GRAND, Vol V Ed I, Spring 2022
GRAND is a digital publication that honours and supports grandparents by providing information on resources and businesses for families and a forum for the exchange of ideas and opinions. • Q&A: Dr. Allison Rees, Parent Educator, Mother & Grandmother • How to Talk to Your Grandkids About World Events • 10 Things to Do with Grandchildren This Summer • Leaving a Legacy • How to Be an Eco-Friendly Traveller
GRAND is a digital publication that honours and supports grandparents by providing information on resources and businesses for families and a forum for the exchange of ideas and opinions.
• Q&A: Dr. Allison Rees, Parent Educator, Mother & Grandmother
• How to Talk to Your Grandkids About World Events
• 10 Things to Do with Grandchildren This Summer
• Leaving a Legacy
• How to Be an Eco-Friendly Traveller
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<strong>Vol</strong>. V, <strong>Ed</strong>. I<br />
<strong>GRAND</strong><br />
grandmag.ca<br />
Q&A<br />
Dr. Allison Rees<br />
Parent <strong>Ed</strong>ucator,<br />
Mother & Grandmother<br />
How to Talk to Your<br />
Grandkids About<br />
World Events<br />
10<br />
Things<br />
to Do<br />
with Grandchildren<br />
This Summer
2 <strong>GRAND</strong> grandmag.ca
Central Saanich, BC North Saanich, BC North Saanich, BC<br />
every donation<br />
helps a local family build the future<br />
Saanich, BC<br />
North Saanich, BC<br />
A legacy gift to Habitat for Humanity Victoria<br />
can transform the lives of local families living in<br />
need of a safe, decent place to call home.<br />
By including us in your will or estate plan, you<br />
will ensure that your interests and passions are<br />
supported after your lifetime.<br />
visit habitatvictoria.com/donate<br />
North Saanich, BC<br />
North Saanich, BC<br />
Contact Colin Doylend<br />
email giving@habitatvictoria.com<br />
phone 250-480-7688 ext 102<br />
grandmag.ca<br />
<strong>Vol</strong>. V, <strong>Ed</strong>. I 3
CREATE A LASTING LEGACY<br />
©UNHCR/Sebastian Rich<br />
A gift in your Will to<br />
UNHCR means your<br />
generosity can provide<br />
vital services and supplies<br />
to those who need it<br />
urgently, wherever an<br />
emergency strikes.<br />
Men, women and children forced to flee their homes<br />
have made extraordinary efforts to survive. For as long<br />
as people are displaced, UNHCR, the UN Refugee<br />
Agency, will continue to answer the call to support<br />
millions of refugees, forcibly displaced communities<br />
and stateless people—today, tomorrow and for years<br />
to come.<br />
Leaving a gift in your Will ensures a meaningful legacy<br />
and hope for the world’s most vulnerable refugees.<br />
Contact Kudzai Riva, Director of Planned Giving,<br />
at rivak@unhcr.org or (416) 926-7974 to learn<br />
more about the impact of leaving a gift in your Will.<br />
unhcr.ca/gifts-in-wills<br />
For 70 years, UNHCR has been dedicated to protecting the rights and well-being of people forced to flee all over the world. With your help, we provide shelter, food,<br />
4 water, <strong>GRAND</strong> medical care and other life-saving assistance. We help safeguard human rights by offering safety, documentation and access to education. And, we grandmag.ca<br />
develop<br />
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CONTENTS<br />
6<br />
8<br />
10<br />
12<br />
14<br />
16<br />
18<br />
20<br />
22<br />
7 Grand: Ideas + Inspiration<br />
Q&A: Dr. Allison Rees<br />
On the importance of having fun with our<br />
grandchildren, letting them know they’re<br />
adored and loved, and the magic of seeing<br />
our children as parents.<br />
How to Talk to Your Grandkids<br />
About World Events<br />
What adults can do to help kids deal<br />
with what they see in the media<br />
and online.<br />
TIM COLLINS<br />
10 Things to Do with<br />
Grandchildren This Summer<br />
Seeing summer through your<br />
grandchild’s eyes.<br />
SUSAN GNUCCI<br />
A Recipe to Nurture<br />
Grandkids<br />
Sharing the gift of wisdom and spirit.<br />
LINDSAY COULTER<br />
Grandparents & Good Books<br />
Stories on how special the<br />
grandparent-grandchild<br />
relationship can be.<br />
CHRISTINA VAN STARKENBURG<br />
Leaving a Legacy<br />
An impactful way to participate in<br />
your grandchild’s financial upbringing.<br />
ALYX VALDAL<br />
How to Be an<br />
Eco-Friendly Traveller<br />
What it means to be a green traveller.<br />
Easy as Pie<br />
Teaching and learning<br />
pastry-making skills.<br />
EMILLIE PARRISH<br />
Growing (B)older<br />
Aging brings strength.<br />
That’s the message in The End of Old<br />
Age: Living a Longer More Purposeful<br />
Life by geriatric psychologist Dr. Marc<br />
Agronin.<br />
“When we realize the truth of this<br />
message, we can begin to end the tired<br />
and constricted notions of ‘old’ that<br />
we internalize throughout our lifetime<br />
and that serve to denigrate and<br />
limit our aging self and perpetuate an<br />
ageist culture,” writes Agronin. “To<br />
achieve this understanding, we must<br />
recognize the immense potential of<br />
our aging self, even in the face of common<br />
and expected struggles. We must<br />
learn how to age in a creative manner<br />
that is both the antidote to feeling old<br />
and the elixir of aging well.”<br />
One of the best ways communities<br />
can help older adults age well is to<br />
celebrate them and harness their wisdom,<br />
he adds.<br />
Aging is an opportunity,<br />
not a curse.<br />
To help us see it that way, Agronin<br />
suggests focusing on five main areas:<br />
Reserve: Catalogue your wisdom<br />
and take inventory of what you’ve<br />
learned over your lifetime.<br />
Resilience: Consider your purpose<br />
in life; this is paramount in gaining a<br />
second wind in old age.<br />
Reinvention: Change the way you<br />
create, treat people and explore the<br />
world.<br />
Legacy: Think about what you will<br />
leave behind; this can alter how you<br />
spend the rest of your days.<br />
Celebration: Transitions in life often<br />
come with a party, why not do it for<br />
getting old?<br />
Nobody said changing your<br />
life is easy.<br />
“It’s a long, gruelling process that<br />
takes honest self-reflection and a<br />
drive to become better.”<br />
Here’s to growing (b)older and<br />
better!<br />
ON THE COVER<br />
Arlow (1) &<br />
Dr. Allison Rees<br />
Photo by<br />
Don Denton<br />
<strong>Vol</strong>. V, <strong>Ed</strong>. I<br />
<strong>GRAND</strong><br />
grandmag.ca<br />
Q&A<br />
Dr. Allison Rees<br />
Parent <strong>Ed</strong>ucator,<br />
Mother & Grandmother<br />
How to Talk to Your<br />
Grandkids About<br />
World Events<br />
10<br />
Things<br />
to Do<br />
with Grandchildren<br />
