1st Place Winner - Wild Rice and Potato Pancakes with Corn Salsa
2nd Place Winner - Angel Wing Pasta
3rd Place Winner - Saskatoon Bars
Honourable Mention - Aunty Mary's Buns
Pumpkin Loaf - Not Just For October Anymore
Carol Dalgarno lives in the picturesque community of Newdale, Man. that rests on the south side of Riding Mountain National Park. Every year she plants a garden. There are things that don’t do so well during the relatively short growing season. But there’s one thing that always does well. Really well. Pumpkins. “We have no idea why they thrive but they do. It’s a real mystery,” she said.
“We always plant them and end up with lots and lots of pumpkins, even after we give so many away.”
She makes pies and puddings with her bounty but it’s the pumpkin loaves that get the lion’s share. And it remains a favourite treat for her children, a son now 33 and a daughter, now 30.
“I would always make it for them and tuck it into their lunches. They still love it,” said Dalgarno.
It’s a recipe that Dalgarno has tweaked to become her own over the last 25 years or so. “Originally it called for pumpkin spice. I did a little research and found it’s simply a mix of cinnamon, cloves, ginger and nutmeg. I didn’t have to buy something called pumpkin spice,” she said.
Dalgarno also substituted the shortening for canola, added a handful of ground flax and cut down on the sugar. “I went to a workshop once and found out that you could easily cut down the sugar in most recipes and it wouldn’t affect the taste one bit,” she said.
Dalgarno married her husband Bruce in 1972. They started farming with 570 acres in 1975. Last year, they planted 1,750 acres of canola. Their son now farms with them.
Dalgarno admits that she does a little less baking these days but it’s something she still enjoys.
“I’m not a baker who likes to make fiddly things, but I do like to make my loaves,” she said.
To make sure her crop of pumpkins takes her through the year, Dalgarno freezes a puree. Through trial and error, she’s found a method that yields just the right flavour and texture for her loaves. It’s important to have the puree handy when she wants to donate to a 4-H bake sale or provide lunch for a local meeting.
Dalgarno is looking forward to introducing a new generation to her pumpkin loaf. This spring, her first grandchild entered the picture. When she starts to talk about him, her voice takes on a decidedly lively pitch. “He was born in April and we sure have a lot of fun with him.”
Kolach: The Centrepiece of Ukrainian Christmas Eve
If you’ve ever tried to get a recipe from a Ukrainian grandmother, you know it’s not an easy task. They’ll tell you it contains a little bit of this and a little of that and that’s about all you’ll get. That’s why Jan Sirski is forever grateful to her sister-in-law for doing what was necessary to put Babka Sirski’s kolach recipe on paper. 
“Can you imagine her catching and measuring everything Babka tried to put into a bowl? But that’s exactly how we finally got the measurements for this recipe,” Sirski said.
Kolach is a ring-shaped loaf decorated with braids and placed on the table during Ukrainian Christmas eve celebrations. The circle symbolizes the unity of the family.
Sirski, a school principal in Dauphin, Man., says her mother-in-law had a gift when it came to breadmaking. And now with a recipe in hand, Sirski proudly carries on the traditions of her Ukrainian heritage.
“Bread is a big thing in our heritage. I grew up making all those breads—paska, babka, kolach and wedding breads,” she said.
In addition to teaching her three daughters—now 28-, 26- and 23-years old— about Ukrainian breads, Sirski shares that knowledge with her students at Smith-Jackson School. It’s an English-Ukrainian bilingual school so learning about these traditions was a natural fit.
“We use this recipe in the school because it’s simple and it always turns out beautifully,” she said.
While Babka probably used lard or shortening in the early years to make her breads, she switched to canola when it became available. It’s a change Sirski agrees with.
“We all need to be a little more conscience of our health. Using canola instead of butter or lard is an easy thing to do,” she said.
Sirski married husband Ernie in 1975 and together they started farming a couple of quarter sections while holding down full-time jobs off the farm. In the late 70s, they started growing canola.
“I remember being behind the tractor and I couldn’t even see Ernie while he was seeding. It was so dry that year that he disappeared in a cloud of dust,” recalls Sirksi. Today, close to half of their 3,000 acres is seeding to canola annually. “It’s a crop that has served us well,” she added.
Sirski cherishes the times when her daughters come home and they can make bread together. “It’s important to do this in your home with your children. I’m hoping once they have families of their own we can carry on these traditions.”
Carrot Cake: Everyone's Favourite
Brenda Chorney’s carrot cake is so good that even folks who typically say no to dessert are sneaking a slice. Maybe two.
“My husband Brian has a cousin who comes to help with harvest. He’s the kind of guy who will have a second helping of meat and potatoes, never will have dessert. Unless it’s my carrot cake, and then he’ll have two helpings,” said the East Selkirk, Man. music teacher at Happy Thought School. 
The recipe came from Chorney’s mom and quickly became a household favourite for the avid baker.
“It’s a goodie I take to a potluck supper and to any meetings that I may attend. Plus it’s a nice treat to take out to the field,” she added.
Chorney and her husband Brian built a house and moved onto the family homestead in 1996, but have always been involved in the farm. John Chorney Farms was established by Brian’s grandfather in 1919. The couple met at university and were married in 1986. They have two daughters, aged 19 and 16. Canola has been a crop on the farm for about the last 20 years. Last year, they planted 740 of their 1,800 acres in canola.
If there’s one person in the household who can’t live without mom’s carrot cake, it’s Chorney youngest daughter.
“She always has carrot cake as her birthday cake. I usually make it in a nine x 13 pan but for her birthday, I do an eight-inch round and dress it up with lots and lots of cream cheese frosting,” she said. “When she sees one leaving the house for a potluck, she always questions why it’s going out the door.”
