary education, it was evident that Red River College was the perfect match for me. I knew that I wanted to receive practical training within a closely-knit student/instructor environment. I also knew that I wanted to receive my diploma in only two years and immediately start getting on-the-job experience after graduating. I can truly say that Red River College has exceeded my expectations and is preparing me for a successful career in the business industry. In receiving the RRC Dependents’ Award, I feel motivated to continue learning and enhance my skills as a future businesswoman.

Glenn and Taylor Schapf

Wellness Walk-a-thon Read More →

Back in the 1940s, did lentils hold real estate in my Grandma’s cold room?  Were they included in any of her German dishes? This is one question Google can’t answer for me, unless there is a Time Machine Camera App which can take a photo of my Grandma’s Lowe Farm pantry circa 1940.  Passing on information between family members through story-telling and through sharing memories & traditions is one of the most fundamental and purest ways humans pass on knowledge.

German Spaghetti

I do know that Canned Tomatoes coloured my Grandma’s shelves & globs of everything fat was put into casseroles. See the recent post on German Spaghetti as a gooey example.

Let’s give our arteries a breather &  use canned tomatoes in a heart happy recipe.  It takes no time at all to make, is colourful, and will absolutely make you the potluck star at your next picnic.
Middle Eastern Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 2 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
• 2 tsp Dijon Mustard
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 19 oz can of lentils (drained & rinsed)
• 1/2 English Cucumber
• 2 chopped tomatoes (Roma)
• 1/4 chopped onion
• 1 minced garlic glove
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
• Feta

Instructions:

• Whisk together:  olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard & salt
• Stir in:  lentils, cucumber, tomatoes, onion, garlic & dill
• Crumble feta over the top