Author: bgs12023

Last year, my husband and I sent our DNA to one of those sites that unlocks your lineage. I was in a dreamy state of mind when I sent the packages and hopeful that my bloodline would reveal an ancestral royal cousin or a connection to an adventurer who discovered North America, something over-the-top. The results came in ten weeks later, and my origins are in eastern Europe and Ukraine. It confirmed what I already knew and I am not disappointed, but secretly, I would have loved a DNA surprise!

I am a second-generation Canadian but have embraced my Ukrainian ethnicity over the years. I remember when I was growing up; we drove 9 hours at least three to four times a year to visit my grandparents living in Saskatchewan. My baba and dido were always welcoming no matter what time we arrived. That welcome always came with a sloppy kiss and big hugs. After the welcome, there was often a “snack”, and when I say “snack” I mean a full meal waiting at the table for the travelers.

The remembrances of my baba and dido, who passed away in the early 2000s, apart from their hospitality and love of their grandkids, included my dido’s stories of the old homestead and farming the land. He would talk so fast and passionately that his English would blend into his Ukrainian. Deciphering what he said was like playing a game. My baba was a talented cook. Not to many were referred to as a chef in those days, but she should have been. Her cabbage rolls, homemade kolbassa sausage, jellied “head-cheese”, which as a kid I never touched, and her baking was outstanding. What I most vividly remember, though, was her “pedaheh” or perogies.

In Ukrainian, the correct name is varenyky, which comes from the Ukrainian word varyty meaning “to boil.” They generally cook these in boiling water. However, in my grandparents’ home, they were not referred to by this term, always pedaheh. I use both words, pedaheh and perogy, in my home.

In a world where perogies have become a staple across cultures, filled with a variety of flavours, my baba made her pedaheh quite simple. The pasta-like dough is rolled thin, cut into circles, and filled with a mixture of mashed potatoes, cheddar and cottage cheeses, and fried onion. They were boiled in lightly salted water until they bobbed to the top of the pot. The puffy potato packages would be drained and tossed with onions sauteed in copious amounts of butter and deliciously fried bacon bits. Sour cream would be sitting on the table where we could scoop an embarrassing amount on top of our perogy mound.

I was privileged to get my baba’s handwritten collection of recipes and she was auspicious enough to record her perogy recipe and tips. My daughters and I try to schedule a perogy-making day at least once a year. It is a time of connection between us and the past. DNA may reveal blood connection, but we build relationships on memories, connection, and sharing experiences. Perogy-making day is a place where my girls reminisce stories about their great-grands, the old homestead, and farming the land.

Oh, and by the way, my husband’s DNA revealed he has Viking blood, and he received the surprise of a half-sibling no one knew about. Go figure!

Baba’s Pedaheh (Perogy) Recipe

The dough

1 cup    hot potato water (water used to boil your potatoes.)
Tap water could also be used
1 cup    milk
¼ cup   oil (tradition was to use corn oil)

4 ½ cups            all purpose flour
1 tsp                   baking powder
1 tsp                   salt

Step 1
Combine the water, milk and oil in a large bowl
Whisk to combine

Step 2
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt
Add a cup at a time to the liquid. Mixing after each addition
Knead dough until soft and elastic
Allow to rest 30 minutes

Step 3
Divide the dough into fourths
Roll out a portion to about 1/8^th thick.
Using a 3 inch round cookie cutter or the opening of a drinking glass, cut as many circles in the dough as you can.
You can gather up the left-over dough and reroll it several times.

Step 4
Add a heaping tablespoon or so of the filling to the centre of each circle.
Fold one end of the circle over and carefully pinch the edges closed.
The dough should easily stretch over the filling.

Step 5
Place the perogy on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Leaving a little space between each little bundle
Repeat
Perogies can be frozen at this point

Step 6
Fill a large pot with water. Add a generous amount of salt. Taste
Bring to a boil
Drop in a few perogies at a time, gently stirring so they don’t stick together
Cook until they rise to the surface (approx..5-6 minutes)
Remove with a slotted spoon to a large bowl
Toss with melted butter, fried onions, and bacon bits as desired.