Because there’s a carrot cake in the oven at least once a month, Chorney needs to keep a stockpile of carrots close at hand. The vegetables come from her mother-in-law’s garden, which is on the farmyard.
“I wrap them up and store them in the refrigerator. They keep well right into the new year,” she said.
Homegrown vegetables are just one factor in the Chorney family commitment to healthy living. “We’re moving away from all kinds of other fats. If a recipe asks for oil, it’s canola oil around here,” Chorney said.
“Healthy eating is important to us. The other day one of the girls grabbed a granola bar. I asked her to read the label and she was shocked. It’s very easy to fall into bad habits. It takes a little bit of effort to make changes,” she said
Banana Bran Muffins: Got Overripe Bananas?
Like all moms, Tracy Chappell got tired of staring at the overripe bananas that always seem to be lurking in the kitchen. So she headed for her cookbooks to find a solution. With three children between six and 10 years of age, finding a healthy recipe was a priority.
“This one has bran flakes so that was a good thing. It also had cocoa and that’s an easy sell. It’s also very good for smuggling in the healthy ingredients,” said Chappell.
Healthy eating is important in the Chappell household. “We really do try to provide a balanced diet around here. We are one of those families that sits down and has a meal as a family,” she said.
Finding healthy snacks for school lunches is more of a challenge. “With so many allergy restrictions of what kids can bring to school, it’s hard to find a recipe for something quick, easy and healthy,” said Chappell.
More and more schools are adopting nut-free and peanut-free policies to protect students and staff with life-threatening allergies. Peanut butter sandwiches and treats containing peanuts—once staples of the lunch box—are becoming a thing of the past.
Chappell married husband Barry 12 years ago and began farming in Hamiota, Man. They seed roughly half of their 1,950-acre farm to canola annually. The couple also owns and operates a seed company, Chappell Seeds, from the farmyard.
Their days are a hectic mix of getting breakfast on the table, making lunches for the kids and waving to the school bus when it picks them up at 8 a.m. Chappell then shuffles Barry out the door to the seed company office. She usually puts in a full day at the office as well.
Naturally, canola is Chappell’s first choice when it comes to cooking, baking and finding new recipes that work. “We’ve always used it in anything that we could, including bread and buns with our bread machine. We hardly ever use butter or margarine,” she said. Chappell also pointed out that canola oil always seems to be close at hand. Living on a farm means margarine and butter are often stored in the freezer and taking the time to thaw them out is time she doesn’t have.
“Canola is great for keeping moisture in. Plus it seems to work with everything. The results are always great,” she said.
For Immediate Release
Canola and the Canadian Paralympic Committee announce winner of the Be a Star! Be a Winner! With Canola Oil! Recipe Contest
WINNIPEG, M.B. (January 25, 2009) - Manitoba Canola Growers Association (MCGA) and the Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC) have chosen Karen Schlyter's Wild Rice and Potato Pancakes with Corn Salsa recipe as the winner of the Be a Star! Be a Winner! With Canola Oil! recipe contest. This recipe used canola oil and demonstrated star-making qualities.
"Congratulations to Karen on her winning entry," said Kevin Haywood, athlete and CPC Ambassador for the Power of the Prairies Program. "This recipe is great because it features locally-made canola oil and provides the nutritional benefits needed for athletes like myself, and all Canadians reaching for their personal bests."
Second place went to Joan Airey's Angel Wings Pasta Salad recipe, and third place to Sharlene Stanley's Saskatoon Bars. Honourable mention was given to Donna Kingsley's Aunty Mary's Buns.
"These recipes are proven winners because they have been created by Prairie families, using Prairie ingredients, to raise winning athletes and Canadians," said Ellen Pruden, Education and Promotion Co-ordinator for MCGA. "The entries were chosen based on their appeal to a variety of ages, their use of locally-grown products, and because they are delicious; as well they recognize the nutritional benefits of canola oil required to help Canadian Paralympic athletes Go for Gold at Vancouver 2010."
MCGA, Alberta Canola Producers Commission, and the CPC have partnered in this recipe contest, and also with the Viterra Power of the Prairies Program. The purpose of this program is to provide children and Prairie families with information on the importance of nutrition for achieving athletic success.
Complete recipes are attached.
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About the Canadian Paralympic Committee
The Canadian Paralympic Committee ("the CPC") is a non-profit, private organization with 43 member sports organizations dedicated to strengthening the Paralympic Movement. The CPC is responsible for creating an optimal high-performance environment for Canadian Paralympic athletes to win at Paralympic and ParaPanAmerican Games. By supporting Canadian Paralympic athletes and promoting their success, the CPC inspires all Canadians with a physical disability to get involved in sport through programs delivered by its member organizations. For more information, visit www.paralympic.ca <http://www.paralympic.ca/> .
About Manitoba Canola Growers Association
The Manitoba Canola Growers Association is a member organization committed to maximizing member net income from canola. There are over 9,000 hard working canola producers across Manitoba that plant on the average about 3 million acres.
Manitoba Canola Growers are proud to be able to grow a heart healthy product that is enjoyed by people locally and all across the globe. Canola oil is lowest in saturated fat and trans fat free. Whether you are baking, frying, sautéing, emulsifying or grilling your next meal, canola oil makes a healthy choice. Canola Oil. Local. Healthy. Good For You. For more information go to www.canolarecipes.ca
For more information, contact:
Ellen Pruden
Manitoba Canola Growers Association
Tel: (204) 982-2107
Email: prudene@mcgacanola.org <mailto:prudene@mcgacanola.org>
Andrée Dion
Canadian Paralympic Committee
Tel: (613) 569-4333 x228
Email: adion@paralympic.ca <mailto:adion@paralympic.ca>
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