This Summer<br />
Jim Schneider Publisher<br />
publisher@islandparent.ca<br />
Sue Fast <strong>Ed</strong>itor<br />
editor@islandparent.ca<br />
Kristine Wickheim Account Manager<br />
kristine@islandparent.ca<br />
RaeLeigh Buchanan Account Manager<br />
raeleigh@islandparent.ca<br />
<strong>GRAND</strong>, published by Island Parent Group Enterprises Ltd., is a digital<br />
publication that honours and supports grandparents by providing<br />
information on resources and businesses for families and a forum<br />
for the exchange of ideas and opinions. Views expressed are not<br />
necessarily those of the publisher. No material herein may be<br />
reproduced without the permission of the publisher.<br />
518 Caselton Place, Victoria, BC V8Z 7Y5<br />
250-388-6905 grandmag.ca<br />
A proud member of<br />
BC<br />
grandmag.ca<br />
<strong>Vol</strong>. V, <strong>Ed</strong>. I 5
Ideas + Inspiration<br />
7Grand<br />
The “1000 X 5”<br />
Children’s Book<br />
Recycling Project<br />
Families at most elementary<br />
schools in Victoria, Saanich,<br />
and Sooke School districts and<br />
seven independent schools<br />
can donate gently used picture<br />
books for babies and<br />
preschoolers. Retired teachers<br />
and administrators donate<br />
time to sort, label, and gift bag<br />
those books. The gift bags<br />
are delivered to Strong Start<br />
Centres and community agencies<br />
where families can take<br />
home three quality books for<br />
each child. For information or<br />
to make a charitable donation,<br />
visit 1000x5.ca.<br />
A Grandparent’s<br />
Q&A<br />
Questions for My Grandmother/Grandfather<br />
(Insight<br />
<strong>Ed</strong>itions) poses 150 engaging<br />
questions—some silly, some<br />
serious, all genuine—to encourage<br />
grandkids of all ages<br />
to approach conversations<br />
with their grandparent in a<br />
fresh new way. Questions are<br />
inclusive and meant to appeal<br />
to a wide range of grandparents<br />
and grandkids and come<br />
in an illustrated box set that<br />
includes a blank notebook for<br />
jotting down notes, memories,<br />
and new questions to ask.<br />
simonandschuster.ca<br />
Learn Something<br />
New<br />
Learn about writing, cooking,<br />
wellness, sports, business,<br />
relationships and more, with<br />
each topic taught by an expert.<br />
Through programs like<br />
Masterclass and Skillshare,<br />
you can access thousands of<br />
classes about topics ranging<br />
from Animation to Wilderness<br />
Survival—and everything in<br />
between. Both platforms offer<br />
per class options along with<br />
unlimited access based on<br />
membership. For more information,<br />
visit masterclass.com<br />
or skillshare.com.<br />
6 <strong>GRAND</strong> grandmag.ca
ACTIVE Aging,<br />
Not Anti-aging<br />
Summer Farmers’<br />
Markets<br />
Creative<br />
Communities<br />
The Wellness<br />
App<br />
Active Aging Canada strives<br />
With summer just around the<br />
Every community has its<br />
Make your own health and<br />
to promote a society where<br />
corner, it’s not too early to<br />
own unique cultural footprint.<br />
wellness plan with The Foun-<br />
all adult and older adult Ca-<br />
start thinking about Farm-<br />
Art-BC Creative Communities<br />
tain of Health’s Wellness App.<br />
nadians are leading active<br />
ers’ Markets. Make a day of it<br />
present events, artists and<br />
The Wellness App helps you<br />
lifestyles that contribute to<br />
with your grandkids; stock up<br />
destinations that will help you<br />
to set and meet small, doable<br />
their overall well-being and<br />
on picnic ingredients and hit<br />
discover the best of BC’s Arts<br />
goals in areas that can pro-<br />
independence, a lifestyle that<br />
the park or beach. There are<br />
and Culture. From Alert Bay to<br />
mote well-being and improve<br />
embraces physical activ-<br />
markets from one end of the<br />
Zeballos—and many more loca-<br />
health. Areas include: physical<br />
ity and an active living phi-<br />
Island to the other, featuring<br />
tions—on Vancouver Island,<br />
activity, social activity, brain<br />
losophy with the end goal of<br />
locally grown produce, hand-<br />
and from Abbotsford to Wil-<br />
challenge, positive thinking<br />
healthy active aging. For re-<br />
made products, live music<br />
liams Lake in the Lower Main-<br />
and mental health. The Well-<br />
sources and active living tips,<br />
and family-friendly activities.<br />
land and beyond, BC’s Guide<br />
ness App is available for free<br />
visit activeagingcanada.ca.<br />
For a list, visit<br />
to Arts & Culture will keep you<br />
and usable on any device—<br />
bcfarmsandfood.com.<br />
busy throughout the year. To<br />
computer, laptop, iPhone, iPad<br />
order a guide, visit art-bc.com.<br />
or Android device.<br />
fountainofhealth.ca<br />
grandmag.ca<br />
<strong>Vol</strong>. V, <strong>Ed</strong>. I 7
Profile<br />
Q&A: Dr. Allison Rees<br />
Dr. Allison Rees has been a fixture<br />
on the Parent <strong>Ed</strong>ucation circuit<br />
since the early 90s, speaking<br />
to tens of thousands of parents and<br />
professionals over the years at engagements<br />
across the Island. Along with<br />
being a trusted voice in parent education,<br />
she is also a mother and a grandmother.<br />
Allison has co-authored two<br />
books, Sidestepping the Power Struggle<br />
and The Parent Child Connection. She<br />
has contributed to Island Parent for<br />
close to 30 years, penning the popular<br />
column Cut It Out. She has a commonsense,<br />
respectful and joyful approach<br />
to helping parents in their roles as<br />
parents.<br />
Q. How many children do you have?<br />
What are their names?<br />
My son, Jarryd, is 33, and my daughter,<br />
Lexy, just turned 31.<br />
Q. How many grandchildren do you<br />
have? What are their names and<br />
ages? Where do they live?<br />
I have one grandchild. Arlow turns<br />
1 on March 27th. Presently, my daughter,<br />
husband and grand-daughter live<br />
in Victoria.<br />
Q. What do you love most about being<br />
a grandparent? Least?<br />
I love watching my daughter parent<br />
her daughter so lovingly. I have deep<br />
admiration in seeing Lexy’s determi-<br />
8 <strong>GRAND</strong> grandmag.ca
nation to give Arlow a strong sense<br />
of attachment, independence when<br />
wanted, and in educating herself as<br />
a parent. I am also experiencing a<br />
special relationship with Arlow. She<br />
knows the games we play together.<br />
She reaches out for me when I arrive,<br />
and I get a sense that she trusts me.<br />
That warms my heart.<br />
What I least enjoy are the times<br />
when Arlow is sick or in pain with<br />
