The Dishes of Ukrainian Christmas Eve Supper

Young and old enjoy the special Ukrainian Christmas traditions on the Canadian prairies.  Probably the most universally loved celebratory moments comes with the end of the lenten fast, and the family joining for the Ukrainian Christmas eve supper - Sviata Vecherya by the old calendar.
Andrew Boykow of the University of Calgary Ukrainian Student's Society explains the traditions of Ukrainian Christmas Eve celebrations, honoring his mother Eileen's culinary preparations. Here is a  great clip from CityTV's Breakfast Television, aired January 4, 2013.
Greeting everyone enjoying the Ukrainian Christmas meal - Andrew says Veselikh Sviat!  Happy Holidays!
http://video.citytv.com/video/detail/2073012736001.000000/ukranian-christmas--jan-4th/

Taste Baba's Cooking

The smells of home cooking, of Baba's cooking!  What could be better!

If you are a Ukrainian food enthusiast, you know the time, care and talent it takes to make beautiful traditional dishes to serve to your family and friends.  It is a bit challenging, but the accolades and compliments are always motivators.

And you can always prepare for feast days in advance - when you  have the help of some other person's Baba -  like the lovely ladies of Baba's Own Ukrainian Food in Edmonton!

Did you see Baba's Own Ukrainian Food in the Edmonton Journal on Wednesday November 14th, 2012 in the "FOOD" section under "TASTE ALBERTA" (E3) ? If not click this link to view and read the article: 
http://www.smhg.ca/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=XeMGuJkavhY%3D&tabid=69&mid=684 

Seeds for the Future

Ah, the lovely smells of Autumn!  Leaves of golden yellow, fields of stubble, the harvest bounty brought home - such a time of plenty.  Time to thank, appreciate, and then put the gardening tools to sleep for a winter's rest. 

Hopefulness comes of this time.  Time to think  - well that patch of garden space really needs to rest, or...that section of the garden would be great for runner beans next year.  Ah, dreaming of next year's planting season.

I am not a seed harvester, however perhaps you could be.  I remember Baba saving tomatos for their seeds, and harvesting beans to dry some for next year's seeds.  This involved hopefulness, planning, dreams for a better tomorrow.

The bad news, however, is that there are major seed-developing companies that are already introducing "terminator technologies" into Canada so that every time you want to grow a grain or vegetable or a flower, you will have to purchase new seeds.  These seeds will produce, but will not reproduce!!!  The seed will be sterile!!!

This scares me a lot.  When you consider the accumulated agricultural wisdom of our Canadian prairie producers, and place that against the HOLODOMOR experiences of Ukrainians in the last century, our food security is a huge issue!!  Who controls our food security??

The National Council of Women of Canada (www.ncwc.ca) , and the Ukrainian Women's Association of Canada (www.uwac-national.ca) have asked the government of Canada to ban terminator seeds in Canada.  In the upcoming session of Parliament, Alex Atamanenko, NDP MP for BC Southern Interior, has sponsored a private member's bill - Bill C-434 Terminator Seeds Ban.  This is "an act to prohibit the planting, cultivation, release, sale and importation of seeds incorporating or altered by variety-genetics use restriction technologies (V-GURTS) also called "Terminator Technologies". 

Normally private members bills have little chance of passing, however you can help this one pass but flooding your MP's office with phone calls, letters and emails in support of this bill.  Be assured that the grain companies will be lobbying very strongly against this Bill.

Calgary's Holodomor Commemoration 2012

Calgary will be honoring the HOLODOMOR on Saturday, November 24th,2012.

HOLODOMOR Commemoration 11 am St. Vladimir's Cultural Centre 404 Meredith Road N.E.

Sponsored by the Calgary Branch of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress www.calgaryucc.org


Interviews in English and Ukrainian
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QupijTjTQQ&feature=autoplay&list=PL35DE30F3A9394914&playnext=2

Svicha by Oksana Bilozir
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1v7OzHXnU6I&feature=bf_next&list=PL35DE30F3A9394914

And in Russian
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuSZsAK9tko&feature=related

And phantom pain - Ukraine and her loss
http://ukrainiancalgary.blogspot.ca/2012/08/phantom-pain-and-empathy.html

 

Calgary's Holodomor Monument, Edmonton Trail NE and Memorial Drive in Bridgeland by the Bow River