Notes from the Kitchen by Tamara Treviranus

Greetings Lifeways Families, 

I hope you are all doing as well as possible, navigating these uncertain times. Some things have shifted at Lifeways, one of them being a slight change in my role at Lifeways. Instead of starting my morning with the children in the Woodland Suite, I am now completely dedicated to providing home-made, nutritious snacks and meals for the children and caregivers. I am still able to have simple interactions with the children, and am grateful for the opportunity to immerse myself in the task of keeping the hearth through the creative, nurturing expression of food preparation. We have been eating with the season, as well as enjoying items like home-made yogurt and home-made granola, lots of baked goods including graham crackers from scratch, soft whole wheat rolls, and zucchini bread. We’ve tried tabouli with hummus and are looking forward to incorporating more fermented foods to support a healthy immune system for the members of our community. 

One thing we have all probably learned from this period of uncertainty is that extra time allows us to work and proceed with intention. Applying this idea to participating in the food system, there are several ways that we can make small changes in our habits that are positive contributions to the environment and society. For example, making homemade yogurt is not only more nutritious, and less expensive, it also allows us to avoid contributing approximately 150 plastic containers per year to landfills, or to dubiously effective recycling efforts. While we continue to source most of our groceries from Outpost and Whole Foods, I am gradually working to make Lifeways food purchases as equitable as possible, while working within our budget. As the bulk spice section is still removed from our regular grocer, I will be ordering our spices from Penzey’s Spices, a company who was a leader in support of civil rights for all, and safety for their employees. As flour was sometimes difficult to procure, we have purchased bulk flours and oats from the Riverwest Coop, also leaders in inclusive and safe practices for their staff, volunteers and patrons. They are one of very few establishments still paying their workers hazard pay. While we miss the beautiful produce from our CSA share at Gernumbli Gardens as this farm program is on pause for the season, I will be purchasing as much produce as possible directly from the farmers at the Riverwest Farmers Market. 

I hope that this time of disruption, fear, and unknowing may be used as a catalyst to recreate the many systems that need reform. The virus and political climate have laid bare the inequities and systems of oppression within our education and health care systems. Our planet as our source for life and sustenance, continues to be increasingly threatened. Our way of life cannot continue as it was. May we continue to align our actions towards justice and human rights for all people on our one and only home.