teething. Not only do I worry about<br />
her, but I worry about my daughter<br />
worrying about her. I seem to recall<br />
my mother saying something like this<br />
to me then I would worry about my<br />
mom worrying about me, worrying<br />
about my daughter. Worry is my least<br />
favourite thing!<br />
Q. How is being a grandparent different<br />
than being a parent?<br />
Obvious answer. I get to sleep, eat a<br />
meal without interruptions, read…I’m<br />
sure you get my point. It is totally different.<br />
Q. What was important to you as a<br />
parent when you were raising your<br />
own children?<br />
Growing up myself so that I could<br />
break ineffective family patterns and<br />
contribute to my children’s psychological<br />
health.<br />
Q. What is most important to you as a<br />
grandparent?<br />
Being available to do anything to<br />
help out and bring relief to their family.<br />
I also mind my own business and<br />
don’t give unsolicited advice. I respect<br />
their way of doing things. They have<br />
so much information and education at<br />
their fingertips. I had a few books. I’m<br />
learning a lot from my daughter.<br />
Q. What part did your grandparents<br />
play in your life? What did you learn<br />
from them?<br />
I had limited contact with my<br />
grandparents as we immigrated from<br />
Scotland to Victoria. My mother’s<br />
mom was kind and loving. This was<br />
evident in my mother’s behaviour and<br />
continues down the line.<br />
Q. How did/will you help your children—and<br />
how do you help your<br />
grandchildren—find their talents and<br />
strengths? To explore their creativity?<br />
By letting them take the lead and being<br />
open to their interests. The same<br />
way I did with my children. Putting<br />
my ego and agenda aside!<br />
Q. What are some of your favourite<br />
things to do and places to go with<br />
your grandchildren?<br />
We are just getting out of the winter<br />
months now so most of my time is in<br />
their home. We just play in whatever<br />
way we can. It changes every week.<br />
Q. What do you wish for your grandchildren?<br />
Health, happiness and peace.<br />
Q. What would you like your grandchildren<br />
to remember most about<br />
you?<br />
I would like them to know that I<br />
simply adored them. That’s all.<br />
Q. Do you have any wise words or stories<br />
to share with other grandparents<br />
to help them in their role raising their<br />
grandchildren?<br />
When my mother became a nana,<br />
she was pure love and fun. She never<br />
judged me, my choices or my kids.<br />
She had a wonderful sense of humour<br />
that would come out when one of my<br />
kid’s did something typical of their<br />
age. “They’re just children.” I think<br />
she was a major contributor to their<br />
well-being, their self-esteem and their<br />
ability to have such great relationships<br />
with others. Jarryd and Lexy<br />
loved their nana, and I feel her presence<br />
guiding me. When people say you<br />
feel the presence of loved ones, I get it.<br />
Mom’s attitude, her words, her way of<br />
being have stayed with me.<br />
grandmag.ca<br />
<strong>Vol</strong>. V, <strong>Ed</strong>. I 9
<strong>GRAND</strong>parenting<br />
How to Talk to Your Grandkids<br />
About World Events<br />
Tim Collins is a writer and freelance<br />
journalist living and working in Victoria.<br />
Let’s face it, the last couple of years<br />
have been less than ideal.<br />
The COVID pandemic came out<br />
of nowhere to stun the world. Most<br />
of us found ourselves wearing surgical<br />
masks, obsessively washing and<br />
disinfecting our hands, and discovering<br />
the benefits—and drawbacks—of<br />
Zoom meetings. Some of us, myself<br />
included, stepped in to continue our<br />
kid’s education when schools were<br />
shuttered in fear of the disease.<br />
All of us lived in the hope that our<br />
loved ones would escape a plague that,<br />
worldwide, was killing tens of thousands<br />
every day.<br />
Scary times.<br />
All of this, of course, was happening<br />
while our neighbours to the South<br />
seemed to be losing their collective<br />
minds. A never-ending flow of lies,<br />
corruption, and hatred streamed to us<br />
through multiple media outlets, and<br />
we wondered if, like Covid, similar<br />
breakdowns in social order would infect<br />
our own backyards.<br />
In case we didn’t have enough to<br />
worry about, a young Swedish activist<br />
named Greta Thunberg was simultaneously<br />
on every platform to remind<br />
us that climate change threatens to<br />
destroy us all and that world governments<br />
are failing to do what is needed<br />
to save humanity.<br />
And, oh yeah, Russia decided to<br />
start a war of conquest with its neighbour,<br />
all the while threatening to use<br />
nuclear weapons if anyone tried to<br />
stop them.<br />
Like I said, less than ideal.<br />
So, what should adults be doing to<br />
help kids deal with what they see in<br />
the media and online?<br />
I recently read some advice on this<br />
topic from an esteemed psychologist<br />
who suggested that parents limit their<br />
kid’s exposure to the news.<br />
Right.<br />
Statistics Canada reports that about<br />
90 percent of kids in middle school<br />
have cell phones and 50 percent of<br />
those kids check their phones every<br />
30 minutes or so. More than half use<br />
their phones while watching TV.<br />
Sooooo…short of confiscating<br />
phones and computers and perhaps<br />
locking the kids in a cave, the concept<br />
of limiting exposure is just, well, cute.<br />
The first step is to make certain that<br />
you know what you’re talking about.<br />
<strong>Ed</strong>ucate yourself on what’s happening<br />
by reading and listening to a variety<br />
of credible sources. Avoid any media<br />
outlets that have defended themselves<br />
from court action by saying that no<br />
10 <strong>GRAND</strong> grandmag.ca
easonable person would believe a<br />
word that they say. (Yes, that really<br />
happened. Google it.)<br />
So, what can you do?<br />
A good place to start is to listen<br />
to your kids. Find out what they are<br />
concerned about and what they know<br />
about what’s going on in the world,<br />
but don’t force it. Consider the age and<br />
development of the young person in<br />
your life and try to find out what, if<br />
anything, is causing them stress.<br />
And while limiting their access to<br />
information is a fool’s errand, you<br />
might want to open a discussion about<br />
what they are seeing online and in the<br />
media. Talk about how not all sources<br />
are reliable and how you can factcheck<br />
what you see and hear, both in<br />
