Feeding Children (part one)

I am passionate about many things, but mostly food. And my children. And feeding my children. I started really paying attention to what and how I ate in my early twenties, actually, long before I had children. I had a chronic pain condition and in an effort to be more knowledgeable about holistic medicine and healthy eating I discovered Dr. Andrew Weil. I grew up eating well but as I read a book by Dr. Andrew Weil I discovered that there was a lot more to food than calories and nutritional content.

I began a personal food journey of committing myself to as much organic food as possible. Sometimes I could afford more, sometimes less. But this was something that became very important to me. Without even understanding all the science behind it, I really felt that GMO food had to be bad for me. I continued to learn more, became a better cook, and eventually found myself falling in love with my future husband over really good barbecued steaks and red wine.

My husband was a cook when we met and loved good food. My food journey continued as he and I adopted a balanced approach to healthful eating. We simply eat the best food we can. Quality, origin, nutritional value, environmental and social impact- these are some of the values that we have about food. I have joked (or not) that food is my religion. And I don't mean any disrespect to the religious community, but it is the best way to describe to people how important it is to me. (a story about this later)
A few years ago, my doctor asked if I was planning to have kids. I laughed. I couldn't imagine having my life together enough to have kids. Nevertheless, she suggested that I start taking folic acid supplements and do some blood work (especially for cholesterol as it is a risk factor in my family). The idea behind the folic acid was to get my body ready for childbearing. When we actually started to think about having a family, I started to take this whole "getting ready" thing seriously. I was already in good health but the idea that my body was responsible for making and nurturing our child made my commitment to good food even stronger.

This is when feeding our children started. By the time I was pregnant, I was in my best health ever. And my pregnancy diet was picture perfect (with a few treats thrown in of course!) Eating well during my pregnancy gave me more energy and I truly believe helped to contribute to the development of a perfectly health baby girl. (Incidentally, she is now a toddler who loves a vast array of foods, and again, I'm no scientist, but I think my pregnancy diet had something to do with this. After all, the only food she doesn't like is mushrooms- the only food that I couldn't stomach during pregnancy)

Feeding my daughter became my greatest passion. I really didn't know much about breastfeeding when we had our baby. In fact, it scared me a little. The nurses at the hospital taught me how to latch her on. Breastfeeding wasn't easy at the start. This is something that I definitely want new moms and moms-to-be to hear- breastfeeding isn't always easy or doesn't necessarily come naturally. But it is totally worth it to stick with it. With my first baby the struggle was overproduction of milk. It was frustrating but I researched and tried and did everything I could to make it work. Eventually we got things working well and breastfeeding became really enjoyable. The bonding is undeniable. I know that some women can't or choose not to and I respect that. But it is worth trying. I went back to work early and continued to pump and feed her at home. I breastfed until she was one and weening happened in a very natural way- it was just time. And time for Mama to have a glass of wine with Dad after a long hiatus from red wine!
Next up...part two...Introducing Solids- my experience providing my infant with quality food and "training" her body to want the right stuff.

Working from home (and living at my office)

I know a lot of women who have opted to work from home. Some do it full-time or part-time or to supplement their income. All of them do it while being a spouse, mother, daughter, sister, friend, citizen. And more.

I chose to stay at home because I wanted to spend more time with my children. I loved my day job. I had no reason to leave other than I missed my daughter so much and I felt like I was missing out on all the good stuff. It was a rocky transition. I was happy to be with her (and at the time I was pregnant with our second girl) but I really missed working in the adult world. Conversations with grown-ups. Time to myself in the car, on the way to and from work. Commuting has its benefits.

Eventually I got used to it and we all adjusted. My daughter became accustomed to me being with her all the time and we were very well prepared for the baby. The list got done, ahead of schedule (I was convinced that she would be early, and she was).

One day when my husband made an off-hand comment about how I loaded the dishwasher (ahem), I turned to him and said, "I don't show up and tell you how to do your job." All of a sudden, the dishes, the laundry, fed children, a well-run home, all of it was my day job. I went from an HR Manager to a Family Manager.

Then I decided to start a home-based business to mix things up a bit! It is fun and very busy but it is definitely challenging to balance work and life when they all exist in the same space. For most of the time, I feel like I am trying to cram my family into my workspace and then I am annoyed that I have no space to relax in my home. I chose to stay home to spend more time with my kids but I am also working towards having my own kitchen and office outside my home.

And so it goes, the life of one who wears many hats. I wouldn't have it any other way. Okay, back to work.

Welcome to the new home of the Confectionista

I must confess, I love sugar.  There is something about it that is amazing. The versatility and various applications. The transformation from a granule to something as perfect as caramel. Sugar is quite amazing.

I am not addicted to sugar. In fact, I am really careful about how much I consume and the quality and source of it. I don't drink soda or eat commercial candy or baked goods. I don't consume any artificial sweeteners. i don't eat high fructose corn syrup. Almost everything that I consume containing sugar has been prepared in my home. From scratch. 

The politics and environmental and health issues surrounding the production of sugar on a global scale scares me. I am a big fan of food movement leaders, such as Michael Pollan, and health leaders such as Andrew Weil. Everything we read right now is about how sugar is so bad for you. Well, but it isn't really sugar that everyone is eating in massive, lethal proportions. Is it? Most of the "sugar" being consumed in North America is high fructose corn syrup. It has received a lot of press lately. So I am going to assume that you know what it is.

What we eat should be a personal choice. And by personal, I mean the ability to eat what you want and be informed about it. And there should be choices. It may seem that there are so many choices out there, but with a little research you would discover that the average grocery store carries hundreds of products made by only a few companies. And the industries behind the food dominate what you know about it. I am fortunate to live in the Vancouver area, where fresh food is abundant. But this isn't necessarily true of all parts of Canada and the US.

So back to my confession about sugar. I enjoy a little sweetie every now and then and think that small, good quality indulgences are a good part of life. But I have found it really tough to find such things in stores. There is a good selection of chocolate available but as for other sweets, I have found few organic choices that I enjoy. Even just something that is good quality with few ingredients would be nice.

So I started to make my own confections. An avid baker, I wanted to branch out into something a little different. Marshmallows seemed fun to try and definitely a novelty. Caramel is so easy (I shouldn't tell you that) and so satisfying. And the rest, I hope, will be history.

The goal of Kimberley's Kitchen is to provide confections of the highest quality. With a touch of nostalgia. I endeavour to create treats that contain organic ingredients, are made with love, and eventually are carbon neutral. Because caring about health and the environment shouldn't mean that we sacrifice the little things in life. In fact, we need to make the most of those little things.