Adventures Of Sammy

This is it! May 17, 2013 – a day to celebrate food! Not just any food, though, good cooked food, natural food and healthy food. Food Revolution Day!

With all the talk of GMO’s, all the myths about how expensive healthy food is and how inconvenient it is to cook your own meal, this day highlights the rubbish of all those lessons.

Chef Jamie Oliver starter a revolution with food and it’s easy to participate. Grow a garden, invite friends over for a home cooked meal, share recipes and educate. Have fun with it, knowing that it is easy to eat healthy, delicious and inexpensive!

Join us for a Food Revolution today and tell us how you’re making the right choice!

Thank you for reading and eating!

Sarah Butland author of Sending You Sammy

Try to read a book to your child at least once a day. No matter how busy you are this should be your number one priority to instill literacy values and the desire to learn in your child and our next generation.

Celebrate World Read Aloud Day everyday but especially March 6th!

I find it incredibly amazing to read a book to my three year old one and have him eagerly flip through the pages to recite the story. Ok, not word for word but he listens, learns and memorizes and that’s what reading is all about!

Yesterday I was able to catch our story time on video and, with permission from Robert Munschhimself, want to show it to you.

You may notice he appears to be bored in this video as this was our second time recording (first time was wonderful but memory card was full :( ) and the always exciting garbage trucks were at our house. I just want to emphasize how easy it is to take a few minutes to do this, once a day, and celebrate a good story and your ability to read!

Thanks for reading and watching,

Sarah Butland author of Sending You Sammy

Literacy isn’t always about books but is most always definitely about stories and the great thing is – everyone has a story to tell.

Over a year ago, at my local zoo, a band was playing. It was a children’s musical group we never heard of before but, being new to the parenting world, we weren’t surprised. What we were impressed with is the talent displayed by each member and the few parents we knew who have heard of them.

They are Scotty and the Stars, recent winners of Children’s Recording of the Year through Music NB. A multi-talented group of New Brunswick artists writing and singing songs of action, dreams and lessons in a way that has kids from 2 years old to 33 or more. Definitely a group to shake it to. Let’s meet them:

1) When did you – Scotty- know music was your passion and has your focus always been on with children’s entertainment? Same question for all of your regulars.

I got my first drum set in grade 9. I played in many bands (rock, metal, folk, jam) before I fell in love with children’s music. I actually came across an old Raffi book during an education assignment during university and started learning some of his songs. After playing a couple of his songs, I put the book down and wrote a children’s song that night. Ever since then, my main focus has been on writing children’s music.

2) With children’s literacy rates so low in Canada do you feel an added pressure to perform and write catchy lyrics?

I have been working with children for many years through camps, daycares and now I am a kindergarten teacher. I feel it is extremely important for children to be children. I feel there is a void in the music industry to allow that. Our goal is to create modern day children’s music that is educational, interactive and fun.

3) What is your favourite instrument and why (for every member)?

Scotty – My favorite instrument is the acoustic guitar because I believe it is such a powerful instrument. The idea that you can sit down and write a song about anything you wish is a very special tool.
Kelly Waterhouse- Sax
Richard Gloade – Bass
Nicci Blewett- Ukulele

4) What’s your favourite Scotty and the Stars song?

My (Scotty) favortite Scotty and the Stars song is a tie. They are both off the new album. The first one is our new single entitled “Don’t Bully.” We are also making an animation video for this song! This music video depicts Scotty helping animals understand that bullying other animals can have devastating effects. The animals are encouraged by his message that superficial attributes of others don’t matter. They find out that they are really All Stars on the inside! The second one is a song called Big Day. It’s about having a great day, helping the people around you, being a great friend and going outside and being active.

5) You recently introduced a new instrument sent from Peru. Did you fall in love with / pay it before receiving it?

I actually never heard of a Charango before it was given to me as a gift. I instantly fell in love with the instrument. It’s basically a cross between a mandolin and a ukulele. I learned the chords that night and have been playing it ever since. Our newest song is written on the Charango. It is called the Barnyard Bluegrass Boogie.