the media and from their friends.<br />
If, like me, some of the young people<br />
in your life are teens, the discussion<br />
can get a wee bit more in-depth.<br />
For example, I’ve talked to my<br />
granddaughter about some recent<br />
events. I asked her why she thought<br />
that the coverage of some stories had<br />
been overwhelming. Was it because it<br />
was a newsworthy story or was it to<br />
boost ratings and clicks? Did the coverage<br />
provide new information?<br />
That led to a discussion on the mission<br />
of real news outlets.<br />
Another suggestion is to talk about<br />
what your child, or in my case, grandchild,<br />
can do.<br />
Any troubling event or challenge<br />
presents opportunities.<br />
For example, a natural disaster<br />
might be the springboard for developing<br />
a family plan in case of a similar<br />
event. It’s also a chance to find out<br />
what others are doing and what can be<br />
done to help.<br />
Finally, don’t be afraid to broaden<br />
the discussion and talk about how<br />
kindness, cooperation and courage<br />
have helped people survive in the past.<br />
Those same things will always be important,<br />
no matter what comes next.<br />
grandmag.ca<br />
<strong>Vol</strong>. V, <strong>Ed</strong>. I 11
Road Trip<br />
10 Things to Do with<br />
Grandchildren This Summer<br />
Susan Gnucci is a local author and a<br />
proud “nonna” to two young grandsons.<br />
She enjoys sharing her experiences as<br />
a grandparent.<br />
Any grandparent will tell you that<br />
one of the greatest pleasures<br />
of having grandchildren is seeing<br />
the world through their eyes. We<br />
are privileged to witness their joy of<br />
discovery, which in turn transports<br />
us back to our own childhoods, giving<br />
us the opportunity to re-discover our<br />
world through the unblemished perspective<br />
of a child. That is why providing<br />
experiences that stimulate and<br />
challenge our grandchildren is so enjoyable.<br />
And what better time of year<br />
to do that than in the summer months<br />
when the weather cooperates?<br />
So here are a few of my favourite<br />
summer activities with my grandson—some<br />
are budget-friendly, requiring<br />
only time and effort, while<br />
others are more costly to be enjoyed<br />
once per season or annually.<br />
Sidney Spit. Sidney Island boasts a<br />
marine park that provides wonderful<br />
forested walking trails as well as endless<br />
stretches of sand for beachcombing<br />
and water play. This marine park<br />
is accessed by booking a 20-minute<br />
water ferry from the Sidney pier. sidneyspitferry.com<br />
U-Pick farms. There are a number of<br />
local farms on the Saanich Peninsula<br />
that encourage families to pick their<br />
own produce: Marsh Farm located on<br />
Wallace Drive in Saanichton is one<br />
example. Go first thing in the morning<br />
before it gets too hot and then stop by<br />
Dan’s Market on Oldfield Road to pick<br />
up a bite to eat, shop for fresh local<br />
meats, breads, and produce, and say<br />
hello to their resident goats, chickens,<br />
and rabbits. To find a farm in your<br />
area, visit bcfarmfresh.com.<br />
Coombs Old Country Market. Famous<br />
for its goats grazing on the grassy<br />
roof—yes, on the roof!—Coombs Market<br />
also boasts homemade ice cream/<br />
gelato/sorbet, a specialty, and provides<br />
a wide variety of local and imported<br />
food, gifts, and toys. If you haven’t<br />
packed a lunch, you can dine at one of<br />
a number of eateries: a bistro, cantina,<br />
trattoria or pizzeria.<br />
Qualicum Beach. Famous for its miles<br />
of sandy beachfront and warm tidal<br />
waters, this beach is located between<br />
Parksville and Courtenay and is sure<br />
to provide hours of entertainment for<br />
children of all ages. A sand sculpture<br />
contest is held annually that draws<br />
world-class sculptors, and a newly<br />
renovated playground is right next<br />
door.<br />
Scavenger Hunts. One of the simplest<br />
free activities for children of all<br />
ages is a scavenger hunt. The beauty<br />
of this activity is that it can be conducted<br />
anywhere—a forest walk, a<br />
beach, a marina, a park etc. You can<br />
12 <strong>GRAND</strong> grandmag.ca
put together your own list, or there<br />
are many to be found from a quick<br />
Google search. A treat or a prize for<br />
completion is always a big motivator!<br />
BC Aviation Museum. This gem of<br />
a museum is located in Sidney and<br />
is dedicated to the local history of<br />
flight. The museum offers something<br />
of interest for children of all ages. Included<br />
in the entrance fee is access to<br />
two hangars that house reconstructed<br />
planes of all shapes, sizes, and eras.<br />
Knowledgeable volunteers provide<br />
information and share stories. Kids<br />
can practice landing a model WWII<br />
fighter plane on the deck of an aircraft<br />
carrier, or sit inside a mini-helicopter,<br />
or try their hand at a flight simulator.<br />
Glass Beach/Sidney Pier. This small<br />
beach—named for the thousands of<br />
polished coloured glass chips that litter<br />
the sand—is located between Sidney’s<br />
wharf and its pier. Be prepared<br />
to spend an afternoon collecting these<br />
glass treasures, safe to handle thanks<br />
to the wave action has polished them<br />
smooth. The Sidney pier provides<br />
more entertainment—be sure to put<br />
one of the provided life jackets on<br />
your little one. Children delight in<br />
watching the crab traps being hauled<br />
up and measured, with the “keepers”<br />
deposited into large buckets of water.<br />
Waterparks/Playgrounds. There are<br />
a number of playgrounds with water<br />
features in the Greater Victoria area<br />
and the best thing about them is they<br />
are free. One of our favourites is at<br />
Carnarvon Rotary Water Park. A picnic<br />
lunch will complete the day.<br />
Morningstar Farm. This heritage<br />
dairy farm located north of Parksville<br />
provides self-guided tours at no cost.<br />
Children can learn about the milking<br />
process as well as cheese making.<br />
Meet farm animals such as calves,<br />
sheep and goats or purchase cheese,<br />
meat, eggs, coffee and other local<br />
products—including toys!—from the<br />
farm store.<br />
Elk/Beaver Lake. These two connected<br />
lakes not only provide freshwater<br />
swimming, but each has its own<br />
playground and picnic areas. There is<br />
also a 10km walking/biking trail that<br />
circumnavigates both lakes providing<br />
an excellent opportunity for some exercise<br />
whether it be walking, jogging,<br />
or bike riding.<br />
Calling all nature lovers!<br />