The Filling (can be made the day before to build flavour)

1 ½ lbs peeled potatoes, cut into cubes
2 tbsp  butter
2 tbsp  sour cream
½ cup   cheddar cheese, grated (or ¼ cup Cheeze Whiz)
1            small onion, finely chopped

Bring the potatoes to a boil until cooked (12-15 minutes)
Drain but save the water for the dough
In a fry pan, melt the butter
Add the onion and fry until translucent
Mash the potatoes and add the onions and butter, sour cream and cheese
Mix well and set aside to cool. Refrigerate if you make this the day before.

Food appeals to all five of our senses pic.twitter.com/vw23E8YFd1

— Prairie Student (@PrairieStudent1) December 18, 2022

evolution of tradition & embracing technology

The Disney movie “Beauty and the Beast” got it right when Mrs. Potts sang “A tale as old as time”. Stories and storytelling are as old as time and universal. Each culture, religion, and tribe has its own stories that entertain and engage, unite, and connect. With the technologies available today, storytelling is evolving and taking on a radically different form, though the process stays the same. While the nostalgia of stories before bed, or around a campfire has its place, digital storytelling has risen to a deeper level. This is because of the addition and incorporation of videos, images, and audio files.

In digital storytelling, as well as in traditional storytelling, a particular topic and point of view are addressed. Author and educator Daniel Meadows described digital stories as “short, personal multimedia tales told from the heart.” The beauty of this form of digital expression is that it can be created by anyone, on any subject, and shared electronically with the world. He added digital stories are “multimedia sonnets.” (About Digital Storytelling, n.d.)[1]

“It’s like instead of just having a pencil to draw a picture, you are given the most radical and complex toolbox filled with paints, pastels, charcoal, different paper and canvas, crayons, markers, and a pencil. …imagine how much better your art, and the story you want to tell would be”?

Barry, Alice (2018). The Complete Marketer’s Guide to Digital Storytelling. https://www.meetcortex.com/blog/digital-storytelling

Creating a digital story is an engaging way to share information through experimenting with your creativity with different technologies. Digital storytelling is all around us and has enhanced what we were taught about traditional storytelling. To quote Alice Barry on digital storytelling “It’s like instead of just having a pencil to draw a picture, you are given the most radical and complex toolbox filled with paints, pastels, charcoal, different paper and canvas, crayons, markers, and a pencil. …imagine how much better your art, and the story you want to tell would be? (Barry, 2018)[2]

Digital stories can cover a wide variety of topics. For example, you can share a personal adventure, explain a concept, inform your audience about an historical event or debate an issue. Though they are normally less than 5 minutes long, the process is like writing a traditional story.

Your Story

1. Brainstorm

Consider how easy it is for your reader to swipe past your story. Ask yourself what you want your story to convey and then KEEP IT SHORT. Have a lead-in that will grab the attention of your reader.

2. Script & Storyboarding

The script and storyboard will give you a layout as to exactly how your story will play out for the reader. Deliver content that expresses a clear narrative.

3. Create your digital story

Collect and/or create your content. Keep your text minimal. Images are more compelling. SHOW ME, don’t tell me.

[1] Digital Storytelling (n.d.). What is digital storytelling? Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling. Houston, TX

[2] Barry, Alice (2018). The Complete Marketer’s Guide to Digital Storytelling. https://www.meetcortex.com/blog/digital-storytelling

Let’s Get It Started

I am a full-time working woman. Seven hours a day and 35 hours per week. I’ve always worked outside the home except for a couple of breaks in my career. I was or am still a mom. My children are grown. Adults now. Are you still a mom when your children are living on their own, leading their own lives? Yes, you sure are. It’s a role that you never give up. The relationship changes, as it should, but it is one you have for your entire life.