6) Where’s the furthest each of you have visited and played as a group?

I have traveled from Newfoundland to Vancouver playing music. I feel very privileged to have traveled this beautiful country playing music.

7) Scotty, you mentioned in your recent CD launch that your brother helped you write a song. Is he active in the artist community to?

My brother is a very talented individual. He helped me write the song Big Day. He has written many songs, attends many local shows as well as helped me market Scotty and the Stars.

Thanks Scotty for answering these questions and thank YOU for reading… now go visit their site and shake it up…

Sarah Butland
author of Sending You Sammy and more!

Chef Jamie Oliver made progress in his home country of England with having schools and families switch to a healthier lifestyle.

Then he came to America and produced an amazingly informative show titled Food Revolution and took the country, and in turn Canada, by storm. As we watch a lot of American tv and so are impacted by the scenes of kids not recognizing common vegetables, the speeches about hair being in cookie dough and the disgusting attitude from the cafeteria workers in charge of handing out food but the presence ended there.

Until now…

With the first Food Revolution Day coming up on May 19, 2012 I have decided it’s time for Canadians to meet their own hero and, in our case, he’s from and living in Canada and loving it. He’s also loving eating right, exercising often and sharing his adventures and success with everyone – especially children.

So as Food Revolution Day approaching it’s no wonder BananaBoy is wiggling in his peeling, trying to get out and fulfill the need.

So come on over, share your thoughts and support the Canadian movement today!

Let’s make this powerful!

Thanks for reading,

Sarah Butland

As mentioned in my previous post, Clover Leaf is Re-inventing Fast food to make Canadians healthy. They gave me the chance not only to interview Chef Michael P Clive, their creative resource for their 5 healthy recipes, they let me ask them a few questions, too.

Do you know how many calories you need to cut to lose 7.5 lbs per year? Why they chose tuna as their main ingredient to improve health? What Clover Leaf fees their employees for breakfast? BananaBoy certainly had fun finding out and is now excited to hear when tuna is on the menu – he doesn’t mind which flavour it is.

Read on, eat healthy and tell your friends!

Sarah Butland: As a Canadian, I’ve been seeing so many companies say they are supporting health but taking actions proving otherwise. Do you feel you’ll be leading the way for other companies to take part in changing our diet the right way?

Clover Leaf: We hope other companies will recognize what a struggle it can be for Canadians to maintain a healthy lifestyle in a hectic world. At Clover Leaf, we believe that the more convenient, time-saving and healthy choices available for consumers to choose from, the better!  That’s why we “re-invented” fast food, taking traditional take-out favourites like burgers, pizza and tacos, and putting a healthy twist on them.  These recipes are fast, easy and delicious, but are much lower in calories and fat than traditional fast food favourites.

Sarah Butland : All of your recipes for this campaign include tuna. Why tuna? What are the benefits of this fish versus say, salmon or lobster?

Clover Leaf: Canned tuna is already in the pantry of nearly two-thirds of Canadian households. We wanted to create simple, healthy recipes that would be easy alternatives to fast food, and the versatility, convenience and accessibility of our flavoured tuna products allowed Clover Leaf to do just that.

Tuna is a rich source of lean protein, low in fat and packed full of other healthy nutrients such as vitamin D and selenium.

Although salmon is typically higher in fat than tuna, it’s the good kind of fat, loaded with heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. We recommend Canadians have a variety of fish and seafood in their diet. Our website, www.cloverleaf.ca, has hundreds of great recipes, including not only tuna, salmon and lobster dishes, but also recipes for shrimp, clams, oysters, mussels, crab, sardines and herring!

Sarah Butland:  You pride yourself on having a Thriving Workplace with fresh fruit provided every morning, filtered water systems, and employee discounts on your fish. What do you find employees best respond to and how do you suggest other companies learn from your examples?