Join the Capital Region’s<br />
City Nature Challenge<br />
April 29 - May 2, <strong>2022</strong><br />
How many wild plants and animals can you find in<br />
the capital region? Join the CRD and its partners as<br />
we compete with cities around the world to document<br />
urban nature using the free and simple iNaturalist app.<br />
Get outside with your family to explore the capital<br />
region’s amazing biodiversity.<br />
Learn more at www.crd.bc.ca/biodiversity.<br />
grandmag.ca<br />
<strong>Vol</strong>. V, <strong>Ed</strong>. I 13
Mind<br />
A Recipe to<br />
Nourish Grandkids<br />
“In a troubled time, the willingness to proceed like you’re needed<br />
is a radical act.” – Stephen Jenkinson<br />
Lindsay Coulter is a writer, educator,<br />
facilitator, naturalist, community catalyst,<br />
soul activist, mentor, and dedicated<br />
mother of two. She’s the Director of<br />
Communications, Culture and Community<br />
at EPIC Learning Centre, a forest and<br />
nature school in Victoria, B.C. Find her @<br />
SaneAction on Instagram and Facebook.<br />
If old trees become fertile ground,<br />
then it’s grandparents who we need<br />
to nourish future generations. How<br />
will you offer yourself to the world?<br />
From an open-hearted and generous<br />
place, we need grandparents to share<br />
their gifts, wisdom and spirit.<br />
We are creatures of connection.<br />
Happiness and resilience blossom<br />
when we recognize our interconnection<br />
through generations and with our<br />
living world.<br />
Try a few simple acts to live in<br />
alignment with our innate desire to<br />
contribute:<br />
Forage with kids. It’s like hide and<br />
seek with a delicious pay off! When I<br />
was a kid, my grandparents took me<br />
foraging for morel mushrooms. It was<br />
a fun spring family activity of bushwhacking<br />
and climbing over forest<br />
debris and a peaceful way to experience<br />
nature reciprocity. Introduce<br />
grandchildren to your lineage of gatherers<br />
seeking nettle, berries or other<br />
wild edibles.<br />
Landscape for the soul. Landscapes<br />
are potent. It’s here we can connect<br />
with our ancestors. Take your grandkids<br />
to your favourite view or vista.<br />
Maybe somewhere your parents took<br />
you? Mary Reynolds Thompson, author<br />
of Reclaiming the Wild Soul, says<br />
all landscapes are not extrinsic to who<br />
you are; they are woven into the core<br />
of your being. Introduce children the<br />
landscapes they belong to. Can’t think<br />
of a landscape? Invite the child to<br />
show you a place they hold sacred.<br />
Take them to water. Water is an<br />
earth element with healing qualities—<br />
it’s pure and precious. Take a child to<br />
play, picnic or sit near water, it sooths<br />
the body and soul. Alan Wolfelt, author<br />
and founder and director of the<br />
Center for Loss and Life Transition,<br />
says, “When we spend time near water,<br />
we connect to its tranquility and<br />
flow.” Vancouver Island offers many<br />
opportunities to attune to the ocean,<br />
it’s streams, waterfalls, ponds and<br />
lakes. A walk in the rain counts too!<br />
Find ritual. Invite grandkids to participate<br />
in a ritual from your ancestors,<br />
culture and roots. This can be an<br />
act to reclaim and better understand<br />
the benefits of ceremony. Without<br />
ritual our lives can become empty and<br />
devoid of symbolism. The magical language<br />
of ritual helps us stay connected<br />
to our roots, brings us into the present<br />
moment and reminds us of our human<br />
goodness. Many children have a<br />
Photo: Kalene Lillico<br />
14 <strong>GRAND</strong> grandmag.ca
longing to understand the magic and<br />
electricity of heartfelt ritual. Can you<br />
help?<br />
Tell stories. Television has taken<br />
the place of storytelling around a fire,<br />
says Toko-pa Turner author of Belonging:<br />
Remembering Ourselves Home.<br />
Make time to share your stories. My<br />
grandfather wrote his life story a few<br />
years before he died. Each birthday, I<br />
read an excerpt of it to my kids so they<br />
may appreciate their lineage of fearless<br />
ancestors.<br />
Feed them. We’re no longer eating<br />
together or gathering around the<br />
anchor that was the family dining<br />
room table. Food preparation time has<br />
decreased for families, and snacking<br />
time has increased! Invite grandchildren<br />
to cook, bake or preserve the<br />
harvest with you. Make something<br />
from scratch. Dr. Deborah MacNamara,<br />
an author and counsellor, urges us<br />
to protect mealtime. Doing so helps us<br />
realize where we belong and who we<br />
belong too. Tip: Gift children a family<br />
recipe in every birthday card. They<br />
will grow to appreciate them with age.<br />
“Sharing food is a metaphor for all<br />
giving. When we offer someone food, we<br />
are not just giving that person something<br />
to eat, we are giving far more. We<br />
give strength, beauty, clarity of mind,<br />
and even life, because none of those<br />
things would be possible without food.<br />
So when we feed another, this is what<br />
we are offering: the substance of life<br />
itself.” – Susan Salzberg<br />
Give a blessing. Teach a child how to<br />
ask for support from the unseen, kind<br />
and wise. Religions and faith name<br />
these and any child can be invited to<br />
explore allies, helping spirits or the<br />
energy in the world around us. Barbara<br />
Moore calls blessings proactive,<br />
empowering and something you give.<br />
For example, kids can offer a blessing<br />
to a friend, a new home, celebration<br />
or beloved pet. Other ways to connect<br />
or communicate, like prayer can call<br />
in light, love, non-human kin (for example<br />
a tree, stone, water) and basic<br />
goodness. Did you know praying aloud<br />
helps regulate the vagus nerve, among<br />
the most complex systems of nerves in<br />
the body? And so does sitting, chanting,<br />
humming, yawning and laughing.<br />
Show grandkids in your life how<br />
to sew, mend and repair items. Plant<br />
seeds in the garden together or become<br />
pen pals so they learn how to<br />
write a letter or postcard. Teach kids<br />
how to knit, crotchet and build. They<br />
need your presence and crave meaningful<br />
experiences together. Enjoy!<br />
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grandmag.ca<br />
<strong>Vol</strong>. V, <strong>Ed</strong>. I 15
Mind<br />
Grandparents<br />
& Good Books<br />
Christina Van Starkenburg lives in<br />
Victoria with her husband, children, and<br />
cat. She is the author of One Tiny Turtle:<br />
A Story You Can Colour and many articles.<br />
To read more of her work and learn<br />