“Other things may change us, but we start and end with the family.” –Anthony Brandt

https://www.shutterfly.com/ideas/family-quotes/

Working full-time has become easier without having to drop children at school, pick them up, and maneuver around their schedules. Over the years with my mom-independence, my career has changed, grown, and I’ve had very fulfilling work experiences. I found my groove with routine, discipline, and priorities in my life. It’s the constant in my life and I’m here to share what my typical Monday to Friday work week looks like for me:

5:30 a.m. my alarm sounds off. I’d like to say that I’ve had a restful, full night’s sleep, but some nights that is elusive and that is a story for another blog post. I grab my phone and click on my Radioplayer app, which has my news radio channel selected. While I listen to the news, weather, and sports, I scroll through my calendar and email mentally preparing for my day. My husband is already up and usually dressed bringing me my complimentary morning cup of tea.

6:00 a.m. I am wide awake but still in bed. The dog is snuggled in the blankets, warm, and toasty. I roll over to grab the water with lemon on my bedside table and drink a healthy 16 oz. I take my cup of hot tea with me to the shower.

6:45 a.m. Dressed and ready for the day, I walk down the hallway to the kitchen. I prepare my cucumbers, celery, and ginger for my morning juice smoothie. Into my high-powered blender, it goes. The machine whirs as I prepare the dog’s breakfast.

7:00 a.m. I am one of those people who set several alarms in the morning. Weird, I know, but it keeps me on track and gets me to the office on time. Anyhow, my alarm goes off, I grab my laptop and my backpack, and out the door, I go. It takes a few moments on a cold day for the vehicle to catch its breath and warm up. I back out of the driveway and down the cul-de-sac to the main avenue.

7:10 a.m. The perks of living in a small city are that it’s a quick drive to the office. I find a parking stall, grab my belongings, and head inside an already brightly lit building. I settle my things, make a carafe of coffee for the team, and begin my day.

7:30 a.m. My workday, the part that I get paid for, officially begins. I shift into businesswoman and professional mode, spending a good lot of my day in front of my computer, researching, responding to emails, reading, writing, and on video calls. Some days, I am planning events and attending meetings or workshops.

11:30 a.m. This is one moment I look forward to; lunchtime. I take a break and leave the office to grab lunch and walk. There are some scenic trails just behind the office building. The one trail I walk takes 20 minutes. It makes for a nice break to prepare for the afternoon.

4:00 p.m. It’s quitting time. I shut my laptop down, papers are filed and put away, my jacket is on, and I’m out! I contemplate if I am making supper, SKIPping supper (forgive the bad grammar using SKIP the Dishes as a verb), or just venturing out on the town for supper! Mom independence allows me to do that!

I arrive home, tidy up some breakfast dishes, maybe throw in a load of laundry and wait for my hubby to arrive home. He works in the ‘bigger’ city, and the drive takes about 45 minutes. Gives me some time to decompress, leave any business and professional responsibilities at the door, and relax into me.

I found that as I wrote this piece and learned the nuances of blogging and Twitter submission; I incorporated some of the following storytelling techniques. The story started with the title of 7/35.  It piques the interest of readers to stop and find out want this actually means. I feel that it grabs the attention of the person scrolling. The story is told from the point of view of a working mom with grown children and how working full-time and life has changed for her. It’s told with simplicity and in plain language, speaking from the heart.

In conclusion, during the week, this is my day-to-day 7/35 routine. While it plays like a scene out of the movie Ground Hog Day, it has variety and is fulfilling. A typical day for me includes approximately 7 hours of creative work in my field of choice. Of course, this does not include the role I play after hours. The coffee dates with friends, the moments with my husband, and the visits with my grown daughters. Family time is a priority and belongs to us.

7/35 WHAT DOES IT MEAN #EXSM3989

— Prairie Student (@PrairieStudent1) November 17, 2022

Prioritizing family has created strong bonds between us and has made for a comfortable home that is a place of refuge and peace in a busy work world.