Clover Leaf: Good health practises help both individual employees and our overall business. Clover Leaf can trace its roots as far back as 1871, with the very first and only cannery on the Fraser River in British Columbia. This long-term success would not be possible without our valued employees. Our team respects the philosophy that we “practice what we preach” by making a healthy lifestyle and smart food choices a regular part of their busy lives.

Sarah Butland: Was the idea behind adding flavour to your tuna based on getting young children to like it, or was it simply to offer more variety?

Clover Leaf: A little bit of both, with some convenience thrown in! Flavoured tuna is another step toward encouraging Canadians to include healthy seafood in their diet. Because the flavour is already mixed in with the tuna, it saves a step and allows for quick and easy recipes, such as our Spicy Tuna Pad Thai with our Spicy Peanut Satay and Spicy Thai Chili flavours, or the Original Shawarma infused with Lemon & Pepper and Garlic & Hot Pepper flavoured tunas.

Children are responding well to the new flavours too, especially in fun recipes like the Personal Naan Pizza. As seafood consumption is a part of healthy brain development and functioning, it is especially important that children get enough of this low calorie, high protein food. For full details on children’s seafood consumption, Clover Leaf encourages Canadians to follow Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating.

Sarah Butland:  Is there a reason only your light tuna is flavoured, or do you plan to offer a line with your white tuna as well?

Clover Leaf: You read our minds!  Clover Leaf will soon be launching three flavoured white tuna products: Sundried Tomato, Chipotle and Jalapeño.  Look for them on grocery store shelves starting in February of next year!

Sarah Butland: Your website has a lot of tips and information about getting healthy and maintaining good health, including recipes and links to other websites. Has this always been something Clover Leaf has focused on, along with quality fish?

Clover Leaf: Absolutely.  We at Clover Leaf have always believed that a healthy active lifestyle, including healthy eating is the key to a longer, happier life.  We pride ourselves in providing our consumers and customers with a wealth of information that can help them to do just that.

Sarah Butland:  What advice do you have for children/adults who are hesitant to try seafood?

Clover Leaf: Seafood and fish play a crucial role in human health, including reducing the risk of heart disease while improving brain development and normal functioning. In order to get these and the many other benefits, why not start with one of Clover Leaf’s Re-Invent Fast Food recipes?  By replacing a fast-food cheeseburger with the Captain Burger with Bacon and Cheese, you’ll save calories and fat while getting the many benefits of tuna, not to mention how delicious it is!

Sarah Butland: You’ve dealt with Chef Michael P Clive previously on the Take 5 campaign. Since he has a musical background, has he written a jingle for your company yet?

Clover Leaf: No. But we love Michael’s passion for cooking and entertaining!

Sarah Butland: What was the inspiration for the easy open cans? When were they first introduced?

Clover Leaf: The stiff metal “Easy Open” lids with the pull ring have been around for more than a decade, though most canned seafood products do not have this feature.  However, within the past couple of years Clover Leaf has introduced “Easy Peel” lids on all of our Flavoured Tuna and Tuna Salad Kit products.  The easy peel lids are foil – somewhat like what you’d find on a yogurt container.  The pull tabs on these lids allow anyone to open these delicious products quickly and easily.  Clover Leaf is the only canned seafood brand in Canada to offer this convenience.

Sarah Butland: Is there anything else you’d like Canadians to take away from this campaign?

Clover Leaf: Much of the fast food out there is low on nutrition and high in fat, calories, and sodium – and it’s often served in very large portions. By replacing those fast food favourites with Clover Leaf’s ‘Reinvent Fast Food’ recipes, you can lose weight and get the heart-healthy benefits of fish. Remember – you can lose up to 7.5 pounds in the course of a year if you eliminate just 500 calories from your diet every week!

Major thanks to Clover Leaf for their effort and support in encouraging Canadians to make the healthy choice, whenever possible.  And thanks to them for asking me to share this information with all of you.

And, of course, thank you for reading!

Sarah Butland