about her upcoming books visit<br />
christinavanstarkenburg.com.<br />
Facebook: facebook.com/<br />
christinavanstarkenburg<br />
and Twitter: @Christina_VanS<br />
One of my children’s favourite<br />
things to do when their grandparents<br />
come and visit, is to curl<br />
up on the couch—or their beds—and<br />
read a bedtime story. It’s something<br />
I loved doing when I was growing up<br />
too. Even though we read to our children<br />
every night before bed, there’s<br />
just something special about hearing<br />
Nana or Papa read their favourite stories.<br />
If you are looking for some new<br />
stories that could become favourites,<br />
here are a few that highlight just how<br />
special the grandparent/grandchild<br />
relationship can be.<br />
The first is My Day with Gong Gong by<br />
Sennah Yee and illustrated by Elaine<br />
Chen (Annick Press, 2020). In this<br />
adorable story, May spends the day<br />
wandering through Chinatown with<br />
her grandfather. But they have a big<br />
problem: they don’t speak the same<br />
language. Still, before May gives up<br />
completely, Gong Gong has a surprise<br />
to turn things around. For ages 3 to 7.<br />
Just like My Day with Gong Gong, this<br />
next story reminds readers just how<br />
magical it can be to spend a day with<br />
a grandparent. In Maud and Grand-<br />
Maud by Sara O’Leary and illustrated<br />
by Kenard Pak (Tundra, 2020), Maud<br />
can’t wait to spend the day with the<br />
woman she is named after. The illustrations<br />
in this story are fantastic and<br />
they really showcase just how sweet<br />
and special the relationship can be.<br />
For ages 3 to 7.<br />
As I mentioned, I have memories of<br />
the times I spent with my grandparents.<br />
But, unlike Mina Javaherbin, I<br />
haven’t written them down. However,<br />
I am glad she did. In My Grandma and<br />
Me by Mina Javaherbin and illustrated<br />
by Lindsey Yankey (Candlewick Press,<br />
2019), Mina recollects the time she<br />
spent with her grandmother growing<br />
up. From waking up early to pray or<br />
eat before sunrise during Ramadan, to<br />
building rocket ships from scrap fabric,<br />
Mina followed her grandmother<br />
everywhere. This story reminds us all,<br />
how the special things, don’t have to<br />
be extravagant. For ages 4 to 8.<br />
This next story isn’t directly about<br />
grandparents, but it is about those<br />
around us that we lovingly call Gramma<br />
or Grampa. Those wonderful souls<br />
who just envelope everyone with their<br />
warmth. In Wingmaker by Dave Cameron<br />
and illustrated by David Huyck<br />
(Kids Can Press, 2021), two ants, Leaf<br />
and Lou, take care of Gramma Tinker<br />
and help her with her inventions. As<br />
the story unfolds, Gramma Tinker,<br />
who is an eastern tent caterpillar, is<br />
building her greatest invention yet:<br />
the Wingmaker. For ages 4 to 8.<br />
16 <strong>GRAND</strong> grandmag.ca
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Finally, as much as we may want<br />
to avoid it, we all know that there<br />
will come a time when we need to<br />
say goodbye. It’s not always easy to<br />
find the words to say. But this next<br />
book might help. In Bon Voyage Mister<br />
Rodriguez Christiane Duchesne and<br />
Francois Thisdale (Pajama Press, 2019)<br />
work together to write and illustrate a<br />
magical story about how the children<br />
of one community said goodbye to a<br />
very special man. For ages 4 to 8.<br />
Even if you don’t take any of these<br />
suggestions to heart—though they<br />
are fantastic stories—I hope you all<br />
find fun and enjoyable ways to spend<br />
time with your grandchildren, be it<br />
through reading, tinkering or letting<br />
them use your scrap cut offs to build a<br />
rocket ship.<br />
flexibility<br />
for<br />
different<br />
learning<br />
styles<br />
optional<br />
hands-on<br />
learning<br />
activities<br />
support<br />
from a<br />
certified<br />
teacher<br />
gentle and<br />
constructive<br />
feedback<br />
grandmag.ca<br />
<strong>Vol</strong>. V, <strong>Ed</strong>. I 17
Money &<br />
Finances<br />
Leaving a Legacy<br />
Grandchildren are the apple of<br />
your eye, and, just like children,<br />
they can be easy to spend money<br />
on! For some grandparents, spoiling<br />
one’s grandchildren is natural, especially<br />
if you are in a better financial<br />
position than when you were when<br />
raising your children.<br />
Besides ice cream treats and the<br />
occasional gift, an impactful way to<br />
participate in your grandchild’s financial<br />
upbringing is to consider leaving<br />
a legacy. There are a number of ways<br />
you can accomplish this:<br />
1. Contribute to an RESP for education<br />
savings<br />
A Registered <strong>Ed</strong>ucation Savings<br />
Plan is one of the most common savings<br />
vehicles for Canadians saving<br />
for a child’s future. Deposits of up to<br />
$2,500 per year will generate a 20%<br />
match from the Government ($500/yr<br />
Canada <strong>Ed</strong>ucation Savings Grant) and<br />
up to $50,000 total can be put into an<br />
RESP for a beneficiary. Anyone can<br />
open an RESP and grants accumulate<br />
based on contributions, so coordinate<br />
with the parents, if there is another<br />
RESP in place as the grant will be allocated<br />
to the first $2,500 (if more is<br />
being contributed, across all RESPs for<br />
the same beneficiary). You can also<br />
give money to the parents to contribute<br />
to an RESP. If a beneficiary doesn’t<br />
go to school, all money contributed<br />
goes back to the subscriber (the owner<br />
of the RESP), grants go back to the<br />
Government, and interest earned is<br />
taxed (if the beneficiary does go to<br />
school, the interest earnings are taxed<br />
in their hands when the money is<br />
withdrawn).<br />
2. Match TFSA contributions for<br />
adult grandchildren<br />
Since 2009, any Canadian resident<br />
over the age of 18 earns TFSA contribution<br />
room each tax year. This year’s<br />
contribution maximum is $6,000. To<br />
encourage savings, you could match<br />
your grandchild’s contributions. If<br />
they have a bi-weekly paycheque, $115<br />
per pay from them and a match from<br />
you will be close to the maximum for<br />
the year. This is a much more manageable<br />
amount than a young adult trying<br />
to plan a strategy for saving $500/<br />
month.<br />
3. Pay them to work<br />
If you want to help children or teens<br />
save money for things they want,<br />
let them earn it. Anything can be a<br />
job. Grandfather Joe Gilgunn’s three<br />
grandchildren are designing bookmarks<br />
for him, at a dollar a piece.<br />
“I used to give my daughters’ friends<br />
quarters for being polite and they jokingly<br />
still expect it when I run into<br />
them now—30 years later,” he says.<br />
“Earning small amounts of money to<br />
save and spend is one way I’ve seen<br />
children learn money management.”<br />
For bigger savings goals—with<br />
teenagers, for example—you could<br />
assign bigger jobs or even challenges<br />
(“pay” them for volunteer hours at<br />
your Rotary or Lawn Bowling Club, for<br />
example).<br />
4. Consider critical illness and<br />
permanent life insurance<br />
Both permanent Critical Illness<br />
Insurance and Life Insurance can be<br />
valuable assets for grandchildren to<br />
have, well into the future. There are<br />
20-year fully paid options for both<br />
these products as well as options for<br />
getting cash back or borrowing funds<br />
from the policy and plans start at $30-<br />
$50/month. Speak with a licensed<br />
insurance advisor about what this<br />
could look like. Grandpa Joe is happy<br />
he did; “Paying for a Critical Illness<br />
policy for my grandchild is one way to<br />
provide some protection for them and<br />
especially their parents, if something<br />
were to happen, even after I’m gone.<br />
My children [the parents] would have<br />
to dig into their savings to pay their<br />
children’s medical expenses and any<br />
other associated costs. This policy on<br />
children is actually protecting the parents<br />
or grandparents from costly and<br />
unexpected medical bills.”<br />
5. Gift cash; get legal advice if<br />
leaving other assets<br />
In Canada, there is no gift tax, so<br />
you can freely give small amounts of<br />
cash to grandchildren—both minors<br />
and adults. However, assets such as<br />
stocks, houses (principal residence),<br />
other investments or appreciating<br />
assets could have tax consequences<br />
such as attribution rules. Be sure to<br />
consult with a lawyer if planning to<br />
give or leave gifts of this nature, especially<br />
to minors. If wanting to gift<br />
large amounts of cash, such as for a<br />
downpayment on a condo, there may<br />
18 <strong>GRAND</strong> grandmag.ca
e a request from a mortgage lender<br />
for proof that this is a gift and not an<br />
amount being loaned for repayment.<br />
6. Name (adult) grandchildren as<br />
beneficiaries in your life insurance<br />
policy<br />
You can name minors as beneficiaries<br />
but will also need to name a<br />
trustee who will then be in control<br />
and in charge of the funds until the<br />
child is the age of majority (19 in BC).<br />
As above, speak with an Estate lawyer<br />
about structuring your will when<br />
planning.<br />
Helping your grandchildren with<br />
these long-term strategies is also a<br />
way for them to remember you—<br />
when they are going to school, saving<br />
money monthly, or using money<br />
that you helped them save. Keep your<br />
grandchildren learning and earning<br />
and give them a foundation for their<br />
future that will last longer than that<br />
toy they are desperate for.<br />
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Alyx Valdal is a licensed life and health<br />
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passionate about financial literacy for the<br />
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https://cocf.ca/get-involved/donations/<br />
grandmag.ca<br />
<strong>Vol</strong>. V, <strong>Ed</strong>. I 19
Road Trip<br />
How to Be an Eco-Friendly Traveller<br />
If you’re reading this, there’s a big<br />
chance you’re an avid or occasional<br />
traveller. Perhaps you’re even looking<br />
forward to the next time you have<br />
a few days or weeks to yourself so you<br />
can take that long-awaited vacation!<br />
But have you ever wondered how<br />
your trips impact the environment?<br />
Are you an eco-friendly traveller? If<br />
so, read on to find out what it means to<br />
be a green traveller, alongside things<br />
you should never forget if you want to<br />
be a friend of the environment.<br />
What is eco-friendly travel?<br />
Also known as green travel or sustainable<br />
tourism, eco-friendly travel<br />
has become an overly important and<br />
trendy topic over the years. It simply<br />
refers to travelling in a manner that<br />
causes the least harm to the environment.<br />
This includes everything from<br />
where you go, what you pack, how<br />
you get to your destination and basically<br />
how to treat your surroundings.<br />
The simple decisions you make—like<br />
throwing away trash during your errands—also<br />
count.<br />
With this being said, below is a list<br />
of things people tend to forget when<br />
trying to travel sustainably.<br />
1. Packing (light) the right<br />
essentials<br />
It is not uncommon to overpack for<br />
a trip or forget items that you will end<br />
up really needing. Especially overpacking,<br />
this occurs to so many travellers,<br />
often ruining the whole essence<br />
of travelling green. Remember, each<br />
luggage brought into a flight adds to<br />
the overall weight of your plane.<br />
If the plane gets too heavy, it will<br />
have to burn more fuel to stay on<br />
course and get to the destination,<br />
meaning a higher carbon footprint<br />
from CO 2 emissions. This is all the<br />
more reason to pack light, making<br />
sure only essential items go into your<br />
bag.<br />
At the very least, this means packing<br />
clothing items that you’ll actually<br />
use, enough footwear and some<br />
toiletries, alongside quality personal<br />
care items like beauty and skincare<br />
products.<br />
2. Reusable bags<br />
When travelling, the need to go<br />
shopping comes occasionally. Perhaps<br />
you rented an Airbnb and needed to<br />
restock your groceries, or you needed<br />
to bring some souvenirs back home<br />
after your trip. In these and other situations,<br />
reusable bags come in handy<br />
since you won’t have to use plastic<br />
bags or purchase a carry bag every<br />
time you have to go shopping.<br />
Moreover, the bag can easily be<br />
slipped into your luggage or even a<br />
purse without bumping up the weight.<br />
20 <strong>GRAND</strong> grandmag.ca
It is funny how people keep on forgetting<br />
this eco-friendly utility.<br />
3. Disposing of waste<br />
responsibly<br />
Green travel requires a lot of cautiousness<br />
when it comes to disposing<br />
of waste. Nothing harms the environment<br />
more than dumping waste irresponsibly,<br />
especially in water bodies,<br />
more so if it’s plastic. It ends up clogging<br />
wastewater systems, plus it could<br />
end up in the sea, eventually harming<br />
aquatic life.<br />
As a responsible traveller, it is best<br />
to reduce your usage of plastic as<br />
much as you can, always making sure<br />
to dispose of all your waste responsibly.<br />
4. Reducing carbon footprint<br />
The distance between your tour<br />
destination and your home is another<br />
crucial consideration if you want to<br />
make your trip eco-friendly. Huge<br />
distances often mean a higher carbon<br />
footprint, whether you’re travelling by<br />
air, road or sea.<br />
Nonetheless, public transportation<br />
systems like trains, buses and bicycles<br />
are considered more sustainable because<br />
they help reduce the amount of<br />
CO 2 released to the atmosphere per<br />
trip. Also, don’t forget to choose a sustainable<br />
destination every time you<br />
travel, making sure to use responsible<br />
tour guides who have the best interests<br />
of the environment at heart.<br />
Nothing is more fulfilling than<br />
knowing you’ve helped sustain the<br />
environment by the little choices you<br />
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<strong>Vol</strong>. V, <strong>Ed</strong>. I 21
Cooking with<br />
Grandkids<br />
Easy as Pie<br />
One of the first cooking skills that I ever learned was how to make pastry and<br />
bake apple pie. My parents are both great cooks, but desserts and pastries<br />
aren’t really their cup of tea. So it was one of my neighbours who taught<br />
me how to make a pie when I was eight years old.<br />
She invited me over one Saturday afternoon and asked me to bring my apron.<br />
We went through the whole process, making the pastry from scratch, then using<br />
it to bake apple pies. The afternoon even included a neighbourhood hike<br />
while we waited for the dough to chill. And at the end of the day, I was incredibly<br />
proud to bring home a freshly baked pie.<br />
Emillie Parrish loves having adventures<br />
with her two busy children. You<br />
can find more of her recipes in her<br />
recently released cookbook Fermenting<br />
Made Simple. fermentingforfoodies.com<br />
A few months later, my older brother enlisted my help in making a lemon meringue<br />
pie for my parents wedding anniversary. I made the crust, he made the<br />
filling and the feeling of our shared success was palpable.<br />
Now it is my son who routinely asks if he can bake a pie. And we all love freshly<br />
baked homemade apply pie<br />
Here are a few reasons to consider sharing some pastry-making skills:<br />
• Rubbing butter or shortening into flour is really fun. Even little kids can enjoy<br />
getting their fingers into the dough.<br />
• Since pies are not usually time-sensitive, they are perfect for older kids to<br />
make on their own. As long as they have an afternoon with nothing else to do,<br />
they can bake a pie!<br />
• Pies are really forgiving. While there’s a few fussy techniques, ultimately,<br />
simply mixing up all the right ingredients will result in a delicious treat! An<br />
award-winning pie crust is not required.<br />
Here is a simplified apple pie recipe. Perfect for teaching pastry-making skills<br />
to all the grandchildren in your life.<br />
22 <strong>GRAND</strong> grandmag.ca
Fool-Proof Pie Crust<br />
There are so many different versions of pie crust. Some add vinegar or lard. Personally,<br />
I like an all-butter pie crust. The flavour is amazing and it’s easier to only measure one<br />
type of fat.<br />
2 1 ⁄2 cups of all-purpose flour or pastry flour<br />
2 tsp white sugar (optional, only include it if you’re making a sweet pie)<br />
1⁄2 tsp salt<br />
1 cup of salted butter<br />
1⁄2 cup of water<br />
More flour, as required for rolling out the dough<br />
Mix the flour with the sugar (if using) and salt in a large bowl.<br />
Chop the butter into small cubes. Add the butter to the flour and toss to coat each<br />
of the cubes.<br />
If you have a pastry knife, feel free to use that to work the butter into the flour. I<br />
recommend using your fingers. It’s a lot more fun. Especially if there are kids involved!<br />
Just rub the butter into the flour, breaking up all the large chunks. The goal is to have<br />
the butter fully mixed into the flour. It should resemble a coarse meal.<br />
Sprinkle on 1 ⁄4 cup of cold water. Stir it into the dough. Add the remaining water 1<br />
tablespoon at a time. The goals is to bring the flour into a smooth dough that is not<br />
overly wet. Don’t add all the water unless the dough feels very dry and crumbly.<br />
After adding the water bring the dough into a smooth ball. I find this is easiest done<br />
by hand. Again, you don’t want to actually knead the dough, just pat it into a ball-like<br />
shape.<br />
Divide the dough into 2 balls. Place each ball in a plastic bag and stash them in the<br />
fridge. Let them chill for at least 2 hours and up to 5 days before baking a pie.<br />
Betty’s Apple Pie<br />
Pie filling is often pre-cooked. This is because raw apples reduce in size as they cook,<br />
resulting in a collapsed top crust. However, there’s no way my 13-year-old is patient<br />
enough to pre-cook pie filling. So this recipe allows the apples to softens slightly without<br />
any additional cooking. The result isn’t a perfectly stuffed pie crust, but I’m pretty<br />
sure no one will notice!<br />
2 1 ⁄2 lbs of apples (about 5) 1 tsp cinnamon<br />
1 ⁄2 cup of brown sugar 1 ⁄8 tsp salt<br />
3 Tbsp of all-purpose flour 2 Tbsp butter<br />
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice 2 tsp white sugar<br />
Preheat the oven to 425˚F.<br />
Peel, core and thinly slice the apples. Mix them with the brown sugar, flour, lemon<br />
juice, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl.<br />
Leave the apples to soften for 15 minutes while you prepare the pie crust.<br />
Roll out one ball of dough on a lightly floured surface. Line a 9-inch pie plate with<br />
the dough.<br />
Then roll out the top crust.<br />
Stir the filling and pour it into the bottom crust. Level the filling with a spoon or<br />
spatula. Cut the butter into small pieces and dot the top of the apples with the butter.<br />
Cover with the top crust and crimp the edges of the pie to seal in the filling. My kids<br />
like to make a woven lattice-style crust. If you’re using a solid crust, use a sharp knife<br />
to slice the centre of the top crust two or three times to create a vent.<br />
Sprinkle the top crust with the white sugar.<br />
Bake for 30 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350˚F and bake for another 30–45<br />
minutes. The pie is done with the apples are soft and bubbly. You can test softness by<br />
poking a sharp knife through the top vent.<br />
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<strong>Vol</strong>. V, <strong>Ed</strong>. I 23